I think I've been doing this all wrong.

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  • ElectricDame
    ElectricDame Posts: 43
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    Thanks for all the responses. I changed my goal to 1 pound a week, and now MFP is wanting my goal to be 2180. So, this is what my intake should be including food & exercise? I have had 500 or more calories "left" over, after exercise, that I have just left be.

    And I should get a food scale. I measure out everything dry and wet, but I don't weight stuff. I for sure could be off.

    For example, last thursday said:
    GOAL 2180 FOOD 1793 EX 908 NET 885 REMAIN 1295

    That was all for the day.

    I'm guessing I need to change my habit so that my net is much closer to 2180.
  • kellymac518
    kellymac518 Posts: 132 Member
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    i was eating protein bars a while back and ended up gaining weight from them... and fat, not muscle... maybe the protein shakes are preventing your loss? can't be sure though... just a thought.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,138 Member
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    Thanks for all the responses. I changed my goal to 1 pound a week, and now MFP is wanting my goal to be 2180. So, this is what my intake should be including food & exercise? I have had 500 or more calories "left" over, after exercise, that I have just left be.

    And I should get a food scale. I measure out everything dry and wet, but I don't weight stuff. I for sure could be off.

    For example, last thursday said:
    GOAL 2180 FOOD 1793 EX 908 NET 885 REMAIN 1295

    That was all for the day.

    I'm guessing I need to change my habit so that my net is much closer to 2180.

    Right. Get your "Remaining" as close to ZERO as possible.

    The bottom line of your Food Diary should be zero as well.
  • lindeyrae1028
    lindeyrae1028 Posts: 17
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    Girl, we are literally in the same boat. Minus the kickboxing anyways...

    I am about 5'9" and 201 when I weighed in this morning. I have been kicking my butt at the gym 5-6 days a week (couple hours a day) burning anywhere from 600-1200 calories at the gym. I lost about 6 pounds in the first week then started gaining, gaining, gaining over the last 3.5 weeks. Talk about frustrating!

    I started a thread about it last week and MANY people commented that I needed to eat more if I am really burning that many calories at the gym. Netting less than 1200 calories is bad because your body starts to starve. This morning (while at the gym) I met a woman who COINCIDENTALLY had the same problem as me! She stopped losing weight until she started eating her calories back. So I am planning on eating them back from now on... I figure worst case scenario is that I simply maintain weight like I have been the last 3 weeks!!

    Also, I have to remind myself that the scale doesn't tell you if it is fat, water or muscle that you have gained or lost. If only!!
  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
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    I've been reading through all the forums and I'm thinking I'm either not eating enough or have my calories set wrong.

    I'm 5'8", 29, and weigh 200lbs. I'm a pretty solid gal, but am a size 14 jean. I would like to get down to around 160lbs.

    Right now, I kickbox for a very long, crazy hour 5 days a week. I have been counting calories and working out for about a month and a half and have seen nothing but a couple pound weight gain. My husband says it's muscle gain, but I'm not so sure. I have not been taping myself.

    I've been eating well (I used to be carb obsessed) and have upped my protein increase (shake after a workout).

    My calorie goal that MFP set for me was 1680, to lose 2 pounds a week. I am eating that amount in good food, but my kickboxing class torches about 900 calories a day, so it's leaving my NET calories around 500-800 less than my goal.

    Example:
    Goal: 1680 Food 1920 Exercise 997 Net 923 Remaining 757
    Goal: 1680 Food 2159 exercise 908 net 1251 remaining 429


    Am I not eating enough? Should I be eating back the calories I burn so that my net and goal match as much as possible?

    Thanks in advance!

    You (and women in general) won't put on pounds of muscle in a month, particularly from just cardio kickboxing. Nope.
    Even eating at a surplus AND lifting heavy weights 5x a week, women won't gain pounds of muscle in a month. Your husband is being very sweet to say that, but it's not accurate for your fat loss goals. :)
  • kleach0923
    kleach0923 Posts: 3
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    ditching protein is a dumb idea especially if you are active. you can't TRULY assess your calories burned, all you can really gauge is calories eaten. measure and weigh everything. the sizes may be different than what you are doing. I weigh about the same and am in size 14. I eat about 1700 calories a day and pay attention to my macros. I can friend you so you can see my macro breakdown.

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