HELP ME !

How do you count these calories is the big number on the home screen the calories you can eat ? do you add food and it takes away ? do you have to exercise all the calories off? what if the food dosnt have a calories sheet because it wasn't packaged. how do you count the calories from fat ?

Replies

  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    The big # on the front page is how many calories you have remaining for the day. When you log in food, those calories will be subtracted from that # to give you your new remaining calories balance for the day. I never log in my exercise. I just focus on hitting my calorie goal and pushing hard during exercise. For food that is not packaged, I use a food scale and log in how many ounces, for example chicken.

    Allan
  • eimaj5575
    eimaj5575 Posts: 278 Member
    Log your workout calories and eat them. Sometimes your body can go into starvation mode if you dont
  • CherrellBates
    CherrellBates Posts: 16 Member
    so i eat all the calories i burn ?
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    How do you count these calories is the big number on the home screen the calories you can eat ? do you add food and it takes away ? do you have to exercise all the calories off? what if the food dosnt have a calories sheet because it wasn't packaged. how do you count the calories from fat ?

    This Down-Arrow.png
    The big # on the front page is how many calories you have remaining for the day. When you log in food, those calories will be subtracted from that # to give you your new remaining calories balance for the day. I never log in my exercise. I just focus on hitting my calorie goal and pushing hard during exercise. For food that is not packaged, I use a food scale and log in how many ounces, for example chicken.

    Allan

    And this Down-Arrow.png

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

    MFP has a HUGE database. You can search the database for nutritional data of the foods you eat, but try to find data that at least 'appears' accurate. A food scale is obviously your best bet.

    The term you might be looking for is, 'eating your exercise calories back.' That is.... you get 'credit' for calories burned through exercise during the day... those calories burned are added to your total daily goal. So, say, ( this is JUST and example ) your daily calorie goal is 1500... and you burn 400 calories exercising, today.... that means you new calorie goal for today is 1900. If you eat back those exercise calories, then today, you eat 1900 calories, you should remain on track with your weight loss goal, whatever you set it to. Some people only eat back half their exercise calories, it's up to you. As long as you continue to eat a reasonable amount each day.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    Log your workout calories and eat them. Sometimes your body can go into starvation mode if you dont

    Uhmmm, not exactly.
    so i eat all the calories i burn ?

    That's the intention, yes. But you don't have to. You're trying to eat at a deficit to lose weight, right? So, say, your maintenance calories ( what you'd eat to remain at your current weight ) is 2,000 per day. So, you've told MFP that you want to lose 1 lb per week, and it's set your daily calorie goal to 1,500. ( a 500 calorie per day deficit = 3500 calories per week = 1 lb ) And you burn 500 calories today, with exercise. So, your new calorie goal for today is 2,000. If you eat that 2,000 calories today, you are still at your 500 calorie deficit, that MFP set you up with.... and you are still on track to lose 1 lb per week. If you don't eat the 500 calories you burned back, you are now at a 1,000 calorie deficit for the day.

    Depending on how much weight you have to lose, and your own personal circumstances, you might find that you only want to eat part of your exercise calories back. But, as the 'starvation mode' poster was trying to say..... eating too few calories is not a sensible approach to weight loss.
  • eimaj5575
    eimaj5575 Posts: 278 Member
    Log your workout calories and eat them. Sometimes your body can go into starvation mode if you dont

    Uhmmm, not exactly.
    so i eat all the calories i burn ?

    That's the intention, yes. But you don't have to. You're trying to eat at a deficit to lose weight, right? So, say, your maintenance calories ( what you'd eat to remain at your current weight ) is 2,000 per day. So, you've told MFP that you want to lose 1 lb per week, and it's set your daily calorie goal to 1,500. ( a 500 calorie per day deficit = 3500 calories per week = 1 lb ) And you burn 500 calories today, with exercise. So, your new calorie goal for today is 2,000. If you eat that 2,000 calories today, you are still at your 500 calorie deficit, that MFP set you up with.... and you are still on track to lose 1 lb per week. If you don't eat the 500 calories you burned back, you are now at a 1,000 calorie deficit for the day.

    Depending on how much weight you have to lose, and your own personal circumstances, you might find that you only want to eat part of your exercise calories back. But, as the 'starvation mode' poster was trying to say..... eating too few calories is not a sensible approach to weight loss.


    Ummm.... Yes you do want to eat your workout calories. If you dont eat enough then your body CAN go into starvation mode and hold on to your weight. The more calories you burn the more fuel your body needs. So yes eat your cardio calories!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member


    Ummm.... Yes you do want to eat your workout calories. If you dont eat enough then your body CAN go into starvation mode and hold on to your weight. The more calories you burn the more fuel your body needs. So yes eat your cardio calories!

    There is no starvatioin mode...it's a myth...your body will burn calories regardless of if you eat or not.

    I don't eat my cardio calories...I don't eat my weight lifting calories either and I lose weight every week...
  • eimaj5575
    eimaj5575 Posts: 278 Member


    Ummm.... Yes you do want to eat your workout calories. If you dont eat enough then your body CAN go into starvation mode and hold on to your weight. The more calories you burn the more fuel your body needs. So yes eat your cardio calories!

    There is no starvatioin mode...it's a myth...your body will burn calories regardless of if you eat or not.

    I don't eat my cardio calories...I don't eat my weight lifting calories either and I lose weight every week...

