I need help!!

Brizz823
Brizz823 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hello all! I'm new at this exercise/weight loss thing. I set up my profile and account to mfp I should eating 1200 calories a day and I do that I workout walk/run the treadmill 5-6 days a week when I add that to my diary my number goes back up does that now mean I am not eating enough? I dont want to over do and I feel full all the time. I eat breakfast, 2 hours later a snack usually fruit 2 hours later lunch 2 hours later snack usually more fruit then 2-3 hours later dinner. Please help I'm trying really hard to get this weight off the right way, but I want to make sure I'm doing it correctly.

Replies

  • KIsBlessed
    KIsBlessed Posts: 10 Member
    Hi Brizz823! What's happening is it's subtracting the calories you've excersised from your total calorie intake. If you are trying to lose weigh, stay at your 1,200 calorie goal. It will always show your calorie intake goal, what you've eaten so far, calories you've burned through excersie, and then the difference between the two. You are doing it correctly. If you don't eat the 1,200 calories per day you'll get a message saying your calorie intake is too low so keep eating the right foods and don't go over. You should burn off more than you eat in order to lose weight. Best of luck!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    MFP is designed to give you a calories goal that doesn't take your workouts into account. Basically, it doesn't trust you to exercise until after you actually log it. Once you've burned those calories it adds them back to your goal to keep you at a safe, healthy deficit to help fuel your workouts and still allow you to lose weight. You're meant to be eating those calories back.

    With the caveat that MFP or gym machines have a tendency to overestimate the calories burned doing certain activities. A lot of people eat back only 50-75% of those calories to help with any inaccuracies.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Hi!

    First of all, 1200 is the minimum so I'm going to suggest that you re-evaluate your goals. Here's a good guideline to keep handy for future reference (as you lose and get closer to goal)

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    Also, make sure your activity level is set correctly. Many of us are sedentary but unless you mostly sit during the day, you may actually be lightly active.

    The way MFP is set up, yes you should eat back your exercise calories. However, be cautious as these tend to be overestimates. Try eating back only a portion (at least half, more if you're hungry) and see how you do.

    For weight loss what really matter is the number of calories you eat. So make sure you stay as close to your daily goal as possible. Don't worry about eating a certain # of times per day or any of that. Log consistently and as accurately as you can (weigh and measure). And you'll do fine.

    Good luck!
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Hi Brizz823! What's happening is it's subtracting the calories you've excersised from your total calorie intake. If you are trying to lose weigh, stay at your 1,200 calorie goal. It will always show your calorie intake goal, what you've eaten so far, calories you've burned through excersie, and then the difference between the two. You are doing it correctly. If you don't eat the 1,200 calories per day you'll get a message saying your calorie intake is too low so keep eating the right foods and don't go over. You should burn off more than you eat in order to lose weight. Best of luck!

    The basic idea of weight loss is, indeed, to burn off more than you eat. But you need to take into account all of the calories that your body burns just being alive as well as the calories you burn doing every day activities. Working out so much that you burn off every calorie you eat through exercise is unhealthy and dangerous. Keep it simple. Keep it safe. Use MFP as it was designed (and that means you should eat back at least a portion of those earned exercise calories).
  • Brizz823
    Brizz823 Posts: 2
    Ok I think I got it now!! Thanks ladies!! This is great advice!! I need all of the help, advice and encouragement I can get!!

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