Question about Calorie intake and burning Calories

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taniastecroix
taniastecroix Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! I have a couple questions?? I have started a low carb diet and have downloaded the my fitness pal to track my calorie intake, I have it set to 1300 calories a day, now I know to burn fat you have to have a calori deflect, in ways it is a little confusing to me!! Now for example, today for supper, lunch and dinner I have consumed 966 calories, I have done High intensity cardio and burned 337 calories! Now that is defiantly not more than I have consumed! Will I still see weight loss? Not every day I consume 966, some day less and some days almost the same, can someone let me know if what I'm doing is right (to burn fat)?? I do walk every day (20 mins) and do cardio for 30 mins every 4 days a week! I have been trying to avoid potatoes, pasta, bread and rice, I have been eating high protein (no less skinless chicken Brest, pork loins, eye of round steak, broccoli, green peppers ect...) I do eat cheese occasionally, is that bad? It is the brick mozzarella and I only have it grated in salad ect..

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    You burn calories just by existing. If you put your stats into MFP, it will give you a calorie goal with a deficit built in. Your exercise burns are on top of the deficit built by MFP.

    You can eat whatever you want (including cheese, potatoes, and pasta) as long as you are consistently hitting that deficit.
  • evildeadedd
    evildeadedd Posts: 108 Member
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    You have the formula wrong. To lose weight you should be NETTING 1300 calories. That means 966-337=629...you should be eating another 671 calories. When people say eat less than you burn they are not talking about the burn from exercise. You burn calories just being alive. It takes a certain number of calories to make your body work.
    Using my personal numbers as an example. If I laid in bed all day and did nothing but breathe. I would have to get 2900 calories to stay my weight, any movement at all is going to raise that number. That's the number I have to eat less than to lose weight.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,008 Member
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    You have misunderstood how this works.
    You burn calories all day, and for the vast majority of people, most of the calories you burn come from just living, keeping your body functioning, and doing regular everyday activities--not from "exercise."

    If you burned 337 calories from exercise, you need to add that to your 1300 calorie goal, and eat 1637 calories to maintain whatever your original calorie-deficit goal was (assuming the 1300 calories was what MFP set for you).

    If you tell us where the 1300 calorie goal came from originally, and what your stats are (weight, height, gender, age, activity level), we could give you better advice.

    You should not be eating less than 1000 calories a day on a regular basis, even if you didn't exercise at all.

    There's nothing wrong with eating cheese. There's especially nothing wrong with eating cheese on a low carb diet (there are only minimal carbs in cheese).

    Also, you can lose weight without being on a low-carb diet. Achieving a calorie deficit is the bottom line, although some people find that easier to do on a low-carb diet, and some people have medical reasons for being on a low-carb diet.
  • evildeadedd
    evildeadedd Posts: 108 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Also another note it really doesn't matter what you eat for weight loss. You could eat 1300 calories of ho-hos and you would lose, you would feel like hot garbage, but you would lose. So the cheese is fine
  • taniastecroix
    taniastecroix Posts: 13 Member
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    taniastecroix wrote: »
    Hi everyone! I have a couple questions?? I have started a low carb diet and have downloaded the my fitness pal to track my calorie intake, I have it set to 1300 calories a day, now I know to burn fat you have to have a calori deflect, in ways it is a little confusing to me!! Now for example, today for supper, lunch and dinner I have consumed 966 calories, I have done High intensity cardio and burned 337 calories! Now that is defiantly not more than I have consumed! Will I still see weight loss? Not every day I consume 966, some day less and some days almost the same, can someone let me know if what I'm doing is right (to burn fat)?? I do walk every day (20 mins) and do cardio for 30 mins every 4 days a week! I have been trying to avoid potatoes, pasta, bread and rice, I have been eating high protein (no less skinless chicken Brest, pork loins, eye of round steak, broccoli, green peppers ect...) I do eat cheese occasionally, is that bad? It is the brick mozzarella and I only have it grated in salad ect..

