200 calories make all the difference!

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DianaPowerUp
DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've noticed that on days where I don't exercise, and my calorie goal is 1,200, I can very easily run over that amount, and feel like I'd like to (b/c I'm hungry). However, on days where I work out, even if I burn only 200 calories, it makes all the difference in the world. I can easily stay within my calorie goal, and I'm not hungry. In fact, on days where I burn 600 cal. at the gym, I can't even eat all the extra cal. unless I go out to eat.

Am I the only one who notices those 200 extra calories? How many cal. do you need before you notice the difference b/t being hungry or not, or going over your cal. limit or not? Just wondering...

Replies

  • StPattysGrl
    StPattysGrl Posts: 74
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    I totally notice this and agree with you. I can hardly stay under my standard 1380.... but when I work out, I rarely go over. Those 200 or 300 cals make ALL the difference in the world! That all changes if I have to eat out. Eating out is the DEVIL and totally ruins a day :(
  • crystallized
    crystallized Posts: 23 Member
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    When I first started watching my calories, I had a budget of nearly 1700 to lose 2 lbs a week. I never had a problem with that. But now I'm down to 1300, and on bad days (McDonalds days), I get near it, so to cover the extra calories, every day, whether or not I eat bad, I walk around my work location for 60 minutes a day (2x 15min breaks and a 30 min lunch). I walk 4 miles a day, 5 days a week.

    This gives me a surplus of roughly 400 calories from fast-walking at work on my breaks. It makes ALL the difference in the world, and since I started doing it about 3 weeks ago, the lbs keep flying off me. I'm about to hit the 180's for the first time since my teens, and I'm 30 now.

    -Paul
  • SuperMoniMonk
    SuperMoniMonk Posts: 467 Member
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    I know what you mean . Exercising even a little makes a huge difference. I had a burger and some wedges for lunch . heavier than usual ..but I about to get ready for a 60 min workout ..i will burn at least 2/3 of the cal I eat and stay within my allowance and have a light dinner :)

    Exercise really is the KEY ! as they say.
  • noltes2
    noltes2 Posts: 202 Member
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    When your eating only 1200 calories a day, 200 calories makes a WORLD of difference. Today I noticed on my journal I counted my soy milk TWICE and got super excited when I saw I had an extra 60 calories!!!!
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies! I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like I'm suffering over a measly 200 cal. or so! And you're right, exercise makes ALL the diff. And so does eating out. If I have a day where I didn't work out, AND went out to eat....ooh, that's a bad combo.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    My cals were 1290 w/o exercise. Yes, I found that a difficult number to hit. I my average daily exercise is pretty low only about 100 cal/day. But that made a difference for me.

    I found the only way to keep to my 1290 on day I couldn't move, was to really, REALLY watch my sugars (& artificial sweeteners) which increase appetite.

    It was harder than you think because of all the added sugar in foods... The brand of tomato sauce I had in the pantry had 9g of sugar per serving... 1 frozen dinner had 18g and another had 30g. Everything I kept reading in my pantry was worse and worse. I'm only allowed 25g of sugar/day!!!!

    If I have a diet soda it's all over for the day even if I have gotten exercise.

    Another thing I did was to figure out the MAINTENANCE calories for my GOAL weight. So now I give my self a range. WIth the MFP goal as the low end and the maintenance for my goal weight as my high end. I've been losing consistently, but not quickly. (which is probably healthier, they say the slower you take it off the more likely you are to keep it off.) I think that I would have gotten so discouraged I'd have given up if I had to be strict about keeping to the 1290 calories.

    AND then I realized even a "bad day" on MFP was better than an average day before MFP and that thought keeps me on track
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    dont forget the exercise also changes your metabolism, releases great hormones and gives your energy! That 200 calorie workout is more than glass of skim milk, slice of whole wheat toast and 1/2 tbls of peanut butter.......it is so much more.

    Thanks for reminding me!! I will be walking tomorrow and smile for you!!!!:drinker:

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