1200 - Do I exercise?

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Katiekat89
Katiekat89 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, this is my first post. :) I just started dieting last week, lost my first 3 pounds this week. :) I had put the myfitnesspal app on my phone and had been using it, had no idea about the website.

Anyway, when I filled it out, I put my age, height, weight. (21. 5'2", 197-3 now) and my activity level. I put 'sedentary' because when I'm not at work, I am usually on the couch playing a video game or watching Netflix, etc. It prompted me for 1200 calories, which is what I have been doing.

When you're eating 1200 calories a day, should you exercise? I had heard that the magic number is stay above 1,000 calories, and if I am eating 1200 calories a day, I wasn't sure. I have the Slim in Six DVDs and I'd planned on starting those up again. I don't want to exercise just to eat more. I rarely feel hungry and I feel like I'm getting plenty as is, but I also want to get some muscle, etc, so I can burn some of my fat faster.

Replies

  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    You should definitely exercise for muscle, tone & just to be more overall fit. But, if your calories are set to 1200 make sure you are eating all your exercise calories back to make your net 1200 at the end of the day.
  • RaeannePemberton
    RaeannePemberton Posts: 382 Member
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    this is up to you, of course. :) if you do exercise you should eat a little more... slim in 6 is a great program for just getting back into it. if you don't start now, you will at some point want to start working out because you will need to in order to get healthier and keep the weight loss happening. 1200 is kind of low... but it sounds like you are fairly inactive at this point.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    My opinion is that you don't HAVE to eat exercise calories. I don't and it hasn't hindered my overall weight loss. I haven't rebounded and I haven't went into "starvation mode" because of it either. I've lost 125 lbs and I'm still losing weight since I started my lifestyle change last April/May. So, it's a personal choice. No one's going to make you eat more if you don't want to.
  • Katiekat89
    Katiekat89 Posts: 3
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    So if I eat 1200 calories, burn three hundred, and end up at 900, that is okay? I have trouble eating 1200 a day as it is. I have kind of switched from going to work without breakfast, having maybe something light for lunch, but then coming home and having a big dinner. Right now, I kind of feel like I am forcing myself to eat. I know I have a calorie deficit, because the stuff I was eating was really unhealthy. It's just the quantity, I guess. lol
  • rockabyesarojane
    rockabyesarojane Posts: 471
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    if you feel inclined to exercise then you should. but you need to eat at least some of your exercise calories back afterwards since you'll still be on a calorie deficit. have no fear. myfitnesspal will add your exercise calories to your daily goal. very easy.

    good luck!
  • Nemlein
    Nemlein Posts: 168 Member
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    So if I eat 1200 calories, burn three hundred, and end up at 900, that is okay? I have trouble eating 1200 a day as it is. I have kind of switched from going to work without breakfast, having maybe something light for lunch, but then coming home and having a big dinner. Right now, I kind of feel like I am forcing myself to eat. I know I have a calorie deficit, because the stuff I was eating was really unhealthy. It's just the quantity, I guess. lol

    You will probably have better results if you spread out your calories more... and I'm sure you've heard over and over and over: EAT BREAKFAST!!! You need to feed your body in order for it to start burning fuel.
  • Kamixa
    Kamixa Posts: 18
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    I would say yes exercise. Being skinny is great, but being healthy is even better. It will give you more energy IMO and may increase your appetite. If I were you, I'd try to eat breakfast (even somethig small). Your digestion system will be better off if its working constantly instead of at the end of the day when you eat alot.
  • Katiekat89
    Katiekat89 Posts: 3
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    Yeah, that is why I am saying I don't want to exercise just to eat more, because I'm eating breakfast, a late-morning/mid-afternoon snack, lunch, and then an early dinner, and because I've been in that habit for so long, even though I'm only eating about 1200 calories of healthy food, I just feel like I'm forcing myself to eat all day. So I was wondering if I was to exercise, which I had planned on and wanted to, if I would have to eat more to lose weight? because right now, I'm sort of forcing myself as it is.
  • kithe
    kithe Posts: 1
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    I am also at 1200 calories. I exercise everyday. Some days I eat the calories back and some days I do not. It depends on whether I feel hungry.
  • 81Kyra
    81Kyra Posts: 115
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    I have mine set at 1200 as well, I work out burning 400+ cal and I don't eat any back except my after work out snack which is usually muscle milk or whey protein shake 100-140 cal but that's just what works for me.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    As to the actual question, you don't have to exercise to lose weight.

    However, exercise is good to get you stronger and more fit. Often when people start to lose weight they will get more active as a result of no longer carrying around all that extra weight.

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