Some advice please..

barbsus1991
barbsus1991 Posts: 46 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
For the last 4 months i've been eating 1200-1300 cals a day, done little exercise other than walking and have lost 49lbs. This week i purchased a cross trainer and have begun doing exercise where i actually break a sweat (aiming for 5 days a week). I want to do it this way so that i don't become a fat skinny person... but i'm really struggling calorie wise.

My net that MFP gives me to achieve is 1450... so an extra 150 than i was eating. On top of that i'm burning around 500 cals on the cross trainer on my exercise days. Ive been eating half of the exercise calories, as well as between 1200-1400. So some days my intake is around 1650, and my net is still under 1200.. For both of these reasons i feel guilty! I feel bad that if i only eat 1200 and exercise lots then my net is at 700, so i eat more, but then feel bad that my intake is so high.. but my net is still under!

I don't know whether i'm explaining myself very well (i doubt it). BUT basically, has anyone else been in this position? Started a lifestyle change and then completely adapted it a few months in? I want to stand on the scales to see how the weight is going and if i'm doing the right things, but i'm worried it wont go down (whether it be due to eating too much, muscle, water, TOM) and then i'll be discouraged and tempted to kick in the whole exercise thing.

Does anyone have any tips as to whats my best foot forward.. bearing in mind i want to exercise and eat enough to not go into starvation mode, but not so much that i don't loose weight! Should i step on the scale or steer clear for a few weeks? O and one last thing, i have brought a HRM, but am still waiting for it to be delivered and it will take a few more weeks.

Replies

  • dragonbug300
    dragonbug300 Posts: 760 Member
    Sounds like you're doing fine to me. Are you energetic throughout the day or tired? If you start to feel exhausted constantly, that's a good sign you're not eating enough. Otherwise I wouldn't fret about it.
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
    on your home page, whatever the number of remaining calories are, that's what you need to eat for that day. as long as you are entering all of your exercise calories burned and adding all of your food in your diary, your good. don't make this more complicated that it needs to be.
  • adriperez
    adriperez Posts: 20
    Just make sure your net is 1200 calories. For exercise calories, try having a protein shake afterwards, so that you dont feel guilty about consuming extra calories. Try healthy snacks that will keep you at 1200 net. When exercise is included you have to increase your calorie intake.
  • goatstew
    goatstew Posts: 50
    You are doing awesome over all. Do not let yourself worry to much. It should be a happy, healthy lifestyle change, not a really stressful one. I think as long as you're staying below the calories MFP gives you, you should be fine. And, I would steer clear of the scale for a while. It's not always the best judge of how healthy you're becoming. Keep up the good work and don't worry! Make sure you're drinking lots and lots of water with adding in more exercise.
  • CAworkout
    CAworkout Posts: 27 Member
    I feel the same way and have this dilemma almost every day. I've basically learned to just go by how I feel. It I'm way under my calorie goal b/c of "earned" exercise calories, I'll eat more if I'm hungry, but if I'm not than I don't. And if I have days when I've eaten all my calories for the day and I'm honestly starving, not just bored or craving something, I'll eat more. I think the trick has been to find nutrient dense, high quality foods to get more calories as I've exercised more. Using up extra calories with junk food probably isn't a good idea.
  • Jovialation
    Jovialation Posts: 7,632 Member
    Dont panic about "starvation mode" first of all
    http://caloriecount.about.com/truth-starvation-mode-ft28742

    This really helped me on that one.
  • barbsus1991
    barbsus1991 Posts: 46 Member
    Ok thankyou for all your info =] i will try to chill out a bit, i just don't want to ruin all the work iv'e done by exercising and eating more! I think i shall just continue what i'm doing, eating half the exercise calories, and ignore what the numbers say (hard for me i'm such a numbers person!) And in regards to the scales i will try and weigh in bi monthly and take measurements too =] Even if i put on short term, long term i know i must loose!
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