  • taniastecroix
    taniastecroix Posts: 13 Member
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    Wow, thank you everyone for the advice and replies!! It is greatly appreciated!! So as long as I reach my daily goal of 1300 and not go over I'm ok? I really though I had to stay under the 1300!!!! So I am guessing that once you do cardio you have burned for example 200 of the daily allowance of 1300 and it will now be 1500 I can consume? Or should I just stick to the 1300?? I never knew I could eat carbs!! I LITTERTLY thought that potatoes, rice and pasta was the devil in diet world lol!! I heard that it bloats ect!! My stats are 5"3 and I weight 168, I want to drop to at least 130-120!! I am on the app my fitness plan and it gave me a 1300 calorie for 2 pounds a week! If I don't eat the whole 1300 calories a day would that be bad?? As in my body going in starvation mode??
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Eat 1300 plus half to 75% of the exercise cals (i say half as mfp is inclined to over estimate the burn) and you'll lose weight that's how it works :smile: .

    There is no such thing as starvation mode!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    taniastecroix wrote: »
    Wow, thank you everyone for the advice and replies!! It is greatly appreciated!! So as long as I reach my daily goal of 1300 and not go over I'm ok? I really though I had to stay under the 1300!!!! So I am guessing that once you do cardio you have burned for example 200 of the daily allowance of 1300 and it will now be 1500 I can consume? Or should I just stick to the 1300?? I never knew I could eat carbs!! I LITTERTLY thought that potatoes, rice and pasta was the devil in diet world lol!! I heard that it bloats ect!! My stats are 5"3 and I weight 168, I want to drop to at least 130-120!! I am on the app my fitness plan and it gave me a 1300 calorie for 2 pounds a week! If I don't eat the whole 1300 calories a day would that be bad?? As in my body going in starvation mode??

    yeah, 1300 is your target for weight loss...it isn't maintenance. I don't know anyone who maintains on 1,300 calories. You have to also realize that you burn calories 24/7...exercise is actually pretty insignificant as compared to what you burn just existing and your day to day. "Burning" calories isn't just exercise...you expend energy (burn calories) 24/7...how else would your heart pump and your lungs work, etc...all of that requires energy...and a calorie is just a unit of that energy.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    So I am guessing that once you do cardio you have burned for example 200 of the daily allowance of 1300 and it will now be 1500 I can consume?
    Correct
    If I don't eat the whole 1300 calories a day would that be bad??

    Once in awhile, NO. A common day in day out thing, I wouldn't recommend it. Your energy levels would probably take a nose dive and your deficit would be too large resulting in muscle loss (your body can only use so much of it's fat stores a day for energy).

    Granted 2 lbs per week sounds to aggressive for what you have to lose. Typical recommendations:
    -No more than 1% of your weight per week (so 1.6/1.7 lbs at your current weight.....this recommendation is based on the fact that your body can only use I want to say around 30 calories per pound of body fat a day and after that it starts using lean tissue)
    -0.5 lbs per week if you have 25 lbs or less to lose
    -1lb per week if you have 25-50 lbs to lose
    -1.5 lbs per week if you have 50-75 lbs to lose
    -2 lbs per week if you have 75+ lbs to lose
    As in my body going in starvation mode??

    As in body holding onto fat - Doesn't exist.

    Granted if your deficit is too large your body will start using muscle and organs as well as fat for fuel. Losing muscle will result in your body burning fewer calories than would be expected and could cause you to maintain at a calorie level slightly lower than would be expected. Also since your losing muscle as well as fat it is unlikely that your BF% would change (could possibly even increase).

    Now if your talking malnutrition and organs shutting down...that happens, but it takes an extended period of time and a really low calorie intake.
  • evildeadedd
    evildeadedd Posts: 108 Member
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    taniastecroix wrote: »
    Wow, thank you everyone for the advice and replies!! It is greatly appreciated!! So as long as I reach my daily goal of 1300 and not go over I'm ok? I really though I had to stay under the 1300!!!! So I am guessing that once you do cardio you have burned for example 200 of the daily allowance of 1300 and it will now be 1500 I can consume? Or should I just stick to the 1300?? I never knew I could eat carbs!! I LITTERTLY thought that potatoes, rice and pasta was the devil in diet world lol!! I heard that it bloats ect!! My stats are 5"3 and I weight 168, I want to drop to at least 130-120!! I am on the app my fitness plan and it gave me a 1300 calorie for 2 pounds a week! If I don't eat the whole 1300 calories a day would that be bad?? As in my body going in starvation mode??

