A few questions!

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lmxoxo
lmxoxo Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all! This is my first post on here, I hope it is in the right place, advanced apologies if it isn't!

Basically, I am female, 18, 5'5" and my CW is 121lbs. My UGW is 115lbs which should be healthy for my height. My question is regarding exercise and my calorie intake per day. MFP has allocated a goal of 1290 calories per day for me, at a "lightly active" lifestyle setting. I was hoping someone could be kind enough to advise me on how much I should exercise? I understand the need for cardio and strength training... I just dont want to eat 1290 calories and burn 400, then not be able to function! I have very little knowledge about how I'm supposed to balance exercise with my calorie intake... Even after reading posts on here about calorie deficits/eating the exercise calories, I remain bewildered!

Please excuse my lack of know-how, I just want to ensure I'm going about everything in a healthy way! :)
Thank you for reading, and for any help I get!!
Have a lovely, healthy day :)

Replies

  • joehempel
    joehempel Posts: 1,761 Member
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    Your 1290 per day is that setting it losing 1lb a week?

    As you exercise you need to eat more, like every few hours. Alot of people will say to eat back your calories that you exercise, I think as long as you are eating every few hours, you will still be feuling your body and your body will use it as you go.

    So using MFP, say you burn 300 calories when you run 3 miles...then you would be able to eat 1590 calories because you are burning the excess by exercise!
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Hello all! This is my first post on here, I hope it is in the right place, advanced apologies if it isn't!

    Basically, I am female, 18, 5'5" and my CW is 121lbs. My UGW is 115lbs which should be healthy for my height. My question is regarding exercise and my calorie intake per day. MFP has allocated a goal of 1290 calories per day for me, at a "lightly active" lifestyle setting. I was hoping someone could be kind enough to advise me on how much I should exercise? I understand the need for cardio and strength training... I just dont want to eat 1290 calories and burn 400, then not be able to function! I have very little knowledge about how I'm supposed to balance exercise with my calorie intake... Even after reading posts on here about calorie deficits/eating the exercise calories, I remain bewildered!

    Please excuse my lack of know-how, I just want to ensure I'm going about everything in a healthy way! :)
    Thank you for reading, and for any help I get!!
    Have a lovely, healthy day :)

    If you only want to lose 6 pounds, then I hope you have set your goals to lose .5 lb per week. Otherwise, you're going to lose a lot of muscle.

    It's not that complicated to balance your eating and your exercise. When you log your exercise, MFP adds what you burned to your calorie goal for the day. Just keep meeting your goal and you'll be fine.
  • Dinob661
    Dinob661 Posts: 251 Member
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    realistically with your goal weight you don't have to have such a low calorie intake. My Advice, find our what your BMR is
    (You can find your BMR by going to the TOOLS tab at the top of this page then click on BMR and enter your information)

    What ever that number is, That is how many calories your body needs to sustain your current weight if you were basically in a coma or just lay in bed for 24 hours. Use that number as a starting point. I'd say either lower your calories VERY slightly from there... or eat that many calories and do some cardio each day.

    I am no fitness expert. So Take what I say with a grain of salt....this is just what I think might help.
  • lmxoxo
    lmxoxo Posts: 14
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    THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!
    I have used the tools provided to calculate my BMR, which has come out as 1327.
    I have also reset my profile's weight loss goals to 0.5lbs per week, giving me a net calorie goal of 1540.
    With the little knowledge I have, I'm assuming this is more realistic!!
    If I was to eat my 1540 calories, and burn 200 calories from a bit of cardio each day, would I be on the right track?
    Sorry if I'm misunderstanding here, I just want to clear everything up before I start! :)
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!
    I have used the tools provided to calculate my BMR, which has come out as 1327.
    I have also reset my profile's weight loss goals to 0.5lbs per week, giving me a net calorie goal of 1540.
    With the little knowledge I have, I'm assuming this is more realistic!!
    If I was to eat my 1540 calories, and burn 200 calories from a bit of cardio each day, would I be on the right track?
    Sorry if I'm misunderstanding here, I just want to clear everything up before I start! :)

    The calorie goal that MFP calculates for you has already built in a calorie deficit to meet your goals( in your case, 250 calories per day). So eating your goal calories IS eating at a proper amount for steady and controlled weight loss even without exercise. MFP wants this deficit to be consistent, whether or not you exercise. So go ahead and exercise as much as you want, just realize that when you log your exercise, MFP is going to recommend that you eat those calories you burned.
  • lmxoxo
    lmxoxo Posts: 14
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    Thank you!! How genius is this app!? So I do the exercise I want, input it, and it will change my goal calories (increase), because it already includes the deficit I need to lose weight without exercise.
    I think that is correct?
    If so, YAHOOOO! :)
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Thank you!! How genius is this app!? So I do the exercise I want, input it, and it will change my goal calories (increase), because it already includes the deficit I need to lose weight without exercise.
    I think that is correct?
    If so, YAHOOOO! :)

    You got it!

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