help... not sure why i have left over calories at the end of

jebert11
jebert11 Posts: 5
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
so i always start my day with a good or at least decent breakfast and then i work out i am constantly moving all day and i dont even account for all the short walks i take to the store or to the park...i eat and eat and eat and then when i do my excersize for the day i burn a ton of calories and have to eat and eat and eat again and i still have leftover calories at the end of the day... am i going to lose weight that way or do i have to do something diff??? i just naturally eat healthy... so do i need to make my daily goal less or work out less??? please help not sure what to do wanna do this thing right lol

Replies

  • Deberlin88
    Deberlin88 Posts: 70 Member
    There's nothing wrong with being under your calorie goal. It's what most of us shoot for each day. In general, you shouldn't consume <1200 calories, though. Keep doing what you're doing, and hopefully the weight will come off for you. :)
  • jolteon00
    jolteon00 Posts: 89
    On lowering your goal: What's your daily goal now? How much are you looking to lose?

    I wouldn't work out less! You could always lessen your goal, but if you find you're not eating enough, adding some healthy fats such as peanut butter and olive oil or even some amount of butter could up your calories at each meal. Fat is good, don't shy away from it :)
  • allenpearcy
    allenpearcy Posts: 227 Member
    I think there are different schools of thought on this topic. However, I know my personal goal is to try and have as many left over as possible while satisfying my body's core needs. I had/have a lot of weight to lose and I don't want my body to go into "starvation mode" and horde fat as a self defense mechanism.

    In my mind, as long as you eat enough, any calories you net at the end are calories you are buring that will equal weight lost. I typically see results 8-10 days following effort. You might also try the "complete log" feature at the end of each day and it will project for you what you'll weigh in 5 weeks if "each day were like this one". It may not be totally accurate, of course, but it is probably a good gereral indicator of what having extra calories can do for you.

    HTH
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
    Two things to keep in mind:

    First, are you weighing and measuring all your food? If you're not, you could be under-estimating how much you're actually eating. Studies have shown that most people do.

    Second, how are you determining your exercise calories? The numbers given on this site are often way too high for most people. The best way to figure your exercise calories is by using a heart rate monitor. Otherwise, you may not be burning as much as you think.

    So, if your food calories eaten are accurate, and your exercise calories burned are also accurate, and you still have a lot left over at the end of the day, then you should do what was previously suggested and eat more calorie-dense foods. Examples are nuts, olive oil drizzled on a salad or used to saute veggies, peanut butter, etc. Just make them healthy calories.

    Good luck!
  • wildstang65
    wildstang65 Posts: 1
    I always seem to have at least 500 calories left each day and it is difficult for me to eat certain food items(due to braces). I don't seem to be loosing the weight like I want to. As far as exercising I walk twice a day for 15 minutes, in the mornings I do the E active fitness game for Wii and twice a week I go to the Y to workout for at least an hour. Looking for advise on how to increase my calories.
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
    Make sure your setting is for an active lifestyle. Re-evaluate in your settings to account for being on your feet without actually "exercising". True it doesn't give you fewer calories.

    I agree with the add the healthy fats, too. Olive oil, nuts, and avocado would be my choices and a natural peanut butter. Salmon is high calorie as are sweet potatoes. I make my own salad dressings with different vinegars and olive oil (1:2 or 1:3 ratios), you could use plenty of salad dressing on your salads instead of diet dressings or skimping on them.

    I had the same problem as you when I first started here because I based everything off of the 1200 calories I started with, forgetting that I would add 500 calories some days for exercise. No way I could eat all of that at dinner! So I finally got the hang of it. I used to not want to eat my exercise calories, but I switched and now eat most & so far no harm done! On days where I plan to do more exercise, I try to eat a bigger breakfast such as 1 1/2 servings of oatmeal, with a banana and flax meal and soy milk comes out to well over 400 calories. Also don't forget your snacks between meals.

    WHat a delicious predicament you are in!

    Good luck to you!
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