Should I have calories left over?

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jellicakes2014
jellicakes2014 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 137 and 5'2. I want to lose ten pounds so My Fitness Pal tells me to eat 1200 calories a day. I work out a hour a day and burn about 300-350 calories. Does that mean I can eat up to 1500 calories? Or should I only eat 1200?

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  • thatch1234
    thatch1234 Posts: 276 Member
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    If your using mfp to calculate calories you need to eat back all your exercise calories also. Otherwise you would be under eating a lot :)
  • JulesAlloggio
    JulesAlloggio Posts: 480 Member
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    Please don't only eat 1200 calories... you'll kill your metabolism.
  • jellicakes2014
    jellicakes2014 Posts: 3
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    Thanks! I usually try to eat a little something in the morning but if I don't and add my work out, I'll have 1500 for the day to eat. I should use up all those calories right? But making sure not to go over?
  • thatch1234
    thatch1234 Posts: 276 Member
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    To be honest a lot of ladies eat around the 1200 mark but I would suggest eating at least 1500 on days you work out. Just my opinion though :)
  • jellicakes2014
    jellicakes2014 Posts: 3
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    Sounds good!! Thank you :)
  • thatch1234
    thatch1234 Posts: 276 Member
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    Yep that's right :) make sure to eat 1500 on days you workout or more if workout is more intense etc. Days off you could eat less but never go below 1200.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    but food for thought: I'm 5'2" and a 151 lbs and I eat 1700 calories on days I dont work out and 1900-2200 on days I do work out.... :)
  • FreedomSand
    FreedomSand Posts: 30 Member
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    Nikki, the difference may well be that you have been working out for some time, have built up some muscle and have revved up your metabolism. A newbie would not be in that situation, but hopes to get there!

    Just a thought.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    This is true, although even when I started out I ate more :)
    Well except for the times it didn't work... I started several times at the 1200-1300 calorie range and failed miserably... If I can save someone the heartache of yo-yoing I'd like to!
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
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    Yes, I would eat the calories you have left over, or at least some of them. You don't want to eat only 1200 calories and then work out a ton.

    At least you can eat the 1500 on days you work out and eat less on the days you do not.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
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    This is true, although even when I started out I ate more :)
    Well except for the times it didn't work... I started several times at the 1200-1300 calorie range and failed miserably... If I can save someone the heartache of yo-yoing I'd like to!

    I agree with her.

    The OP very may well have set too aggressive of a goal and might be able to eat more to be just as successful
  • p1ppers
    p1ppers Posts: 40 Member
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    Everyone is different, but when I first started I didn't eat back any extra calories and I barely exercised. It was slow going.

    Then I started walking 5 miles a day and eating back all the exercise calories and the weight came off much easier. Now I've lost it all and I eat back ALL my exercise calories and sometimes even go over and I exercise more than I ever did and eat more than I have in a long time.

    It's great when you know you can workout each day and eat up to 1600 calories and maintain or lose 1/2 lb a week. I'm also 5'2" and went from 178 to 116 on MFP this last year, prior to that I had worked years with Weight Watchers with little or no results.

    This plan will work if you just eat and exercise according to what works best for your body type. Want to eat more, exercise more. That's the secret. Don't do anything all day, well then you only get to eat the minimum 1200 but NEVER less than that. I can attest that the more you exercise, the more you can eat and the more/faster you will lose. Good luck
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
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    this might help you.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    I'm 137 and 5'2. I want to lose ten pounds so My Fitness Pal tells me to eat 1200 calories a day. I work out a hour a day and burn about 300-350 calories. Does that mean I can eat up to 1500 calories? Or should I only eat 1200?
    Yes, eat your exercise calories back. However, if you use MFP calorie estimations, they can be quite overestimated so only eat about 75% back. If you take your burns from gym machines, eat only 50% back. If you have a heart rate monitor and you are sure you've calibrated it correctly and use it only for steady state cardio, it's probably pretty safe to eat most if not all of them back.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Nikki, the difference may well be that you have been working out for some time, have built up some muscle and have revved up your metabolism. A newbie would not be in that situation, but hopes to get there!

    Just a thought.
    That is an excellent point.

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