How not to eat when you can afford to?
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LovLeigh416 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »I agree with others:
1. Make sure the exercise burn is accurate
2. Log/and or eat back only a portion of it if you think it is not completely accurate
3. Plan your day out to eat some of those extra calories earlier in the day (fuel your workout)
4. Use some of those extra calories for an indulgence - if McDonalds or pizza sounds good, get some. Doesn't have to be 1000 cals worth.
Vote this as best answer. I suppose eating earlier in the day and still being reasonable is the main takeaway I'm getting. Also not to trust MFP? So how can I estimate what I've burned from, say, 45mins weightlifting?
Others who lift more regularly can probably comment on the best tools to estimate calories burned from lifting - I use a FitBit and I know others use an HRM, but these are more for steady state cardio and not great for lifting. In general - lifting is less about a calorie burn and more about building strength, preserving lean muscle, etc. In fact if you are actively trying to build muscle, you can't do that in a calorie deficit.
I would probably recommend using a TDEE calculator like this:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
To figure out your TDEE, this will help you plan ahead with a constant goal. Please note, if you do the TDEE method, you don't eat back the exercise calories, they are already factored in.
If you haven't, you should read this thread, and some of the other stickied posts at the top of the forums
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1
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LovLeigh416 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »I agree with others:
1. Make sure the exercise burn is accurate
2. Log/and or eat back only a portion of it if you think it is not completely accurate
3. Plan your day out to eat some of those extra calories earlier in the day (fuel your workout)
4. Use some of those extra calories for an indulgence - if McDonalds or pizza sounds good, get some. Doesn't have to be 1000 cals worth.
Vote this as best answer. I suppose eating earlier in the day and still being reasonable is the main takeaway I'm getting. Also not to trust MFP? So how can I estimate what I've burned from, say, 45mins weightlifting?
Yup, MFP uses an outdated method. We can't possibly know how many calories get burnt during weight lifting or cardio.
So, the best way is to calculate your maintenance is through a TDEE calculator. Here is one: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
This calculation will take into account everything, including how much exercise you do and intensity.
To lose 1lb minus 500 from your TDEE, to lose 2lbs minus 1000. Input that goal number into your MFP settings and you no longer need to track exercise, just log your food.0 -
LovLeigh416 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »I agree with others:
1. Make sure the exercise burn is accurate
2. Log/and or eat back only a portion of it if you think it is not completely accurate
3. Plan your day out to eat some of those extra calories earlier in the day (fuel your workout)
4. Use some of those extra calories for an indulgence - if McDonalds or pizza sounds good, get some. Doesn't have to be 1000 cals worth.
Vote this as best answer. I suppose eating earlier in the day and still being reasonable is the main takeaway I'm getting. Also not to trust MFP? So how can I estimate what I've burned from, say, 45mins weightlifting?
Weightlifting ..1 calorie
Best way0 -
Big5BigChange wrote: »Wish I had this problem. Having 1000 calories "spare" in a day? Man, if only!!!!
Yep. Never happened to me. Not once!
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VanillaGorillaUK wrote: »LovLeigh416 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »I agree with others:
1. Make sure the exercise burn is accurate
2. Log/and or eat back only a portion of it if you think it is not completely accurate
3. Plan your day out to eat some of those extra calories earlier in the day (fuel your workout)
4. Use some of those extra calories for an indulgence - if McDonalds or pizza sounds good, get some. Doesn't have to be 1000 cals worth.
Vote this as best answer. I suppose eating earlier in the day and still being reasonable is the main takeaway I'm getting. Also not to trust MFP? So how can I estimate what I've burned from, say, 45mins weightlifting?
Yup, MFP uses an outdated method. We can't possibly know how many calories get burnt during weight lifting or cardio.
So, the best way is to calculate your maintenance is through a TDEE calculator. Here is one: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
This calculation will take into account everything, including how much exercise you do and intensity.
To lose 1lb minus 500 from your TDEE, to lose 2lbs minus 1000. Input that goal number into your MFP settings and you no longer need to track exercise, just log your food.
I don't know if it's "outdated", per se. The TDEE method doesn't work for me because I know I would short my workouts if I didn't take account of each day independently, instead of just saying I'm "active" or "very active". The key to my mind is to figure out how many calories you are actually burning, and that takes time and effort to get right.0 -
One day last week, I had the calories for my favorite McD meal-- Filet O Fish value meal with large fries. So I ate it. And it was bleh. I didn't really enjoy it all that much. Now I really have no desire for McD's and doubt I will eat there for quite awhile. Maybe you let yourself have it. If you've been eating really nutritious, healthy food regularly, you might have the same experience I did. And if not, it fit in your calories, so enjoy and move on!0
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VanillaGorillaUK wrote: »LovLeigh416 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »I agree with others:
1. Make sure the exercise burn is accurate
2. Log/and or eat back only a portion of it if you think it is not completely accurate
3. Plan your day out to eat some of those extra calories earlier in the day (fuel your workout)
4. Use some of those extra calories for an indulgence - if McDonalds or pizza sounds good, get some. Doesn't have to be 1000 cals worth.
