Do I have to eat ALLLLL my calories?

westbrja
westbrja Posts: 111 Member
edited September 29 in Food and Nutrition
Ok so I've noticed that my body does not do well on a 1200 calorie diet. I wasn't losing any weight and even gained a pound :angry: . Now that I'm set at 1600 I seem to be losing just fine. I'm noticing that some days, especially my exercise days, I have 200 or more calories left over and I am not really hungry. How important is it to eat these last calories? I don't want to eat so few that I stop losing again, but if I'm not hungry then why eat IMO :noway: . For instance before I ate some instant pudding tonight, I had 230ish left over. Now I have 160ish. What do you suggest?

Also I just pulled 1600 off of the internet as a calorie level based on the average of several calorie calculators. Any more accurate ideas? MFP calculated 1250 based on a sedentary lifestyle and I work out 3-4 times per week. Could I readjust to 1500? Then I wouldn't have so much leftover at the end of the day?

Thanks!

Replies

  • Dellonious1
    Dellonious1 Posts: 209
    I was eating back the calories from working out then I stopped eating them and now I am loosing weight again. In here its about 50/50 to eat them or not to eat them...
  • Kelly_Wilson1990
    Kelly_Wilson1990 Posts: 3,245 Member
    I don't eat mine either.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I'm one of the people who has to eat them back or my body freaks out and stops losing weight.


    If you aren't eating them all back and losing weight, keep doing what you're doing. If you see that you aren't losing as much or as quickly, switch it up again. :) Our bodies get used to what we do pretty quickly. Switch things up to confuse it.
  • lauristewart
    lauristewart Posts: 379 Member
    I would stil stick to your 1600 calories if you are losing fine on it. I don't eat all of my exercise calories either. Some days, if I am hungry, I will dip into them, other days, like today, I have lots left over and and I don't feel like eating them. As long as you are losing, and you are not hungry, you are doing great!! Keep up the great work!!
  • mgreen10
    mgreen10 Posts: 229 Member
    I personally don't lose weight if eat all my calories. But I am probably closer to my goal weight than you are, so that might have something to do with it.
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
    I don't think it's about exercise calories - check your settings (if they are wrong, you're wasting your time). If you are working out 3-4 times per week, you aren't sedentary (read below!) I wasn't losing at 1200 - turns out I shouldn't have been set at sedentary, but active. crazy, I know, but once I changed it, I've started losing.

    Read this, then adjust accordingly:

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

    Here is the most important parts:

    -1200 calories is a generic number. It's not right for everyone. It's a baseline minimum given out as a floor by MFP based on prior research by the medical community. NOT everyone will need a minimum of 1200, very small people can go under, and bigger people need more.
    ...
    Figuring out your perfect deficit isn't magic, it's a few simple formula's base on some basic, worldwide standards, and generally with slight modefication, will work for just about anyone who (besides weight) is generally healthy.

    Here's what you need:
    Height, weight, age, activity level, sex

    NOTE: activity level isn't as mysterious as it sounds.

    If you have a desk job, and do very little walking throughout the day and don't really perform any sports or physical activities, then you are sedentary.

    If you do some walking every day (or at least 4 days a week) or other light activity for at least 30 minutes cumulative at least 4 times a week, you are lightly active.

    If you do 60 minutes of light activity 5 days a week or do some kind of sport that requires walking or light jogging (say swimming or mailman or warehouse employee) then you are active.

    If you do a physically demanding activity (one that makes you sweat) for 4 days a week or more and for more than 1 hour a day, you are very active (like a coach that runs drills or you play volleyball).

    When in doubt, go down 1 level, you'd rather burn more than you think than less.

    ...

    So now we can figure out where your goal should be.
    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit

    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)

    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)

    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)

    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).
  • denverdeb1
    denverdeb1 Posts: 34 Member
    I don't eat my exercise calories, seems like it defeat the purpose of exercising. Calories in/calories out is what it is all about. Today it told me I had 1450 exercise calories - that is crazy more than my 1200 allowed. I would never be able to eat all of them!
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    Generally, within about 100 cals over or under is a good rule of thumb.

    As for your cal levels, MFP is a "dumb" tool. It's dependent on the quality of info you put in. So if you enter too high of a loss goal, or put the wrong activity level, it won't give you the right numbers.

