It's just not enough...

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Sweetlux
Sweetlux Posts: 222 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay so I know I should be eating a certain amount of calories per day to keep my body energized and low enough to lose weight. I have not felt hungry or grouchy, which is good BUT…I am having a hard time with my calorie counter. I do 1200 a day and I meet that amount, until I do my daily workout, which gives me a 300-400 calorie deficit. So I am wondering if this is really that bad. I really don’t want to eat anymore calories!!!

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  • ollyollyolly
    ollyollyolly Posts: 13 Member
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    Hi there, I have the same issue at the moment. On a 1230cal day but struggling to eat back the 600 calories from exercise, so I'll be interested in feedback too.
  • Sweetlux
    Sweetlux Posts: 222 Member
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    Olly I think we are on our own :) I am just going to keep doing what I am doing. I feel fine and I am losing so that's that.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    It's really hard if you don't plan for the calories until you do the workout. It would be easier to plan the workout days as 1500 calorie days, rather than waiting til the ev ening and staring at the challenge of another 300 calories to eat.
  • JenniCH
    JenniCH Posts: 74
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    I have never, ever eaten back any of my exercise calories (I am at 1,200 cals/day) and have still lost weight perfectly fine and stayed healthy... my body isn't craving more food and my energy levels are good. So I would say... don't force yourself to eat if you really don't want to... your body should be able to let you know if it NEEDS more
  • JenniCH
    JenniCH Posts: 74
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    I have never, ever eaten back any of my exercise calories (I am at 1,200 cals/day) and have still lost weight perfectly fine and stayed healthy... my body isn't craving more food and my energy levels are good. So I would say... don't force yourself to eat if you really don't want to... your body should be able to let you know if it NEEDS more.
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    I have never, ever eaten back any of my exercise calories (I am at 1,200 cals/day) and have still lost weight perfectly fine and stayed healthy... my body isn't craving more food and my energy levels are good. So I would say... don't force yourself to eat if you really don't want to... your body should be able to let you know if it NEEDS more.

    same here.
  • Sweetlux
    Sweetlux Posts: 222 Member
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    It's really hard if you don't plan for the calories until you do the workout. It would be easier to plan the workout days as 1500 calorie days, rather than waiting til the ev ening and staring at the challenge of another 300 calories to eat.

    That makes perfect sense except I was more wondering if I really need to do this.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    I have never, ever eaten back any of my exercise calories (I am at 1,200 cals/day) and have still lost weight perfectly fine and stayed healthy... my body isn't craving more food and my energy levels are good. So I would say... don't force yourself to eat if you really don't want to... your body should be able to let you know if it NEEDS more.

    ^^^^^^

    This!!!
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
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    You should not be going below 1200 NET. So if you are eating 1200 and burn 300 then ya you should be eating 300 more to balance it out. You may feel good now but for most people 900 calories isn't enough for your body to function on properly.
  • Sweetlux
    Sweetlux Posts: 222 Member
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    Ugh!!!! kickrz, I know this :( I was just hoping no one would tell me!!!
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
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    Ugh!!!! kickrz, I know this :( I was just hoping no one would tell me!!!

    LOL...Sorry you should have said "Lie to me" ah but I couldn't do that to you. I seriously just realized this all last month and want to share. The way I see it, if we do it healthy and right the first time we won't have to do it a second time.
  • ollyollyolly
    ollyollyolly Posts: 13 Member
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    Makes sense, thanks. Will you lose weight at a slower rate though?
  • lazywriter
    lazywriter Posts: 90
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    I have never, ever eaten back any of my exercise calories (I am at 1,200 cals/day) and have still lost weight perfectly fine and stayed healthy... my body isn't craving more food and my energy levels are good. So I would say... don't force yourself to eat if you really don't want to... your body should be able to let you know if it NEEDS more.

    same here.

    And same here. I've lost 9 lbs in six weeks.
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
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    Makes sense, thanks. Will you lose weight at a slower rate though?

    I think it depends on how long you have been eating under 1200 calories. If it has been quite awhile then you may actually gain weight. People forget that MFP already adds a deficit so if you signed up today and set your goal to 2lbs a week and never ever exercised you would lose weight because of the deficit. When you add exercise you are creating a bigger deficit which if you are not eat back then you are going way below your deficit and causing your body to lose muscle. When you eventually bump your calories back up then you will gain because your body holds on to everything because it thinks it will go back into starvation mode.

    ETA: This is an excellent post that explains it much better then I ever could : http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
  • Bridgetc140
    Bridgetc140 Posts: 405 Member
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    You can pass those calories this way! I'd be happy to eat them for you!!! lolol My goal is 1050 calories each day plus my exercise calories. I do realize though that at such a low minimum I must eat my exercise calories back. However, I'm only 4'11" and 112lbs so I don't believe that I really need the minimum of 1200 calories. Plus I consider the possibility of underestimating my calories, plus I don't remove the bmr calories from my workouts and so that 150 is a buffer. On the rare occasion that I have a lot of exercise calories left and I don't feel like eating...well, I don't. However, I usually have them planned into my day and have already mentally eaten something in their name!!! lol........usually something with peanut butter! lol
  • yanicka
    yanicka Posts: 1,004 Member
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    I have never, ever eaten back any of my exercise calories (I am at 1,200 cals/day) and have still lost weight perfectly fine and stayed healthy... my body isn't craving more food and my energy levels are good. So I would say... don't force yourself to eat if you really don't want to... your body should be able to let you know if it NEEDS more.

    same here.

    And same here. I've lost 9 lbs in six weeks.

    I am ready to bet that at least half of those pounds are from muscle loss. Not what you want. It is not all about the freaking scale!!!! But I can say the same thing 10 times a day here. Do as you wish but if you get fatter you have only yourself to blame.
  • deathtaco
    deathtaco Posts: 237
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    Calculate your daily caloric needs:
    Add in an APPROPRIATE caloric deficit (say 500 calories)

    That is your training day amount (+0-100 calories)
    Off days: That amount (-300-0 calories)

    Don't worry about 'exercise calories' or anything like that. Just pick those two amounts, stick to them, eat proper protein/fat/carb levels.
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
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    Calculate your daily caloric needs:
    Add in an APPROPRIATE caloric deficit (say 500 calories)

    That is your training day amount (+0-100 calories)
    Off days: That amount (-300-0 calories)

    Don't worry about 'exercise calories' or anything like that. Just pick those two amounts, stick to them, eat proper protein/fat/carb levels.

    Perfect answer
  • Sweetlux
    Sweetlux Posts: 222 Member
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    Thanks Deathtaco and everyone else. I am going to try and eat a little more healthy calories. I tend to get a little obsessed with fitness and I really want to do things the right way :)
    Bridget, I am 5'2" and my body is almost too thin at 125! what a difference a couple inches makes.

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