    There is a starvation mode, not everyone goes into it. Its not a myth. But I guess everyone can agree to disagree.
  • Rogue_228
    Rogue_228 Posts: 13 Member
    Personally I do not eat my exercise calories back. However I eat 3 300 calorie meals a day and 3 100 calorie snacks per day as a goal. Then I have a few more calories if I want another snack or to go out to eat for dinner. I personally have lost only 6.5 pounds a month since I started. But I am ok with that. I think each person has to find what works for their medical needs. You should not feel hungry all the time. If you look around online you will find plenty of foods that are lower calorie and good for you!
  • CandelLife
    CandelLife Posts: 127 Member


    Ummm.... Yes you do want to eat your workout calories. If you dont eat enough then your body CAN go into starvation mode and hold on to your weight. The more calories you burn the more fuel your body needs. So yes eat your cardio calories!

    There is no starvatioin mode...it's a myth...your body will burn calories regardless of if you eat or not.

    I don't eat my cardio calories...I don't eat my weight lifting calories either and I lose weight every week...

    There is a starvation mode, not everyone goes into it. Its not a myth. But I guess everyone can agree to disagree.


    According to my doctors, yes there is a starvation mode and I went there when I lost that 50 pounds in 3 months because I had no appetite, switched to water instead of soda and was biking twice a day but probably only taking in 500 calories per day and burning more than that. It's the worst possible way to diet because your body thinks it's starving so it starts storing fat cells like squirrels save nuts for the winter.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Log your workout calories and eat them. Sometimes your body can go into starvation mode if you dont

    Uhmmm, not exactly.
    so i eat all the calories i burn ?

    That's the intention, yes. But you don't have to. You're trying to eat at a deficit to lose weight, right? So, say, your maintenance calories ( what you'd eat to remain at your current weight ) is 2,000 per day. So, you've told MFP that you want to lose 1 lb per week, and it's set your daily calorie goal to 1,500. ( a 500 calorie per day deficit = 3500 calories per week = 1 lb ) And you burn 500 calories today, with exercise. So, your new calorie goal for today is 2,000. If you eat that 2,000 calories today, you are still at your 500 calorie deficit, that MFP set you up with.... and you are still on track to lose 1 lb per week. If you don't eat the 500 calories you burned back, you are now at a 1,000 calorie deficit for the day.

    Depending on how much weight you have to lose, and your own personal circumstances, you might find that you only want to eat part of your exercise calories back. But, as the 'starvation mode' poster was trying to say..... eating too few calories is not a sensible approach to weight loss.


    Ummm.... Yes you do want to eat your workout calories. If you dont eat enough then your body CAN go into starvation mode and hold on to your weight. The more calories you burn the more fuel your body needs. So yes eat your cardio calories!
    You are grossly misinformed about starvation mode.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member


    Ummm.... Yes you do want to eat your workout calories. If you dont eat enough then your body CAN go into starvation mode and hold on to your weight. The more calories you burn the more fuel your body needs. So yes eat your cardio calories!

    There is no starvatioin mode...it's a myth...your body will burn calories regardless of if you eat or not.

    I don't eat my cardio calories...I don't eat my weight lifting calories either and I lose weight every week...

    There is a starvation mode, not everyone goes into it. Its not a myth. But I guess everyone can agree to disagree.


    According to my doctors, yes there is a starvation mode and I went there when I lost that 50 pounds in 3 months because I had no appetite, switched to water instead of soda and was biking twice a day but probably only taking in 500 calories per day and burning more than that. It's the worst possible way to diet because your body thinks it's starving so it starts storing fat cells like squirrels save nuts for the winter.
    Starvation mode does exist, it just does not exist in the way that some people here at the forum seems to think it does. In other words, a person does not go into starvation mode just from eating under a certain calorie level or having less calories than is healthy for a period of time, you have to be pretty emaciated and have lost a good portion of your body fat and muscle mass. Normal weight and over weight people do not go into starvation mode.
  • wanzeee
    wanzeee Posts: 7 Member
    depending on your daily allowance you eat your calories burnt from exercise

    58694580.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
    Hi Cherrell. Good question.

    The big number on top is the amount of calories the fit pal evaluated for you based on what you weight ad what you want to weigh.

    So, when you exercise, it gives you more calories to eat on the bottom. However, remember, you don't have to eat all those calories. I used to eat all the calories and then realized I was not really losing (however the exercise was making me tighten up). When I stopped indulging in ALL the calories, and just ate the 1600 or so, I noticed a change.

    If my daily goal is 1230, and I walked for 340 calories, and then I worked out later for 750 calories, it's going to add a heck of a lot of calores to my "allowed to eat" section. That would give me 2,320 calories to eat which I SHOULD NOT DO if I'm trying to lose.

    (By the way 1230 daily is a little on the low side, even if I'm trying to lose. I almost always end up eating about 1600 - 1800 because I'm 5'9" and I don't mind weighing 175-180. I'm doing a lot of exercise, too)

    Sorry for the long answer. Good luck!
  • CandelLife
    CandelLife Posts: 127 Member
    Starvation mode does exist, it just does not exist in the way that some people here at the forum seems to think it does. In other words, a person does not go into starvation mode just from eating under a certain calorie level or having less calories than is healthy for a period of time, you have to be pretty emaciated and have lost a good portion of your body fat and muscle mass. Normal weight and over weight people do not go into starvation mode.




    100% Agreed :)