confusion over calories

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dellybellyandbum
dellybellyandbum Posts: 12 Member
in Getting Started
I have lost 5 st already without the use of this site.I am confused as to how many calories I should be eating as this site says I should be having alot more than I have been,so how am I going to continue losing weight,never mind eating back my workout calories.Do you all have your calories?....AND...the calories I burn at the gym on the machines are at least half less than what is stated in the exercise lists on here.Do you go with what the gym reading says you have burned or what it tells you on here...much confusion,as I want to use this site right.Thankyou.

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  • epj78
    epj78 Posts: 643 Member
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    You really give us too little information to go on. We don't know your height, age, activity level, what exercise you are doing, etc.

    But in general, assuming your set up your profile correctly (age, weight, general activity level (I always err on stating lower then I think here) and desired amount to lose per week), you're calories are correct. And yes, you should eat back your exercise calories. In practice, I eat them back when I'm hungry and don't when I'm not. But they are there to eat back. As for why the difference between here and the gym machines.....could be many things. The machines at the gym are generally programed for a 150 pound person. If you weigh more than that, you'll burn more calories. If you weigh less, you'll burn less. If you already changed your weight on the machine to the correct weight and it's still significantly lower, I'd go with the machine calories and do a manual entry. This way you know you won't over eat calories.

    You're calories are set to help you to lose weight in the healthies, most sustainable, won't screw up your metabolism way. You could eat less, but you could be harming yourself in the long term. Never, ever eat under 1200 calories (unless you are uber short).
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
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    Both the site and the burns on the machines are inaccurate. There's really no 100% knowing how much each individual burns, as much depends on personal fitness level, etc and machines can only calculate so much. Same with calorie consumption. It is important you are fueling yourself and your work outs, so here's some light reading.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    This information was truly a crucial turning point for me in my weight loss. It's generally recommended to eat about 75% ish of the burns from exercise calculated by whichever source you choose. Give it a few weeks and see what trends you see on the scale. Weight loss isn't linear, so there will be fluctuations
  • dellybellyandbum
    dellybellyandbum Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks guys...as I have lost and I am still losing I think I will use this place for a diary and to make friends and get and give support.Yes I have logged all my info and do record it daily.I was just shocked to see how many calories I can have as I know I can't eat that much and if I did I would feel like a bus!!!!I will still log food and exercise but doubt I'll ever eat calories back or the suggested amount.To get so over weight in the first place I was obviously eating more calories and fat as I am now,so I will try not to panic much.I am losing fat and gaining muscle and feeling really healthy so I can't be doing it wrong,surely.
  • idontcarroll
    idontcarroll Posts: 216 Member
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    How many calories is MFP telling you to eat? Most of the time it’s set to 1200 calories a day.
    I don't want to jump the gun and assume that is what they have set you calorie intake to, but if so I feel really bad that you can't even eat 1200 calories. I'm sure your BMR is higher than that and that is calories just to live.
  • westendcurls
    westendcurls Posts: 252 Member
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    the machines at the gym that tell you how many calories are burned are way off!! My Fitness Pal is a little better but the best way to tell how many calories you burned is to wear a heart rate monitor. you can usually find one on Amazon fairly cheap.
  • dellybellyandbum
    dellybellyandbum Posts: 12 Member
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    Hmmmm...it is set at 2210...and it seems I have actually had around 1200 cals a day...I thought I had had a lot less to be honest.So maybe I can eat that much but I can't imagine eating much more..and depending on how busy I am I will probably eat less...maybe it is time to try and eat a bit more on a few days a week,but then it seems all I'm doing all day after the gym is eating...
  • dellybellyandbum
    dellybellyandbum Posts: 12 Member
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    the machines at the gym that tell you how many calories are burned are way off!! My Fitness Pal is a little better but the best way to tell how many calories you burned is to wear a heart rate monitor. you can usually find one on Amazon fairly cheap.
    so you think I could be burning off MORE at the gym than the machine is saying?...I will have to get one of those,thanks.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    the machines at the gym that tell you how many calories are burned are way off!! My Fitness Pal is a little better but the best way to tell how many calories you burned is to wear a heart rate monitor. you can usually find one on Amazon fairly cheap.
    so you think I could be burning off MORE at the gym than the machine is saying?...I will have to get one of those,thanks.
    No, they usually over estimate. When I logged calories burned, I'd only put 2/3 of what the machine would tell me. So, if it said I burned 1000 calories for an hour workout, I'd only log 600.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
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    Hello and welcome! You seem to know what is right for you already. I think 2200 calories is high, but I don't know your stats. Just keep doing what you've been doing, it seems to be working for you! Good luck to ya! :flowerforyou:
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Hmmmm...it is set at 2210...and it seems I have actually had around 1200 cals a day...I thought I had had a lot less to be honest.So maybe I can eat that much but I can't imagine eating much more..and depending on how busy I am I will probably eat less...maybe it is time to try and eat a bit more on a few days a week,but then it seems all I'm doing all day after the gym is eating...