Vote this as best answer. I suppose eating earlier in the day and still being reasonable is the main takeaway I'm getting. Also not to trust MFP? So how can I estimate what I've burned from, say, 45mins weightlifting?
Yup, MFP uses an outdated method. We can't possibly know how many calories get burnt during weight lifting or cardio.
So, the best way is to calculate your maintenance is through a TDEE calculator. Here is one: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
This calculation will take into account everything, including how much exercise you do and intensity.
To lose 1lb minus 500 from your TDEE, to lose 2lbs minus 1000. Input that goal number into your MFP settings and you no longer need to track exercise, just log your food.
I don't know if it's "outdated", per se. The TDEE method doesn't work for me because I know I would short my workouts if I didn't take account of each day independently, instead of just saying I'm "active" or "very active". The key to my mind is to figure out how many calories you are actually burning, and that takes time and effort to get right.
I do the TDEE method because, after all, my workouts are for my fitness and I don't short myself. Plus I review my progress regularly and adjust if needed based on actual rate of observed loss. I like not counting exercise calories directly because I can better plan my days in advance. I do have different calorie goals for training days.0 -
Never got near the end of the day with a 1000 calorie allowance. Sometimes I have "shortfall" of over 250 calories. What would you do for a Klondike Bar?0
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rankinsect wrote: »VanillaGorillaUK wrote: »LovLeigh416 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »I agree with others:
1. Make sure the exercise burn is accurate
2. Log/and or eat back only a portion of it if you think it is not completely accurate
3. Plan your day out to eat some of those extra calories earlier in the day (fuel your workout)
4. Use some of those extra calories for an indulgence - if McDonalds or pizza sounds good, get some. Doesn't have to be 1000 cals worth.
Vote this as best answer. I suppose eating earlier in the day and still being reasonable is the main takeaway I'm getting. Also not to trust MFP? So how can I estimate what I've burned from, say, 45mins weightlifting?
Yup, MFP uses an outdated method. We can't possibly know how many calories get burnt during weight lifting or cardio.
So, the best way is to calculate your maintenance is through a TDEE calculator. Here is one: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
This calculation will take into account everything, including how much exercise you do and intensity.
To lose 1lb minus 500 from your TDEE, to lose 2lbs minus 1000. Input that goal number into your MFP settings and you no longer need to track exercise, just log your food.
I don't know if it's "outdated", per se. The TDEE method doesn't work for me because I know I would short my workouts if I didn't take account of each day independently, instead of just saying I'm "active" or "very active". The key to my mind is to figure out how many calories you are actually burning, and that takes time and effort to get right.
I do the TDEE method because, after all, my workouts are for my fitness and I don't short myself. Plus I review my progress regularly and adjust if needed based on actual rate of observed loss. I like not counting exercise calories directly because I can better plan my days in advance. I do have different calorie goals for training days.
That's cool. I think this is really a case where personal preference and predilection comes into play. In the end the two methods are (or should be) equivalent if applied effectively.0 -
Girl, you read my mind! Thanks for posting!0
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I intentionally plan my days to have 1,000+ calories left at night. My non exercise days are 1500 calories, so I have 250 for bfast and lunch. That leaves 1000 for dinner and snacks! Yay! When I exercise I count back 50% and try to eat them all.0
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Food is food. Nothing is good or bad as long as it's safely edible and fits in your calorie goals.
I would eat whatever i want and often fill my calorie gap with ice cream at the end of the night and it works for me.
Do whatever is sustainable for you. If you start demonizing types of food that you aren't willing to do without forever, then you run high risk of failure when you reintegrate those foods back into your diet.
I also agree with TDEE and use that method myself. The trick with TDEE is that it requires experimentation over time to find your true TDEE and it may shift depending on your current lifestyle. you have to make subtle adjustments based on loss or gain over time. I tend to reevaluate ever 6 weeks or so and make adjustments up or down depending on what the scale trends show. Note that I say trends. I weigh daily so that I have plenty of data points on m graph. it allows me to find an actual trend up or down, as I can easily fluctuate 7 lbs on any given day based on time of day, diet, type of exercise that day, etc.
You do not have to weigh daily, but taking some form of regular measurement under the same circumstances each time will help.0 -
robertw486 wrote: »LovLeigh416 wrote: »So, you eat a little, you workout a lot, and at the end of the day you still have like 1,000 calories you can technically eat. How do you NOT go to McDonalds or eat pizza or something you know is bad but totally have the calorie budget for?
It's easy. For me, I eat less in the morning, work out a little harder sometimes, and have 2,000 calories I can eat before the end of the day. And I usually do eat most of them. Not at McDonalds, but that's up to you.
If you have calories to eat, you can eat them. My today included cake... big pieces of cake. And sometimes my days include all kinds of other stuff people want to label as "bad". On top of that, I usually eat at LEAST 50% of my calories at dinner time or later.