    There really is no such thing as a "bad food" for weight loss.(assuming you don't have to avoid for a real medical condition).
    There is no such thing as starvation mode as it is portrayed in media. If there were people would never die of starvation, and you would see a bunch of obese people in the pictures at Auschwitz. But you do want to get as close to a net of 1300 because eating under 1200 makes it hard to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Also going super low in calories will cause a host of health problems. Losing hair, thinning nails, brittle bones. There is also a good chance that eating that low will start a binge/over restriction cycle that can be hard to break. Eventually the hunger will catch up to you and you will stuff your face with anything you can get your little hands on, then you will feel guilty and think you need to eat even less the next day to make up for it. IMHO this is one of the biggest reasons people fail counting calories, they think if I eat less than the app tells me I will lose more, and more is better.
    We have been conditioned to think that you should be ravenously hungry all the time to lose weight, and that's just not true. Being hungry sometimes is normal, but if you start fantasizing about throwing Bob at the office on the grill, you need to be eating more. This is not a punishment, you don't have to be miserable to lose weight.
  • taniastecroix
    taniastecroix Posts: 13 Member
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    I can not believe I was going into this the wrong way :( should I change it to 1500 calories? Also, can I eat allot of fruit? I heard that all the sugar is not good, I always thought fruit was good for you! I am beyond glad I found this forum and got proper advice! I would of definitely made myself sick!!! I was so worried that if I used all my 1300 calories that I would be gaining weight! Also if I go over the daily allowance then I am pretty much openings up Pandora's box of problems!! I am new at this and it is all so confusing! One website will tell you to stay away from all carbs and fats and another website tells you to to eat them :( I was literally so damn confused lol!!!!! You guys have definitely cleared up allot of it!! I want this weight loss journey to be enjoyable and not a miserable one!! What is your opinion on exercise? I have been doing the Turbo Jam 20 min work out 3 times a week and walk for 30 mins a day! I also am a mom so I am all over and I have a overwhelming amount of stairs that I climb sooo many times a day!! I want to shed my lower stomach and my thighs and hips.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    taniastecroix wrote: »
    I can not believe I was going into this the wrong way :( should I change it to 1500 calories? Also, can I eat allot of fruit? I heard that all the sugar is not good, I always thought fruit was good for you! I am beyond glad I found this forum and got proper advice! I would of definitely made myself sick!!! I was so worried that if I used all my 1300 calories that I would be gaining weight! Also if I go over the daily allowance then I am pretty much openings up Pandora's box of problems!! I am new at this and it is all so confusing! One website will tell you to stay away from all carbs and fats and another website tells you to to eat them :( I was literally so damn confused lol!!!!! You guys have definitely cleared up allot of it!! I want this weight loss journey to be enjoyable and not a miserable one!! What is your opinion on exercise? I have been doing the Turbo Jam 20 min work out 3 times a week and walk for 30 mins a day! I also am a mom so I am all over and I have a overwhelming amount of stairs that I climb sooo many times a day!! I want to shed my lower stomach and my thighs and hips.

    Change your goal to a pound a week. As your profile says you have 38 pounds to lose, that's a good rate to go with to preserve muscle and fuel your body. If you go over by a few calories, all that will happen is you won't lose as much. You would only gain if you go over maintenance (your goal plus 500 calories, if set to a pound a week).

    Unless you have a medical reason to watch your intake, you don't have to worry about sugar. Some people do try to limit added sugars, but it isn't necessary. Personally, I don't even track it.

    You can't spot reduce, so the weight will come off from all over.

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