This site gives too many calories

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  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    I defintely don't think it is too much. It is only 100 calories more than the absolute minimum that a person should be eating and still be healthy. I started at 216, am down to 189 and lose about a pound a week and I eat around 1450 calories a day.

    I think you should have the test your doctor wants, it could point to some major health issues that need to be addressed. Not having the test could impede any progress you try to make if you don't fully know what complications you could have due to your weight.

    And sometimes I too feel like I am not "suffering" enough to lose weight, but my ticker below prooves otherwise. A "diet" is more about depriving yourself. Many diets will tell you to NEVER eat candy or sweets or carbs (which is crap because everyone needs a certain amount of carbs) and almost act as though you commited a sin if you indulge now and then on a yummy greasy pizza.

    At MFP you learn a lifestyle change. You're not depriving yourself of things you love, you're just teaching yourself how to eat better foods and better portions. I had spaghetti for dinner last night...as usual I weighed my portion and had a serving size, I also had one cup (as in 8 oz) of fat free milk and one peice of garlic toast. A year ago I would have piled my plate with spaghetti, probably had two maybe even three peices of toast and I would have filled my glass with as much milk (more fattening milk) as it could hold.

    Why? Not because I was THAT hungry, but because I didn't really know any better. I didn't see for myself how many calories all of that added up to. Now I see that I can still eat yummy foods, but that I don't needs as much food as I once thought, and most of the time I still feel quite full and satisfied.
  • tennetubbie
    tennetubbie Posts: 312 Member
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    I am trying a combo diet of sorts with 9 other people at work---I need support (for more than my boobs!).
    THIS site says I still have 404 calories left to eat but my weight watchers points says I'm DONE for the day. I thought I'd be able to eat a one point yogurt tonight but guess not---no jello in fridge:cry:

    Also what is point of WALKING 3 miles every day when it just says basically that you earned the right to eat a few cookies when you get back. I was thinking the weight would come off faster and hopefully skin will tighten up with the exercise.
  • TRLTAMPA
    TRLTAMPA Posts: 824
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    I've never done weight watchers but does it factor physical activity into your points?
  • Imogene
    Imogene Posts: 12
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    I am 5'1" and I am on a 1200 calorie diet. I lost 3 lbs my first week; I am thinking most of that is fluids. I thought that may be too many calories at first, but it seems to be working. I think you should give 1300 calories a chance before judging. It feels good to eat and lose at the same time. :wink:
  • vouzeme
    vouzeme Posts: 10 Member
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    I found it to be pretty reasonable.
    I have tried weight watchers for a few months, but wasn't going far.
    So I hired a personal traininer and he pretty much told me to go see a doctor and get all the testes... I did. Carbs and sugar are my 'blocker' so we modified acording to that information. Atkins was hell the first two weeks, but then... I can't explain the energy boost that came out of nowhere... I'm still in phase two... and feel pretty good. I don't find eating processes carbs rewarding anymore since all I want to do is sleep after I have a heavy meal, but it's been a long, hard road to get where I am today...
    Now that I've rambled on forever, I feel guily sometimes too that I've been 'given' so many calories, but once I hit the gym, you'd be surpised how every one of them helps.
    Good Luck! :flowerforyou:
  • LosingIt4good
    LosingIt4good Posts: 1,214 Member
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    Im at 1340 and at first trying to eat that many calories was hard...meaning I couldnt stuff that much in. I was so used to eating junk food when i started i wasnt used to eating as much as I do now...and its only been at this a flippin week! :tongue:

    For me... i needed new ideas for foods that would work well for me and Im hitting the bookstore tomorrow in search of recipe books. Now that Im eating healthier things, its much easier. I can eat alot more of the healthy stuff and I feel alot more satisfied and better about myself than I did eating the stuff that wasnt healthy for me (no guilt!). I am trying my hand at eating my excercise calories burned and am finding that its getting easier as I am making healthier choices. Im a muncher by nature and Im enjoying the "new and improved" snacks that I woulda missed out on with my previous lifestyle. Some of them are just plain AWESOME!

    Needles are a pain, but you definitely should have the blood test, especially if your Dr is recommending it. It only hurts for a second and then you'll know whats up. Those can rule out alot of things.. including deficiencies, allergies..ect and would be very good for you to know so you can make the right choices. Just do it.. make the appointment and get it done.. Im sure you'll be much happier if you know. Everytime I put something off and then finally go get it done.. I feel silly that I fussed so long and just didnt do it sooner. If I can get poked, so can you, cuz Im the biggest weenie in the world!:sad:

    Good luck!
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
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    I've been feeling that this website is giving me too many calories. it says I should eat about 1300 a day and that sounds like too much. Is anyone else having this feeling?
    Hey Stef...are you sure all you're supposed to be eating is 1300 cals? With a larger amount to lose (just peeked in your profile:huh::blushing: ) you really want to be sure you're getting enough in your body.

    Please double check your MFP stats and see if that's enough....instead of too many I'm truly wondering if that's enough daily cals for you:noway:

    Just concerned is all.......
    FC:heart:
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
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    1300 cals isn't "eating more" it's pretty much eating the minimum you need to survive. I'd definitely recommend you speak to your doc about this, they can help you set accurate goals for YOU.
    totally agree:drinker:
  • jenbar
    jenbar Posts: 1,038 Member
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    It adds up FAST! And noone (not even a 9 year) should go below 1200 a day.
    I need more! So I make sure I workout so I can EAT THOSE EXERCISE CALORIES TOO!
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    Also what is point of WALKING 3 miles every day when it just says basically that you earned the right to eat a few cookies when you get back. I was thinking the weight would come off faster and hopefully skin will tighten up with the exercise.


