should I eat the calories I burn?

Well, I'm no nutritionist, but I would say that depends on how fast you want to lose the weight. The 1200 a day is based on losing approx. 1 pound per week, so if you're happy with that then enjoy the extra calories the exercise gives you (with healthy food of course). Or you could choose to stay between 1200 and whatever the extra calories gives you and lose the weight a bit faster. I like to mix it up, depending on whether I want to eat the extra calories or not, personally. Some days I do, some days I don't. It's really up to you.

You should eat the calories you burn.......if you don't your body will not function correctly....if you are to eat 1200 cals but burn 500...your body is really only getting 700 cals. Not good for the body. If you are not exercising then 1200 is fine. I read today that you should determine how many calories you need daily by multiplying as follows:your weight goal by
x10 if you don't exercise at all!
x13 if you rarely exercise occasional weekend tennis or golf game
x15 if you exercise 30-60 minutes most days of the week.

You can make weight loss quicker and easier by increasing your metabolic rate and burning more calories – here’s how:


Metabolic Rate is the rate at which the body burns up calories. A body that consumes 2500 calories a day, and burns 2500 calories a day will stay at the same weight. A body consuming 2500 calories daily but burning only 2000 will gain weight at the rate of about 1lb a week. Remember if your body does not have what it needs it will find other sources....from within.

Yes. If you don't eat back enough calories for your body to function, you can cause serious problems.

Sorry I am a nursing student I want to make sure (as many others) that everyone knows how to "diet" correctly....I mean it has been said "our bodies are our temples".....so treat with respect!



dd

You should eat the calories you burn.......if you don't your body will not function correctly....if you are to eat 1200 cals but burn 500...your body is really only getting 700 cals. Not good for the body. If you are not exercising then 1200 is fine. I read today that you should determine how many calories you need daily by multiplying as follows:your weight goal by
x10 if you don't exercise at all!
x13 if you rarely exercise occasional weekend tennis or golf game
x15 if you exercise 30-60 minutes most days of the week.

You can make weight loss quicker and easier by increasing your metabolic rate and burning more calories – here’s how:


Metabolic Rate is the rate at which the body burns up calories. A body that consumes 2500 calories a day, and burns 2500 calories a day will stay at the same weight. A body consuming 2500 calories daily but burning only 2000 will gain weight at the rate of about 1lb a week. Remember if your body does not have what it needs it will find other sources....from within.

Yes. If you don't eat back enough calories for your body to function, you can cause serious problems.

Sorry I am a nursing student I want to make sure (as many others) that everyone knows how to "diet" correctly....I mean it has been said "our bodies are our temples".....so treat with respect!



dd

You took the words right out of my mouth. Infact, my best weight loss has been when I ate all of my burned calories. I don't want my body to think I am starving it and then hold on to the fat...no way. Heidi:flowerforyou:

OK, new here myslef and still learning all this stuff,
If you are set at 1200 calories a day and exercise and burn like 300 (New to the gym still gearing up) you now add that back into the calories per day?
My problem is how do I eat those extra calories?

this is my typical diet for the day:
Breakfast - Slimfast shake
Lunch - salad and fruit with yogurt sometimes or a Lean Cuisine meal
Hit the gyn for an hour at 4pm (walk on the treadmill or treadclimber or elliptical for 30 mins & 20min small weight circuit)
Make dinner which I try and make something good like chicken with steamed veggies and some other side
I drink at least 40 oz of water a day

So basically I have been eating about 1000 a day but also burning about 300 a day

How do I get those extra calories without eating junk? I have veggies and those 100 calorie snack stuff.

I have lost 12 pounds in a month but I guess it was all water. I have been stcuk for the last 2 weeks. And it's getting discouraging. I want to loose at least another 10 pounds by March 9th (in a wedding and the dress is very slinky LOL)

HELP!!!

Fuzzbuzz & Rina: add those extra calories! You have gotten your metabolism stuck and need to kick it back into high gear. I did really great (religiously at 1200 cal) for about a month before getting "stuck". When I was splurging over the holidays, I actually started losing again! :noway:

The easy solution is to add two snacks a day to what you are eating. Breakfast, handful of nuts (high calorie & full of healthy fats your body needs), lunch, piece of fruit with peanut butter (again, high calorie, but HEALTHY calories), dinner. Just by adding these two snacks, you'll be hitting around 3-500 calories. I'd almost guarantee you will see the scale or tape measure start moving, and you'll feel more energized. :flowerforyou:

Do not get frustrated or give up. Just when you think it's hopeless, you will succeed!

Thanks everyone! It's just hard to think you need to eat extra and loose weight. Just a concept that doesn't seem right, KWIM?
But I'm working on eating more (healthy of course) and working out.
Heck if I keeo this up I can eat McDonald's and loose weight! :laugh:

I don't go to the gym til late in the evening, 9 or 10 sometimes... and sometimes I don't make it... So I guess what I am trying to say is, do you eat the calories after you exercise?? I find this confusing, If I burn 600 calories at the gym, then I eat 600 calories worth of food am I not defeating the purpose of working out in the first place?? And what if you are just not hungry, do you eat just for the sake of eating??:noway:

If I know that I'm going to the gym that day and what I'll be doing, I usually enter in my workout at the beginning of the day. That way I know how many calories I need to eat that day. I try to balance them all out over the whole day. What time do you eat dinner? You should eat a quick digesting carb with some protein about an hour before working out, this gives you more energy for your workout. Something like a piece of fruit with peanut butter or almonds is good.

You basically want to eat 5 - 6 times a day and balance your calories throughout the day. You want to try and eat at least some of your burned calories because your body needs the fuel. Your original calorie deficit was set for the weight loss you wanted. So if you are at 1200 calories and that is all you eat but then you burn 600 calories, you are really only consuming 600 calories for the day. Which is well below what your body needs.