New and Confused/frusterated :(

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Korrie77
Korrie77 Posts: 20 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hi al! **waves**

I'm new to the boards, obviously :) I feel terrible b/c I promised my daughters last fall that i'd lose my weight and go swimming with them this summer. Not that I planned to be at my goal weight by then, but at least under 200 lbs (that would be a -40lb loss) Anwho...I havn't done it yet. Not one pound lost!!! I feel so bad, i let them down, i let me down...I've got to be out of time to lose 40lbs before july, arn't I???

Anyways, i still need to get this weight off even if i don't get to go swimming this year, i will next year. So I joined the forum and I typed in my info. It said I needed to consume 1200 after exercising cals are subtracted. but then it said if i work out for 20minutes 5 dys a week, i will burn 800 cals a week......so what do i do with that??? Do i divide the 800 cals by 5 dys and then add those calories to my allotted amt of cals for the day???

Replies

  • psarah
    psarah Posts: 84
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    I best thing to do is eat the calories you are supposed to. When you exercise you burn calories. Then you are supposed it eat some of those calories. The more you exercise the more calories you have..make sense? The best way to figure your calories burned is to get you a heart rate monitor.. I hope this helps..welcome!
  • Alli_b
    Alli_b Posts: 7 Member
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    If I understand your question, what you need to do is enter the exercise you actually do each day. The numbers you calculated for exercise is only the goals... once you log in your activities, your calorie intake will be adjusted for that day.

    As for the swimming, I think you should go anyway... we all know that it is hard to be seen in a bathing suit while we feel bad about our bodies, but your girls are only young once... who knows how much longer they'll even want to go with you. You should go with them and make the memories... carry yourself like you deserve to be there... i think confidence can only help in the weight loss process.

    Good luck!!!
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    MFP creates a built in deficit based on your chosen loss per week goal (1 lb, 2 lbs, etc). That deficit is always there, regardless of exercise. When you log exercise, MFP will add cals back in to maintain your chosen deficit. Just aim to meet your cal goals each day and let MFP do the work for you.

    Here are some threads that will help explain in more detail, and help you understand the numbers MFP gives you. Good luck to you!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/123142-the-answers-to-the-questions
  • melissaivie
    melissaivie Posts: 8
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    MFP gives you your calories each day. When you exercise, those calories are added to your day's total. Your total will go from 1200 calories, to say, 1400 if you work 200 calories off by walking. It's super easy to figure out because the program does it for you!

    As far as eating those calories... well, that's up to you. Usually I end up eating a bit extra on the day I exercise, especially if I have a hard workout. But staying under gives me a little wiggle room for the next day, which I appreciate. Now granted, the next day, MFP says I've gone over my calorie intake, but I figure anything less than a hundred calories once in a while won't kill me. And sometimes, it's just what you need to keep from getting discouraged!

    Keep at it! You can do it!
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
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    When you execise you will track that. All of the calories you burn will be added to your daily allotment of calories. You only need to eat those if you are not going to net 1200 calories. There are a lot of back and forth discussions on this, so you will have to figure out for yourself if you want to eat them or not. I usually do, but sometimes I won't I usually try to net at least 1000, calories and will fluctuate on above and below 1200.
    My diary is public so you can take a look if you like. You can add me as a friend too.

    Best wishes.
  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
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    Good for you for starting!! And you can swim at any weight- it will help you lose those pounds. I say go for it no matter what the scale says.

    As far as the exercise calories, when you exercise and document it, the calories burned are added to what you have left to eat for the day. If you are somebody who exercises later in the day/evening, I would figure out how many calories your typical work out would be by "pre adding" it to your day the 1st time. Just make sure you do it! That way you can eat those calories back during the day instead of all of a sudden having 3-400 calories to eat at 8:30 at night. If you have a regular exercise routine you do, once you've added those few exercises, you'll know how many calories to add to your day. Again, you just have to make sure you actually do the exercise or you'll be over your calories.

    The important thing to remember is most people need to end up over 1200 net calories for the day. So, if you eat 1300 calories for the day but exercise 200 of them away, you really should eat another 100 calories. Not everyone is the same, but most of us won't lose very much- oreven gain- if we're under 1200 calories a day. This is because our bodies go into starvation mode and hold on to every morsel that enters your mouth.
  • MommyLumpkin
    MommyLumpkin Posts: 129
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    I just started too and I saw alot of people talk about HRM and they have a relatively cheap on on Amazon.com if you search. Also, keep a diary, even if it's just the memo pad on your phone. Check how many minutes you exercise and how many calories you burn...most machines will tell you and if you do put in the minutes for walking, swimming, cycling, etc on MFP it will give you a good guess on how much you burned. They absolute best thing to do is to stop thinking about how you didn't do what you expected you would and start moving forward. Beating yourself up will get you no where. Keep your chin up and hit the gym.

    Good Luck! If you want to add me as a friend, that would be great. I'm a firm believer that support is the #1 way to lose weight and be healthy.
  • jellyfishjen
    jellyfishjen Posts: 1,787 Member
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    Welcome. yes the numbers can be confusing and I don't know that I have it sorted yet, but I am losing weight. So I suggest you just start on this wonderful journey to a better you and every pound can make a difference. Start with the healthier eating and by logging everything you will be surprised what you learn and whar changes you will choose to make. Start the exercise, if you are like me, it had been sometime since doing anything. Just start and build from there. Don't be dismayed if there is no weight change some weeks or even measurements it will happen. Add me as a friend and i will support you all I can.
  • alebalestra
    alebalestra Posts: 25 Member
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    You have to add what you eat and exercises that you are doing and MFP will calculate for you. When I started in September 9, 2010, I had to lose 40 pounds, and I already lost 31 pounds. It is not easy, and I have to be so strict with myself. I eat 1200 calories per day, and, if I exercise 180 minutes per week, I will lose weight, and I am eating most of the time, except December 24, December 31, some days in February, 1200 calories per day, and I am doing much more exercise. I am feeling excellent and my blood pressure went down, same my glucosa, and cholesterol. Do not try to lose the 40 pounds in a few months, put realist goals. I put 2 pounds per week, and actually I am losing approximately, 1.4-1.0 pound per week, and one week I went up 2 pounds, but I was not discouraged, I tried harder the following weeks and I lose 6 pounds since then.

    Good luck and start!!

    Alejandra
  • Korrie77
    Korrie77 Posts: 20 Member
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    Holy cow! I did not expect this much support! I belong to another forum and your lucky to get 2 responces by the end of the day. I'm going to read what you all posted throughly! As far as go swimming anyways...maybe your right! Strangers would forget seeing me there, but my kids will remember. Besides, I still have a few months ahead of me.

    I really appreciate it guys!! thanks!!! ((hugs))
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
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    I think you would have no problems losing 40lbs by july. If you follow the MFP eating plan and exercize, you would come pretty close for sure and probably feel better too.

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