I ask a lot of questions, but I need to know if I am eating

Options
Karleyyy
Karleyyy Posts: 857
in Fitness and Exercise
I am eating 1200 calories a day, and today I burned a lot of calories- 900. I don't really want any negative or rude comments because obviously I came on here to figure out if it is healthy or not. I breastfeed and my breast milk hasn't been affected, I burn 500 calories just from that. I don't want to end up storing the fat or anything, but I also don't want to change if I can lose weight this way without harm. Opinions? Also, I am 5'3 and 170 pounds.
«1

Replies

  • mccorml
    mccorml Posts: 622 Member
    Options
    eat back SOME of those exercise cals :) dont be worried
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
    Options
    I agree - try to eat at least half back each day. You will still lose :-)
  • ouryear002
    ouryear002 Posts: 325 Member
    Options
    You have to eat more! You may lose weight fast, but you will also be run down and wiped out. My kids are older now, but I remember what the little ones are like. You need energy to enjoy them instead of going crazy from them!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    Options
    I am eating 1200 calories a day, and today I burned a lot of calories- 900. I don't really want any negative or rude comments because obviously I came on here to figure out if it is healthy or not. I breastfeed and my breast milk hasn't been affected, I burn 500 calories just from that. I don't want to end up storing the fat or anything, but I also don't want to change if I can lose weight this way without harm. Opinions? Also, I am 5'3 and 170 pounds.

    1200 calories a day IS a deficit. Your net calories shouldnt get any lower than that. So 1200 + Whatever you burn should be your minimum.
  • Karleyyy
    Karleyyy Posts: 857
    Options
    I guess I am not getting it..why would I eat back all the calories I burned? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose? I get the whole eating half back, because I still have burned calories.
  • superhippiechik
    superhippiechik Posts: 1,044 Member
    Options
    Just make sure the foods you eat are super healthy. Nothing from a can or box,and be sure to drink lots. No Soda.
    Sometimes if I am way below I will drink almond milk.
  • alyssa83202
    alyssa83202 Posts: 334
    Options
    I guess I am not getting it..why would I eat back all the calories I burned? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose? I get the whole eating half back, because I still have burned calories.
    I don't really get it either. I don't usually eat back most of my exercise calories, but I never burn more than 500 in a day and I am usually within 100-200 under.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    Options
    I guess I am not getting it..why would I eat back all the calories I burned? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose? I get the whole eating half back, because I still have burned calories.

    1200 calories is a deficit as stated before. When you exercise you are making that deficit bigger which can make you lose too much weight too fast...Eating them back brings the deficit ratio back to what it was originally when you ate 1200 and did nothing.

    The exercise increases your metabolism so you can eat more and lose weight at the same pace. If you eat too much of deficit, you could reverse this affect and slow your metabolism down making it harder to lose weight.

    Always eat some of those calories back. I wouldn't eat ALL of them back since there is a few you would have burned off anyway (exercise cals on the HRM = regular cals burned because of BMR + extra effort "exercise" cals).
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Options
    I am eating 1200 calories a day, and today I burned a lot of calories- 900. I don't really want any negative or rude comments because obviously I came on here to figure out if it is healthy or not. I breastfeed and my breast milk hasn't been affected, I burn 500 calories just from that. I don't want to end up storing the fat or anything, but I also don't want to change if I can lose weight this way without harm. Opinions? Also, I am 5'3 and 170 pounds.

    This of it this way: If you eat 1200 but burn 900, then you only leave your body 300 calories to operate off of. This isn't enough! The 1200 goal already includes the deficit you need to lose weight, so if you ate those 900 back, you would still be able to lose weight. I don't always eat all mine back, but I try to keep my net calories (what I've eaten minus what I've burned) no lower than 1000 - and that's only once in awhile - usually closer to 1100 and higher.

    You may be able to lose weight like this for a little while, but over time your body will adjust to the lower calorie intake and start slowing the metabolism so that it doesn't use as many calories to run. This is bad because it makes weight loss harder and can make it easier to lose weight if you eat normally. It can also leave you low on energy. Check out these links, please - they explain it much more thoroughly:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/69708-calorie-deficit-for-dummies-a-little-long
  • RandiLH
    RandiLH Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    I guess I am not getting it..why would I eat back all the calories I burned? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose? I get the whole eating half back, because I still have burned calories.

