Since after a week it seems I'm sticking with it...(also, a

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DJKenn
DJKenn Posts: 17
in Introduce Yourself
...I'd better introduce myself!

My name is Darcy, I'm 5'2" and 142 pounds after my last weigh-in. I started a week ago after my brother and his wife showed me this website. My goal weight is 130 pounds, but since joining I've realized some different goals than just losing weight:

1) To stop looking at food as "the enemy" - for so long in my life, food has been something to be avoided, and you should pride yourself for being able to avoid the temptation of eating. I'd like to get to a point in my mindset where eating food is completely acceptable/I don't have to run for an hour to work everything off.
2) To eat healthier - being a college student, it's very difficult to eat balanced and well-proportioned meals. I'm hoping that tracking what I eat will make it easier for me to see what my diet is lacking and fix it.
3) I'm participating in Bald for Bucks this year (a fundraiser where when you reach your desired pledge goal, you shave your head and donate the money to cancer research), and I'd like to look more toned to balance out the parts of my body that always hide behind my hair!

Now, to the question:

I've been doing my best to eat back most of my exercise calories, but unless I've had a day where there's been a lot of food present, I usually come up short if I've done my full cardio (45 minutes, burning about 540 calories). I suppose my question is is it better to not exercise and eat my full calorie allowance, or is it better to do my exercise and eat more (which may mean eating when I'm not hungry) to even the deficit?

Good to be here!

Darcy

Replies

  • misspenny762
    misspenny762 Posts: 279 Member
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    Do the exercise! Don't eat if you're not hungry! You can also make those calories up by eating higher-calorie versions of the foods you're already eating instead of eating more, or just eat back part of the calories you burned off. Don't feel obligated to eat just because there are calories left over. Your body knows what it needs, no point in force-feeding it :)
  • josephjbarrett3
    josephjbarrett3 Posts: 5
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    Depends on your goal...if you wanna lose some weight then just eat your 1200 calories and don't worry about that 540 that you burn...keep that deficit. Every 3500 calories you have as a deficit=1 pound of fat lost.
  • doodlebug21
    doodlebug21 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi
    I usually do not eat back my exercise calories. I stick to the 1200 calories a day. That way if I splurge on a weekend night, I have the exercise calories in my reserve. Like you, I really enjoy this website. Food is not the enemy and I eat almost anything I want, in moderation and within my calorie limit. Good luck!
  • AngelaPowPowPOW
    AngelaPowPowPOW Posts: 293
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    Welcome! I want the cub in your picture! lol
  • DJKenn
    DJKenn Posts: 17
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    I just worry about getting my body into starvation mode...looking back at my eating/exercise habits the few months before I started this, I think that may have been why I didn't lose any weight.
  • DJKenn
    DJKenn Posts: 17
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    Welcome! I want the cub in your picture! lol

    :D An animal trainer came to the theatre I work at, and we got to take pictures with the animals. It was tons of fun.
  • lisapickering
    lisapickering Posts: 374
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    As you are not overweight it's important to eat back your exercise calories to lose weight. Everybody is different so see what works for you but it's you need to fuel your body!

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