See, this is what I want to do0 -
BecomingBane wrote: »Food is food. Nothing is good or bad as long as it's safely edible and fits in your calorie goals.
I would eat whatever i want and often fill my calorie gap with ice cream at the end of the night and it works for me.
Do whatever is sustainable for you. If you start demonizing types of food that you aren't willing to do without forever, then you run high risk of failure when you reintegrate those foods back into your diet.
I also agree with TDEE and use that method myself. The trick with TDEE is that it requires experimentation over time to find your true TDEE and it may shift depending on your current lifestyle. you have to make subtle adjustments based on loss or gain over time. I tend to reevaluate ever 6 weeks or so and make adjustments up or down depending on what the scale trends show. Note that I say trends. I weigh daily so that I have plenty of data points on m graph. it allows me to find an actual trend up or down, as I can easily fluctuate 7 lbs on any given day based on time of day, diet, type of exercise that day, etc.
You do not have to weigh daily, but taking some form of regular measurement under the same circumstances each time will help.
I like this no food is bad attitude. But wow 7lbs of fluctuation in a day?0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »You are supposed to eat what MFP tells you to. What are you logging for burns? For example, 30 minutes of running at x speed for 300 cal
I never run lol I walk 2 mi in about 35 mins avg at 3.5 and burn around 200cals0 -
LovLeigh416 wrote: »BecomingBane wrote: »Food is food. Nothing is good or bad as long as it's safely edible and fits in your calorie goals.
I would eat whatever i want and often fill my calorie gap with ice cream at the end of the night and it works for me.
Do whatever is sustainable for you. If you start demonizing types of food that you aren't willing to do without forever, then you run high risk of failure when you reintegrate those foods back into your diet.
I also agree with TDEE and use that method myself. The trick with TDEE is that it requires experimentation over time to find your true TDEE and it may shift depending on your current lifestyle. you have to make subtle adjustments based on loss or gain over time. I tend to reevaluate ever 6 weeks or so and make adjustments up or down depending on what the scale trends show. Note that I say trends. I weigh daily so that I have plenty of data points on m graph. it allows me to find an actual trend up or down, as I can easily fluctuate 7 lbs on any given day based on time of day, diet, type of exercise that day, etc.
You do not have to weigh daily, but taking some form of regular measurement under the same circumstances each time will help.
I like this no food is bad attitude. But wow 7lbs of fluctuation in a day?
Yep. But it depends on activity and hydration for me. I lift... heavy and depleting muscle glycogen can change quite a bit for me. Not saying it will be that way for everyone but I have measured it... bit as I said... lots of factors go into that.0 -
Ok so now I'm confused. My TDEE is way more than my calorie allotment and I don't get why? I selected lose fat and gain muscle but I didn't mean I didn't want the number on the scale to move? I would like to lose fat, weight less, and gain muscle. Does that not make sense?
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LovLeigh416 wrote: »Ok so now I'm confused. My TDEE is way more than my calorie allotment and I don't get why? I selected lose fat and gain muscle but I didn't mean I didn't want the number on the scale to move?
That's what that option means, if you want to lose weight, pick "lose fat". "Lose fat gain muscle" essentially means you want to keep your weight constant.
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rankinsect wrote: »LovLeigh416 wrote: »Ok so now I'm confused. My TDEE is way more than my calorie allotment and I don't get why? I selected lose fat and gain muscle but I didn't mean I didn't want the number on the scale to move?
That's what that option means, if you want to lose weight, pick "lose fat". "Lose fat gain muscle" essentially means you want to keep your weight constant.
Ok. How about that macros ratio? It seems like a lot of carbs?0 -
LovLeigh416 wrote: »rankinsect wrote: »LovLeigh416 wrote: »Ok so now I'm confused. My TDEE is way more than my calorie allotment and I don't get why? I selected lose fat and gain muscle but I didn't mean I didn't want the number on the scale to move?
That's what that option means, if you want to lose weight, pick "lose fat". "Lose fat gain muscle" essentially means you want to keep your weight constant.
Ok. How about that macros ratio? It seems like a lot of carbs?
I don't pay too much attention to my carbs, I mainly try to hit proteins, and let the rest split between fat and carbs however it happens to fall on a given day.
Some people do better by reducing carbs, but it's not necessary. Personally, I just try to pick foods I find satisfying, which tends to reduce some carbs, particularly sweets, but I don't aim low carb. I think I'm around 46% carb over the past few months, and I'm doing fine.
I don't find a benefit in carefully controlling carbs that is worth the effort of adding another dietary constraint, because every additional thing you try to do means you spend more time planning meals out. I keep a rigid calorie goal that I try to adhere to very strongly, a looser protein goal that I aim for but don't worry terribly about if I miss by a bit, and don't control anything else except to try to plan meals that I find filling.
Others find a benefit in low carb that outweighs the cost in terms of additional planning and dietary restriction. Whatever works for you.0
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