    May help to read these:

    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/231636-the-eating-when-you-re-not-hungry-dilemma
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    I don't eat my exercise calories, seems like it defeat the purpose of exercising. Calories in/calories out is what it is all about. Today it told me I had 1450 exercise calories - that is crazy more than my 1200 allowed. I would never be able to eat all of them!

    This has to do with how MFP is designed. It is different than most other counters/plans. Most plans use your exercise to create your deficit for weight loss, keeping your daily cal goal static.

    MFP was designed with the idea that many people can't exercise regularly, or at all, due to physical limitations or time. They also recognized that most people set up an exercise plan, but as we all know, that's not necessarily what actually happens every day. So they built the site to allow for weight loss with or without exercise.

    MFP creates a built in deficit based on your loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So when you log exercise cals are added back in to keep that deficit stable. If you don't replace those cals, you've made your deficit larger than you (presumably) intended. A larger deficit does not necessarily mean faster weight loss; it is usually unhealthy and unsustainable. It is important to fuel the body properly. This is explained in more detail in the threads I linked in my previous post.

    For people with large amounts to lose, it is less critical to eat them, as their bodies can withstand a larger deficit. However, there are other risks (such as malnutrition). People with less to lose need a more conservative deficit and usually do better eating at least some of them back.
  • kathywoo10
    kathywoo10 Posts: 139 Member
    bump
    I don't think it's about exercise calories - check your settings (if they are wrong, you're wasting your time). If you are working out 3-4 times per week, you aren't sedentary (read below!) I wasn't losing at 1200 - turns out I shouldn't have been set at sedentary, but active. crazy, I know, but once I changed it, I've started losing.

    Read this, then adjust accordingly:

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

    Here is the most important parts:

    -1200 calories is a generic number. It's not right for everyone. It's a baseline minimum given out as a floor by MFP based on prior research by the medical community. NOT everyone will need a minimum of 1200, very small people can go under, and bigger people need more.
    ...
    Figuring out your perfect deficit isn't magic, it's a few simple formula's base on some basic, worldwide standards, and generally with slight modefication, will work for just about anyone who (besides weight) is generally healthy.

    Here's what you need:
    Height, weight, age, activity level, sex

    NOTE: activity level isn't as mysterious as it sounds.

    If you have a desk job, and do very little walking throughout the day and don't really perform any sports or physical activities, then you are sedentary.

    If you do some walking every day (or at least 4 days a week) or other light activity for at least 30 minutes cumulative at least 4 times a week, you are lightly active.

    If you do 60 minutes of light activity 5 days a week or do some kind of sport that requires walking or light jogging (say swimming or mailman or warehouse employee) then you are active.

    If you do a physically demanding activity (one that makes you sweat) for 4 days a week or more and for more than 1 hour a day, you are very active (like a coach that runs drills or you play volleyball).

    When in doubt, go down 1 level, you'd rather burn more than you think than less.

    ...

    So now we can figure out where your goal should be.
    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit

    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)

    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)

    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)

    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).
  • joamarelo
    joamarelo Posts: 161
    I don't think it's about exercise calories - check your settings (if they are wrong, you're wasting your time). If you are working out 3-4 times per week, you aren't sedentary (read below!) I wasn't losing at 1200 - turns out I shouldn't have been set at sedentary, but active. crazy, I know, but once I changed it, I've started losing.

    Read this, then adjust accordingly:

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

    Here is the most important parts:

    -1200 calories is a generic number. It's not right for everyone. It's a baseline minimum given out as a floor by MFP based on prior research by the medical community. NOT everyone will need a minimum of 1200, very small people can go under, and bigger people need more.
    ...
    Figuring out your perfect deficit isn't magic, it's a few simple formula's base on some basic, worldwide standards, and generally with slight modefication, will work for just about anyone who (besides weight) is generally healthy.

    Here's what you need:
    Height, weight, age, activity level, sex

    NOTE: activity level isn't as mysterious as it sounds.

    If you have a desk job, and do very little walking throughout the day and don't really perform any sports or physical activities, then you are sedentary.

    If you do some walking every day (or at least 4 days a week) or other light activity for at least 30 minutes cumulative at least 4 times a week, you are lightly active.

    If you do 60 minutes of light activity 5 days a week or do some kind of sport that requires walking or light jogging (say swimming or mailman or warehouse employee) then you are active.

