Just need clarification.

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TwiFan5
TwiFan5 Posts: 419 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just have one small question, is it the net calories that should be 1200 calories minimum every day to lose weight, I am asking because I have been reading some of the blogs and then looked at my net calories and they were lower then 1200 calories on the days that I exercised so I think that is why I have gained weight because I never realized. Thank you

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  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    you cant gain weight at a calorie deficit. well except water bloat. anyways.

    the 1200 cal limit this is just some random made up number. it means nothing. well it means that when we tend to eat at a cal deficit we tend to feel hungier which can lead to binging which means weight gain. what you need to go on is your BMR and reduce cals from there. i never ate back my exercise calories..why would i? i worked so hard to burn them off. but..everyones body is different and responds different to diets and etc. not everyones metabolism is the same. its mostly genetics that makes it easy or hard for us to lose weight..not this 1200 cals and starvation mode myth bunk.

    our metabs vary from week to week and even day to day, depending on hormonal fluctuations. especially women. we ALL hit plateaus..its because our bodies adapt. if you change your exercise or diet it will break you out of the plateau. sure if you eat 1200 cals now and plateau you have two choices..you can lower your cals and feel hungry (leading to binging) or you can up your cals a bit (not because of starvation mode, but because its a change and will force you body to adapt to the new cals intake).
  • Stuartm1
    Stuartm1 Posts: 101 Member
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    Yes if you exercise you still should aim for 1200 net because this still leaves you in the same position as if you did not exercise. That said if you have done lots of exercise and burnt lots of calories it's not always possible to get to 1200 net but if this is occasional it will not hurt.
  • emily27uk
    emily27uk Posts: 23 Member
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    Hi,
    I am sure this has probably been mentioned before but you need to check your BMR, and remember it takes 3500 calories to burn one pound of fat so decide how much you want to loose and over what time frame then reduce those calories from your BMR. Remember to add any calories you burn during exercise. I like to end the day with +30 calories in my bank, for me that means I will loose 36lbs in 3 months. If you want I wrote an article explaining how to work out what your end of day banked calories should be, I can send it to you if you like. I am sure loads of people will think it is controversial on here but you cant deny the maths.
    xxxx
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    I am one of those people that ALWAYS tell everyone to eat more and stay above 1200 net.
    However, I do realize that everyone is different and there are certain extreme situations.

    This girl is 99 lbs looking to be 79 lbs. At 4'9" 99 lbs, her BMR is only 1098 and healthy range on the BMI chart is 85-115.

    So, yes, even though 99 lbs sounds too small, at her height she is right in the middle of the healthy range.

    To the OP:
    I suggest changing your goal weight to 90, and incorporate strength training. You need to build muscle to get the firm toned look you are after. Just losing weight will make you lose muscle too and you will look frail, weak, and sick.
    What you need to do to achieve this is reset your goals. Set your activity level to lightly active or active, whichever you feel suits you better, then choose HALF a pound a week as your goal, and strive to MEET that goal INCLUDING eating back all your exercise calories. The last few pounds are the hardest to come off. You have to coax them off slowly by convincing your body that there's enough food coming in that it is safe to let go of it's "emergency fat".
    Do heavy weight training instead of just cardio. Muscle burns fat while at rest. The more muscle you have the better. Don't worry, you don't have the testosterone required to get "big".

    Look at my pics, The ones in the orange shorts and the yellow shorts are from last July, I weighed 103. I was unhappy. I started strength training. Look at the most current 3 pics in the green pants. Those are yesterday. I weigh 107. 4 pounds heavier but look way better due to the muscle rather than "skinny but weak".
  • sunshine79
    sunshine79 Posts: 758 Member
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    what you need to go on is your BMR and reduce cals from there. i never ate back my exercise calories..why would i? i worked so hard to burn them off. but..everyones body is different and responds different to diets and etc. not everyones metabolism is the same. its mostly genetics that makes it easy or hard for us to lose weight..not this 1200 cals and starvation mode myth bunk.


    I couldn't agree more - so very well said :happy: :happy:

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