For those that have lost 50 pounds +

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pinktoenels
pinktoenels Posts: 23
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,

I was wondering for the people who have lost a lot of weight and been doing this for awhile, did you eat what MFP recommended calories? My doctor is suggesting 1400 calories and not eating the exercise calories back. And I am wondering which is best for long term commitment and success?

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  • Zsangel
    Zsangel Posts: 202
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    I've lost about 70lbs so far, and most of that was without counting calories at all!!
    but I'd go with what the doctor says =)
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
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    Hmmm! That is a hard one. I don't know if the Doctor is familiar with the way this site works in creating a deficit. I don't want to tell anyone to go against the advice of their doctor, but I might try to find a way to get a second opinion. He might have just been trying to over simplify it.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
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    I ate 1200 calories and did not eat my exercise calories back, I lost my first 50lbs this way and that was fine because I was so overweight. Now that I am within a healthy weight range again and about 15lbs from my goal I eat 1500 calories and do not eat my exercise calories back.
  • ebert5150
    ebert5150 Posts: 135 Member
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    Obviously you doctor is the trained professional but from all the reading I've done that sounds really low especially if you exercise regularly. A set number of calories doesn't take in your present weight or activity level. Let me give you an example. My wife ran 13 miles last Sunday and she burned 1300 calories just from the run. Does it sound right that she would just eat 1400 calories for the whole day? I wonder if a nutritionist or sports medecine doctor would give you a different calorie level?
  • Meganne1982
    Meganne1982 Posts: 451
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    I jus started using MFP to help me stay on track to lose the last bit of chunk I'm holding on to- BUT, during my biggest period of weightloss (losing abotu 60 pounds in about 7 months), I was eating about 1600-2000 a day, under 100 g carbs a day, and doing an average of 60 min elliptical 4-6 days a week.

    This is what I did. But everyone is different. I played around with what I did for diet and exercise for a long time before I found what worked for me. My golden key was cutting out sugar. :)

    Good luck to you.

    :):)
  • ramonad
    ramonad Posts: 14
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    i have eaten what MFP says but not logging or eating back the exercise. i am at a total loss of over 100 pounds. now, saying that....i do zumba twice a week and it burns up to 1000 calories. i do give myself an extra treat that day that i dont log. i keep it at right around 200 calories since i am burning so much. but i make it something special that i only eat on those days. seems to be working. i've been at it for a year now, taken a few breaks along the way and just maintained for a month or so but i am getting there!!
  • tolygal
    tolygal Posts: 602 Member
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    I ate around 1400 calories and did not eat back my excercise calories until more recently (although I still don't eat all of them). If I had to do it over again, one thing I would without-a-doubt do differently is to start strength training right away - and training hard! I think I lost a lot of lean muscle because I was so focused on cardio cardio cardio and losing the fat. I didn't know what I know now, and that's the one regret I have. I'm getting it back - but I sure wish I'd started right away! So now I focus more on strength training with shorter cardio sessions (intervals) and on the weight training days, I eat about 300 extra calories. I also make sure I eat plenty of protein every day (I'm doing 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat - or trying to anyway) so I feed those muscles and give my body what it needs (I'm doing this because it's what I've learned from reading here and from books)!!

    Good luck!
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
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    depends how much exercise you are doing and what you've set your weekly weight loss as and your current weight I guess. If your calorie allowance on MFP is 1200 and you then do 200 calories of exercise a day and eat back those calories...voila, 1400 calories.

    Try it the Drs way first, if you have no success or are too tired, lacking energy then switch it around a bit...If youre a beginner to "diet" and exercise I don't actually think hes too far off the mark. If however you are exercising frequently with big burns then he might well be waaaaaay off the mark
  • BR1986FB
    BR1986FB Posts: 1,515 Member
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    I did not eat what MFP recommends, calorie-wise, and I certainly didn't follow their recommendation on carb intake (way too much for me).
  • Crystal_Rudolph
    Crystal_Rudolph Posts: 632 Member
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    I showed my doctor this site and my profile. It helped him understand and me understand what is needed for me to reach my goal safely.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    I ate 1200 calories and did not eat my exercise calories back, I lost my first 50lbs this way and that was fine because I was so overweight. Now that I am within a healthy weight range again and about 15lbs from my goal I eat 1500 calories and do not eat my exercise calories back.

    I did something similar and ate a "range" of calories between 1400 and 1600. I try to keep it right around 1600 these days. Maybe a little more if I have had a big exercise burn. But I don't always eat back my exercise calories...but I do listen to my body instead.

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