    Calorie dense foods are small portion....use a few of these to fill out your day. 1200 is as low as MFP will go.....even women with zero exercise get 1200 calories.

    Avocado, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds and cheese.
  • LeahFerri
    LeahFerri Posts: 186 Member
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    Hmmmm...it is set at 2210...and it seems I have actually had around 1200 cals a day...I thought I had had a lot less to be honest.So maybe I can eat that much but I can't imagine eating much more..and depending on how busy I am I will probably eat less...maybe it is time to try and eat a bit more on a few days a week,but then it seems all I'm doing all day after the gym is eating...

    I really wouldn't recommend eating under 1200. I know it can seem like a lot of food to eat more when you're eating less calorie-dense food, but it's hard to get the right nutrition at less than 1200, and hard to have enough energy (physical and mental!) to do everything you need to do and stick with your plan. If you can lose on more (you absolutely can), why not do it? You might lose faster on less, but you're at greater risk for throwing in the towel, in my opinion. I know I personally (5'2", ~120 pounds) can't do the 1200 thing. Can't. And I don't work out. I do move around during the day, but nothing intense. Easiest way to up calories when you feel full is to introduce more calorie-dense foods (nuts, nut butters... the forums have plenty of examples) into your diet.
  • dellybellyandbum
    dellybellyandbum Posts: 12 Member
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    Hello and welcome! You seem to know what is right for you already. I think 2200 calories is high, but I don't know your stats. Just keep doing what you've been doing, it seems to be working for you! Good luck to ya! :flowerforyou:
    thankyou...I think I will...just continue as I have been doing...and try not to sweat over the logistics...I am moving more and eating less and I am losing weight...I will just stick with that I guess...:happy:
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Hello and welcome! You seem to know what is right for you already. I think 2200 calories is high, but I don't know your stats. Just keep doing what you've been doing, it seems to be working for you! Good luck to ya! :flowerforyou:
    thankyou...I think I will...just continue as I have been doing...and try not to sweat over the logistics...I am moving more and eating less and I am losing weight...I will just stick with that I guess...:happy:

    1200 calories less a 500 calorie workout leaves your body with 700 NET calories.

    You absolutely will lose "weight" by doing this. If the number on the SCALE is the most important thing.....then carry on. Your body needs a bare minimum calories to function and 700 is not enough. So..........your heart, lungs, kidneys (being more important than exisitng muscle mass) will get nourishment.....muscle will not.

    Now, if losing FAT is more important than the number on the scale.....my advice is to eat more food to keep existing muscle.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Hello and welcome! You seem to know what is right for you already. I think 2200 calories is high, but I don't know your stats. Just keep doing what you've been doing, it seems to be working for you! Good luck to ya! :flowerforyou:
    thankyou...I think I will...just continue as I have been doing...and try not to sweat over the logistics...I am moving more and eating less and I am losing weight...I will just stick with that I guess...:happy:

    1200 calories less a 500 calorie workout leaves your body with 700 NET calories.

    You absolutely will lose "weight" by doing this. If the number on the SCALE is the most important thing.....then carry on. Your body needs a bare minimum calories to function and 700 is not enough. So..........your heart, lungs, kidneys (being more important than exisitng muscle mass) will get nourishment.....muscle will not.

    Now, if losing FAT is more important than the number on the scale.....my advice is to eat more food to keep existing muscle.
    This. And keep in mind that the heart is a muscle, so extremely low calorie diets for a long time can cause heart damage (although it's usually very extreme and something that happens to anorexics because they restrict for so long without much to lose).

    When you lose muscle along with the fat, you may not like how your body looks when you reach your "goal weight", then you might want to lose more and keep restricting. But, many people don't actually want to lose weight, but lose body fat. If you preserve the muscle you already have, you will likely end up liking your body better when you do get to goal.
  • dellybellyandbum
    dellybellyandbum Posts: 12 Member
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    Understood...1200 to function...if not will lose muscle mass...eat more than 1200...if I burn off some cals through exercise and go under 1200 then eat calories back...but aim for more than 1200 anyway...got it!!!!!...Thankyou!!!!

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