    If you do a physically demanding activity (one that makes you sweat) for 4 days a week or more and for more than 1 hour a day, you are very active (like a coach that runs drills or you play volleyball).

    When in doubt, go down 1 level, you'd rather burn more than you think than less.

    ...

    So now we can figure out where your goal should be.
    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit

    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)

    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)

    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)

    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).


    wow! thanks for that!
  • westbrja
    westbrja Posts: 111 Member
    I don't think it's about exercise calories - check your settings (if they are wrong, you're wasting your time). If you are working out 3-4 times per week, you aren't sedentary (read below!) I wasn't losing at 1200 - turns out I shouldn't have been set at sedentary, but active. crazy, I know, but once I changed it, I've started losing.

    Read this, then adjust accordingly:

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

    Here is the most important parts:

    -1200 calories is a generic number. It's not right for everyone. It's a baseline minimum given out as a floor by MFP based on prior research by the medical community. NOT everyone will need a minimum of 1200, very small people can go under, and bigger people need more.
    ...
    Figuring out your perfect deficit isn't magic, it's a few simple formula's base on some basic, worldwide standards, and generally with slight modefication, will work for just about anyone who (besides weight) is generally healthy.

    Here's what you need:
    Height, weight, age, activity level, sex

    NOTE: activity level isn't as mysterious as it sounds.

    If you have a desk job, and do very little walking throughout the day and don't really perform any sports or physical activities, then you are sedentary.

    If you do some walking every day (or at least 4 days a week) or other light activity for at least 30 minutes cumulative at least 4 times a week, you are lightly active.

    If you do 60 minutes of light activity 5 days a week or do some kind of sport that requires walking or light jogging (say swimming or mailman or warehouse employee) then you are active.

    If you do a physically demanding activity (one that makes you sweat) for 4 days a week or more and for more than 1 hour a day, you are very active (like a coach that runs drills or you play volleyball).

    When in doubt, go down 1 level, you'd rather burn more than you think than less.

    ...

    So now we can figure out where your goal should be.
    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit

    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)

    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)

    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)

    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

    I'm not seeing anywhere to enter the level of exercise :huh: . Let me go back and look again I may have missed something.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    I don't think it's about exercise calories - check your settings (if they are wrong, you're wasting your time). If you are working out 3-4 times per week, you aren't sedentary (read below!) I wasn't losing at 1200 - turns out I shouldn't have been set at sedentary, but active. crazy, I know, but once I changed it, I've started losing.

    Read this, then adjust accordingly:

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

    Here is the most important parts:

    -1200 calories is a generic number. It's not right for everyone. It's a baseline minimum given out as a floor by MFP based on prior research by the medical community. NOT everyone will need a minimum of 1200, very small people can go under, and bigger people need more.
    ...
    Figuring out your perfect deficit isn't magic, it's a few simple formula's base on some basic, worldwide standards, and generally with slight modefication, will work for just about anyone who (besides weight) is generally healthy.

    Here's what you need:
    Height, weight, age, activity level, sex

    NOTE: activity level isn't as mysterious as it sounds.

    If you have a desk job, and do very little walking throughout the day and don't really perform any sports or physical activities, then you are sedentary.

    If you do some walking every day (or at least 4 days a week) or other light activity for at least 30 minutes cumulative at least 4 times a week, you are lightly active.

    If you do 60 minutes of light activity 5 days a week or do some kind of sport that requires walking or light jogging (say swimming or mailman or warehouse employee) then you are active.

    If you do a physically demanding activity (one that makes you sweat) for 4 days a week or more and for more than 1 hour a day, you are very active (like a coach that runs drills or you play volleyball).

    When in doubt, go down 1 level, you'd rather burn more than you think than less.

    ...

    So now we can figure out where your goal should be.
    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit

    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)

    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)

    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)

    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

    I'm not seeing anywhere to enter the level of exercise :huh: . Let me go back and look again I may have missed something.

    This is talking about activity level, which includes your daily activities (like cooking dinner, watching tv, brushing teeth, etc) and your job. You should log purposeful exercise (or other activities that are unusual or particularly strenuous) separately. However, if you exercise a lot (5-6 days of the week, for at least 30 minutes, vigorous), then increased muscle mass can increase the calories you burn all day, every day, over and above what you log for exercise or what is accounted for in activity level. So you may need to increase your activity level to account for this. There isn't really a guideline for this, just sort of trial and error.
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