    I'm not an expert on this, but the food you eat gives you energy and boosts your metabolism...you have to keep eating for energy for your body to burn calories. Something like that anyhow...as someone else mentioned if you're not eating more then you will be wiped out. That's why some suggest eating 6 small meals a day because after so long your body reverts to starvation mode and then you end up binging when you do eat because you're so hungry. I kind of got off track there, but the point is that you have to keep eating to get the energy for your body to keep burning calories. Especially if you are breastfeeding that's 500 "free" calories a day! I hope this helps, it is kind of hard to wrap your head around when you're trying to lose weight.
  • Karleyyy
    Karleyyy Posts: 857
    Options
    It's like a light bulb that just went off in my head! I finally get it. I've been confused for days. Thanks everyone!
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    Options
    I guess I am not getting it..why would I eat back all the calories I burned? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose? I get the whole eating half back, because I still have burned calories.

    It doesn't really defeat the purpose, because the purpose of burning off calories- at least in terms of exercising- ISN'T really to lose weight. (I know, its counter intuitive).

    Here's the math:

    Even being sendentary, getting through each day, you burn somewhere in the neighborhood of 1700-2000 calories (it's more for many people, but for women under 200lbs, this is pretty much the range). MFP makes an estimate of how many calories it thinks you burn in a typical day- for me right now for my size, weight and age with my desk job, it estimates 1750. I want to lose 1lb a week, which is 3500 calories or 500 calories a day. So my goal is to have 1250 calories every day, which would give me that deficit.

    Under 1200ish NET calories over a sustained period begins to send signals to your body to store fat and nutrients, so though once in a while it's ok to go below that, it's really just not a good idea to do so.

    Exercise, really is ultimately about getting your basal metabolic rate- or your resting heart rate- up, so that weight loss can be sustained, and so your body can be more toned, rather than simply fatless. If you aren't concerned with these things, and all you want to do is lose lbs, concentrate on sticking to your calorie goal and maybe walk a little to add extra calories if you feel like you might go over.

    There are some stickies on this in the forums that more fully explain the science and how and why your weight loss should slow as you get closer to your goals- check them out for more complete information than I can offer.

    Best of luck!
    ~Gonk
  • pen282
    pen282 Posts: 168 Member
    Options
    Hey Karleyyy and alyssa83202

    I'm hoping maybe I can help...

    Your eating 1200 calories a day - if your goal is to lose say 1lb per week - that is a 500 calorie defecit a day (7 x 500 = 3,500 which equates to 1lb) which MFP ALREADY takes into account.
    The 1,200 is the number of calories to eat with the deficit already in place..

    So if you burn 900 calories, you are only leaving your body with 300 calories - no where near enough! That is why you should aim to eat back your exercise calories - the defecit to help you lose weight is already dealth with thanks to the way this site works.
    The beauty is, the more you exercise the more you can afford to eat (healthly of course!) and your body will need it to recover and stay healthy

    xx
  • kermode
    kermode Posts: 18
    Options
    My only worry would be the quality of breast milk you are producing, your milk production might still be good in quantity but is your little one getting the nutrients he/she needs from it. I don't think any physician would advise a breast feeding mom to "diet".

    From what I've read a breast feeding Mom should consume 500 extra calories to provide enough nutrients to her milk. If you are insistant on trying to lose weight at this time I would think that you should be eating more around 1700 calories (The 1200 you want for losing weight plus 500 for the baby).

    Of course the more you work out the more calories you should eat, you don't want to set yourself up for failure. Putting your body into starvation mode can cause you to binge eat later on or long term cause health risks. As long as you are making healthy choices when eating there is no reason you won't be in the body you want to be soon enough.
  • mccorml
    mccorml Posts: 622 Member
    Options
    so your body can build muscle while still losing weight if your only supposed to eat 1200 a day and you exercise you burn those calories that your body would have used for nutrients
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Options
    My only worry would be the quality of breast milk you are producing, your milk production might still be good in quantity but is your little one getting the nutrients he/she needs from it. I don't think any physician would advise a breast feeding mom to "diet".

    From what I've read a breast feeding Mom should consume 500 extra calories to provide enough nutrients to her milk. If you are insistant on trying to lose weight at this time I would think that you should be eating more around 1700 calories (The 1200 you want for losing weight plus 500 for the baby).

    Of course the more you work out the more calories you should eat, you don't want to set yourself up for failure. Putting your body into starvation mode can cause you to binge eat later on or long term cause health risks. As long as you are making healthy choices when eating there is no reason you won't be in the body you want to be soon enough.

    Ditto - while it's great that you're burning with breastfeeding, that is not an area you can "use" for weightloss. Don't think of those 500 cals as "yours" - they're the baby's cals. So you eat em and then they go to the baby.

