Confused?

alissa1111
alissa1111 Posts: 8 Member
edited September 18 in Health and Weight Loss
So the site tells me to eat 1200 cals a day, i'm 5'3, and weigh about 135,and when I exercise to eat about 300 more( or whatever it is that I burned), isn't that defeating the purpose of excersising? I don't understand?

So the calories that I just burned, and need to eat? How would I lose weight that way?

Thanks,
Alissa

Replies

  • alissa1111
    alissa1111 Posts: 8 Member
    So the site tells me to eat 1200 cals a day, i'm 5'3, and weigh about 135,and when I exercise to eat about 300 more( or whatever it is that I burned), isn't that defeating the purpose of excersising? I don't understand?

    So the calories that I just burned, and need to eat? How would I lose weight that way?

    Thanks,
    Alissa
  • kistinbee
    kistinbee Posts: 3,688 Member
    As far as I know, when you entered in your weight, height, all that, and your weight loss goals (ie 1 pound a week or whatever) the 1200 calories is what you should eat if you aren't doing any exercise. So, when you exercise, you add those calories and can eat that much extra and still lose 1 pound a week. So, if you stick with eating 1200 calories, you could actually lose more than 1 pound a week or whatever it is you entered. You just need to make sure that it is still a healthy amount (read the posts on undereating). Hopefully this helps. Again, this is to the best of my knowledge.

    *Kistinbee*
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    You shouldn't be eating less than 10*your bodyweight, which is 1350. This 1200 number is ridiculously general almost to the point of being arbitrary. If my BMR is 1300, yours is going to be more since you're taller.
    As far as the calories...you're right, you don't want to eat everything you've burned for the day. A better way to determine what to eat is to find your BMR with an online calculator, then adding all of your activity (walking, driving, lifting, cardio) to that. Eat 500 cals less than that. For instance:

    My BMR is 1300.
    I lift for 70 minutes, do cardio for 30, and abs for 15. That + walking and cleaning or whatever I do = 2100-2200 cals a day. So I eat about 1600 a day. If I ate 1200...I'd be in trouble. :wink:
  • alissa1111
    alissa1111 Posts: 8 Member
    ok, so regardless if I work out or not, I should be sticking to just 1200 cals a day, that will work right?

    I am not use to eating so little, I swear I use to eat like 2000-2500 cals a day, and thats why I weigh 135! lol

    I am on day 3! Im nervous about the weekend, with the cocktails and all, but I will just have to not eat as mich and save like 500 cals for the drinks...
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    ok, so regardless if I work out or not, I should be sticking to just 1200 cals a day, that will work right?

    I am not use to eating so little, I swear I use to eat like 2000-2500 cals a day, and thats why I weigh 135! lol

    I am on day 3! Im nervous about the weekend, with the cocktails and all, but I will just have to not eat as mich and save like 500 cals for the drinks...

    No no no, that 1200 number should just be tossed out and banished from all dieters' vocabularies. You need to find your BMR and DO THE MATH. Do research. Find out exactly what YOU need for YOU, and don't just use some random 1200 calories a day suggestion. If you weigh 135, don't eat less than 1350 calories a day. Add your activity to that. Eat 500 calories less than your BMR plus your activities.

    Meanwhile, I'm going to bump up my undereating thread for anyone who hasn't seen it.

    And it might be a good idea to eat food and drink less, or you'll really be paying for it. Keep in mind that alcohol also has 7 calories per gram, so it's not exactly fat-loss friendly. :wink:
  • alissa1111
    alissa1111 Posts: 8 Member
    ok now Im REALLY confused:grumble: My BMR is 1306, they say that BMR is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. Which does not makes sense to me? So in 24 hrs if i did nothing but rest I would burn 1306 calories a day? So if I eat 1300 cals a day, and burned 1300 cals, wouldn't I be DEAD? How do you burn cals from sitting in bed, it;s hard enough to burn cals working out? Maybe Im reading this wrong? i really don't get it?:tongue:
    Sorry....hehe

    Thanks,
    Alissa
  • Gats
    Gats Posts: 42
    How do you burn cals from sitting in bed, it;s hard enough to burn cals working out? :tongue:
    Sorry....hehe

    Thanks,
    Alissa


    Maybe you missed this part from tools page ....

    It will click into place eventuallly

    What is your BMR ???

    Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is an estimate of how many calories you'd burn if you were to do nothing but rest for 24 hours. It represents the minimum amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning, including breathing and keeping your :heart: beating.

    Your BMR does not include the calories you burn from normal daily activities or exercise.
  • klabritz
    klabritz Posts: 17
    OK - Get ready for a bit of simple MATH! I know people generally hate it, but I think it is totally necessary in order to understand how much weight you will lose and how quickly it will be acccomplished!! Then again, some people may be freaks (like me) who cannot proceed without understanding the numbers . . .

    From all I have read (I have also been advised by songbyrdsweet - way helpful!) it seems that many people are quite confused by the the daily goal for calories to be consumed on the Food Diary page.

    It seems that a person's daily target for calorie intake should really be listed as: (A) a person's estimated calories burned per day from normal activites (i.e., BMR plus calories burned from doing your job, cleaning, running after the kids, etc.), plus (B) extra calories burned from exercise, minus (C) 500 (the number of deficit calories per day that a person needs to attain a 1lb per week weight loss (could be more or less depending on goal of weight loss per week) ). The sum equals the total number of calories a person should eat each day to attain the goal.

    For instance, my numbers would be as follows: (A) 1620 (BMR plus other daily calories burned in performing my desk job and other normal activites), plus (B) 260 (calories burned each day from elliptical machine), minus (C) 500 (500 X 7 = 3500 - the number of deficit caloiries needed to lose 1 lb per week) = 1380 total calories to eat per day.

    I think (not entirely sure, however) that the "magical" 1200 number is supposed to represent the absolute minimum a person should eat to remain healthy, but it does seems a bit arbitrary. Right now, the chart indicates I should eat 1460 (the "magical" 1200, plus 260 (amount alloted from exercise)). This means that my deficit per day is 420 (1880 burned, less 1460 consumed). At this rate I will NOT lose 1 lb per week.

    Does this make sense to everyone else, too? Can this sort of calculation be reflected on my "Your Daily Goal" chart?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    You can choose your own caloric goal by going back to the Goals page and choosing "Custom" instead of guided. I changed my calorie goal, macronutrient ratios, and daily fiber to reflect what I need rather than the recommended ratios, because those are way off the mark regarding my nutritional needs.


    Alissa1111, your body is like a machine that's always on. If you kept your car idling for a day, even if you didn't do anywhere, wouldn't it eventually run out of gas? It has moving parts even when it's sitting still. You're the same way. You are always moving on the inside even if you're not moving on the outside. You burn calories in your sleep too--how do you think your hair and nails keep growing, and you rebuild your torn muscles after a workout? It all takes energy from calories.

    You don't want to eat your BMR...you want to eat your BMR+Daily Activities+Exercise-500 Calories.
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