    The point of walking (or exercising in general) is to improve your overall health. I started walking last spring...when I first started my shins hurt very badly. Finally after walking 5 days a week after about a month or so my shins finally stopped hurting. And I mean they hurt all the time....even just walking into work four blocks or so would make my shins hurts. I also could not keep up with people very long, if we were someplace where we had to do a lot of walking, I was always lagging behind and somewhat out of breathe and just in pain. But now when I walk longer distances with other people, I can keep up with them and I am not winded and my shins don't hurt.

    Then I bought a bike and started biking each day. I did this all summer, and then in the fall I went for a walk again. I walked further and in less time than on any of my walks in the spring. Why? Because biking all summer was obviously a much better work out than just walking, so after biking I was in even better shape than before.

    It may not seem to make sense to work out and burn calories only to eat them back. But MFP automatically sets up a calorie deficit for you. So say you would ordinarily eat 2000 calories and MFP says you can have 1400. With that deficit of 600 calories you will already lose weight without exercise. But exercise will help burn fat even more, create muscle which will help you burn calories even when at rest and will increase your overall health. So if you work out and burn 400 calories, then you are down to only 1000 calories for the day, which is way too low and your body will go into starvation mode.

    Lastly, while you can occasionally splurge and have cookies or whatever your guilty pleasure is, eating your exercise calories shouldn't always be junk food like cookies. Hope this help!
  • stef_e_b
    stef_e_b Posts: 593
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    I'm down a couple pounds from yesterday so maybe I'm just crazy after all.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
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    simple math, multiply your current weight by 12. That is the total number of calories you have to consume each day, whether you believe it or not, to maintain your current weight at your current activity level.

    Now, if you want to lose 1 lb a week you need to take that number and subtract 500 calories and to lose 2 lbs a week you need to subtract 1000 calories and that is the lowest number you should consume to loose weight.

    Every ten lbs or so you should recalculate or if you hit a plateau.

    :drinker:
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    simple math, multiply your current weight by 12. That is the total number of calories you have to consume each day, whether you believe it or not, to maintain your current weight at your current activity level.

    Now, if you want to lose 1 lb a week you need to take that number and subtract 500 calories and to lose 2 lbs a week you need to subtract 1000 calories and that is the lowest number you should consume to loose weight.

    Every ten lbs or so you should recalculate or if you hit a plateau.

    :drinker:

    I really think it's better to use a calculator that takes into account your age, gender, and activity level.
    When I multiply my weight by 12 I get 1584, which isn't my BMR (I had that tested in a lab and it was 1265), nor is it my TDEE (which is around 2300 cals according to my HRM). If I subtract 500 from that, I'm left with less than 1200 calories. If I ate 1584 cals, that'd be okay for weight loss, but wouldn't maintain my weight.
    It might be okay if there's absolutely no other means of determining how much to eat, but there are plenty of BMR and TDEE calculators on the net that can offer a more specific answer.:flowerforyou:
  • tennetubbie
    tennetubbie Posts: 312 Member
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    yes weight watchers DOES allow extra points for exercise---just time your walk so you know how many mph you did and you can earn about 5 points for a 3 mile brisk walk.
    I swam a mile today and walked 3 miles so I earned over 700 extra calories---problesm is I ate 700 calories for supper and I am STUFFED
    how can I do it----I could eat chocolate but that has been my downfall for eayr. YOgurt and strawberries at 9pm but I will be under quota! I can't believe I am saying that!!!
  • liveagain
    liveagain Posts: 97 Member
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    I've been feeling that this website is giving me too many calories. it says I should eat about 1300 a day and that sounds like too much. Is anyone else having this feeling?

    When I first signed up for this site I was put on 1340 cals a day and I lost 18 lbs in 2 months (gained some back over the holidays :grumble: ). It got to the point were I had a few hundred calories left at the end of the day and had to force feed myself because I wasn't hungry. In fact I was never hungry at 1340 calories.

    As you begin to lose weight this site will suggest you lower your daily intake.

    I do know how you feel though. I just took a job as a server and had to change my lifestyle to "active" and it skyrocketed my calories:noway: . Now I feel like I'm consuming waaaay too much, but I'm sticking with! :drinker:
  • chul15
    chul15 Posts: 9
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    hi! I thought that same exact thing too, it seems like i cant even eat that many calories but people have been helping me out and saying nuts, and PB are really good fillers for your calories

    Rachael:smile:
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
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    Yeah, I log everything, I weigh a lot so I know I should eat more to boost my metabolism but it doesn't feel like a diet. it feels like im whimping out.

    How many times in the past have you "toughed it out" on a diet? You starved yourself for a few weeks, maybe even a few months and you lost some weight and felt good, but you couldn't maintain it and you ended up eating normally and gained the weight back. You do not have to starve to loose weight. The best thing to do is increase your exercise a little bit (maybe 300 to 500 calories burned a day) and cut your calories just a little bit (again, maybe 300 to 500 calories a day). This will create a calorie deficit and you'll loose weight without having to sacrifice. You'll be able to maintain the deficit, lead a normal life, where you're not hungry all the time. That's why this site works for so many people.

    Give it a try for a while and see. I think you'll find that you don't have to suffer to loose weight and be healthy.

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