Sortof beating a dead horse but with a new twist :) Help/opi

I know the program is all about net 1200, but that isn't necessarily the only way to go about it ... I make sure I get AT LEAST 1200 calories every day and a deficit no greater than 1000 calories each day. I don't worry about net so much as the relationship between calories burned and intake ... without over-deficit. so if you have a TOTAL calorie burn of 3000 you can eat as few as 2000 and still be OK, but personally I try NOT to go that far in the deficit either, I generally aim for 750) But that means you HAVE to take into account your true burn, not the calories on the food page, but the calories listed in you calories burned from daily activity AND the calories burned from exercise combined) Which is WHY it's easier to just follow what the computer tells you because it is doing basic math for you without the opportunity for confusion.

If that's how much you're burning, yes, you need to eat that much. Since you're using an HRM, it's not like you don't know how much the burn is. So you need to fuel your body properly for how much you're expending.

Remember, you don't have to increase volume a lot to increase cals. And eating clean is great, but there's no reason to cut out fruit - and it could actually hurt you to cut it, if you're using that much energy each day, because it's a great source of immediate energy after a big burn. When you are using that much energy, you simply have to replace it. So I would not be focusing that much on your daily sugar, especially from natural sources like fruit or dairy.

Just 50 cals more for each meal/snack adds up. Also, a snack after your workout or work is helpful, even if it's small (and late). My workouts are often later in the evening (8 or 9) and I almost always have a snack afterwards; usually yogurt and fruit or cottage cheese, and nuts, as they are light and don't make me feel stuffed. Some people like to have a protein shake or peanut butter, etc.

If you're not feeling hungry, a good way to increase cals without much volume is healthy fats from natural oils (olive/canola), nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts), and avocados. A fruit smoothie, protein shake or chocolate milk are good cal boosters, because drinking cals can be easier than eating when you aren't feeling hungry.

ETA: If you had a lot to lose, it would be less critical to eat quite as much. The more fat stores you have, the more leeway you have with a deficit. You are already relatively lean and your body simply cannot withstand as high of a deficit. And with your loss per week goal already at 1 lb per week, you already have an aggressive deficit for where you're at. You simply don't have enough fat stores to access to allow your body to deal with not replacing those cals.

Might help to read these threads:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

And another note: You might cut back on your cardio workouts a bit during the summer while you have this job. If you simply can't eat enough to fuel the workouts, you need to not burn as many cals.

Thanks so much! I underestimate my calorie burn and over-estimate my calories, so it could even be a bigger difference. I just hear everybody talking about starvation mode and got worried if I wasn't eating all calories. Then I saw someone on here saying that women should NEVER eat more than 2,000 calories so that threw me off. I may try a couple of different ideas and see what works the best since there isn't one agreeable decision. I am trying to not look at the scale too much but just see how the clothes are fitting (trying to get to a size 6 or 8) don't wanna lose my curves and muscle. Try not to let that number get to me! Thanks again for all the tips

Well, I'm not sure where you saw the "2000" cals thing, but that's just simply incorrect. That's like saying a woman who's 6' and 180 lbs should eat the same amount as a woman who's 5' and 100 lbs. Cal levels are entirely dependent on an individual's height, weight, age, activity level and exercise - or more, simply put, how much energy they use. And people of different sizes use different amounts of cals. The more you expend, the more you need to eat.

Hi there,

What I would do first is go cut my grass it needs it! (Joke, well not really it does, but you're to far away)

Really first I would change your activity level, you're certainly not a low level, four hours a day cutting grass. Sorry you don't qualify for low level.

Second, I don't and don't believe you have to eat back the calories you burnt, I usually don't. Second your going to have to tweak your diet, since you are so active. Which is GREAT! Add a little bit of calories, maybe a bananna to start with to see if that does anything. (I'm a huge fruit eater as well.) [My favorite are grapes, I eat so many I'm affraid I'm really a marsupial.]

It shouldn't be to hard to get to your goal, I would recomend getting there first then tweak it to maintain for the rest of the summer. Then iin September after your wedding (congradulations) you'll have to tweak it since you won't be so actgive cutting grass.

As long as your healthy and eating well over the 1200 threshold you'll be fine, even better with a little tweaking. Saving room for wedding cake!

3000 calories is nuts! I'm a guy an I'd have trouble eating that many.