    So you might try eating back ALL breastfeeding cals and only part of your exercise cals. That will STILL leave you with a 500 cal deficit (the default @ 1lb per week), plus another 100 or two hundred.

    One thing I would recommend is keep a close eye on the baby's weight and energy level, and any changes in her(? I think) bm's to evaluate the quality of your milk, as the other poster said.
  • bloodbank
    bloodbank Posts: 468 Member
    Options
    My only worry would be the quality of breast milk you are producing, your milk production might still be good in quantity but is your little one getting the nutrients he/she needs from it.

    This is incorrect. The idea of "poor quality" milk is very outdated and not scientifically-based at all. If you do not consume enough fuel, the quantity of your milk can decrease, but the quality will remain the same.

    That said, Kellymom, which is a very reputable site for breastfeeding mamas, states that research has found that 1500-1800 calories per day is the minimum that should be consumed (and that most women should stay on the high end of that) while dieting.

    http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/mom/mom-weightloss.html
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Options
    "The nutrients in human milk most likely to be present in lower than normal concentrations in response to chronically low maternal intakes are the vitamins, especially vitamins B6, B12, A, and D. Those maintained at the expense of maternal stores or tissues include the macronutrients, most minerals, and folate." From the Institute of Medicine, Nutrition During Lactation http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1577&page=140


    Loosely translated: Overall quality of milk (protein and fat content) is typically maintained even when the mother has restricted those nutrients. However, it goes on to say that this adaptation will likely come at the expense of the mother's reserves and thus SHE will not receive adequate amounts of those nutrients. (Baby will get his; you won't)

    But, if the mother is not receiving adequate amounts of certain vitamins (B6, B12, A & D), that deficit is LIKELY to be passed on to the infant.

    So, although it may be a question of semantics, I would argue that quality, as well as quantity, can be adversely effected by a diet that is too restrictive, especially if the quality of the calories consumed isn't extremely high. While someone may get enough calories to preserve milk production on a severely restricted diet (relative to what's needed during lactation), she may not be getting enough of some vital nutrients (vitamins).

    That said, I doubt there would be enough deficit in this case to be an issue. I'd still stick with my earlier opinion that you should eat your breastfeeding calories and at least half of your exercise cals. You'll still lose weight, as you'll still be at a pretty good deficit.
  • bloodbank
    bloodbank Posts: 468 Member
    Options
    "The nutrients in human milk most likely to be present in lower than normal concentrations in response to chronically low maternal intakes are the vitamins, especially vitamins B6, B12, A, and D. Those maintained at the expense of maternal stores or tissues include the macronutrients, most minerals, and folate." From the Institute of Medicine, Nutrition During Lactation http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1577&page=140


    Loosely translated: Overall quality of milk (protein and fat content) is typically maintained even when the mother has restricted those nutrients. However, it goes on to say that this adaptation will likely come at the expense of the mother's reserves and thus SHE will not receive adequate amounts of those nutrients. (Baby will get his; you won't)

    But, if the mother is not receiving adequate amounts of certain vitamins (B6, B12, A & D), that deficit is LIKELY to be passed on to the infant.

    So, although it may be a question of semantics, I would argue that quality, as well as quantity, can be adversely effected by a diet that is too restrictive, especially if the quality of the calories consumed isn't extremely high. While someone may get enough calories to preserve milk production on a severely restricted diet (relative to what's needed during lactation), she may not be getting enough of some vital nutrients (vitamins).

    That said, I doubt there would be enough deficit in this case to be an issue. I'd still stick with my earlier opinion that you should eat your breastfeeding calories and at least half of your exercise cals. You'll still lose weight, as you'll still be at a pretty good deficit.

    You can argue that, and you would be correct - however, like you said, I doubt it applies in this case. Eating 1200 calories per day in North America is likely going to allow mom to be receiving some amount of all of the above - ie. Living in NA (or the UK, or similar) it's unlikely that the vast majority of her calories are coming a diet comprised mainly of rice or something. That said, while it can and does happen that mom is deficient in a particular vitamin and passes this deficiency on to her child, generally it can be expected that if mom is chronically low in several things, production is sacrified before any significant dent is made in the overall quality. Quality of milk is truly something that, barring a very special circumstance, women in developed countries do not need to be concerned with.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Options
    Agreed, Bloodbank. Typical western diet isn't likely to be deficient enough in any one thing to worry about.

    Side note: Just looked at your profile and YAY! Glad to find another homebirth advocate. Did mine at home 7 yrs ago (today!) and wouldn't have had it any other way. Truly magical process.

    PS. If you can't tell, I like to debate - don't take it personally! lol

Categories