Am I doing this right?

bbaugh2014
bbaugh2014 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been actively tracking for 11 days. My first week went great, lost 2 pounds. This week I've fluctuated, gained 1lb lost 1lb. so I'm where I ended my last week.

My goal calorie intake is ~1200. With exercise (Walking 40 min 5x per week, Barre 45min or more 3-4x per week) Every day I usually come in around the 1100 mark. If I come in 200 or more calories below MFP says I'm not eating enough and won't record my progress so I have a snack.

However, I'm reading posts saying that I shouldn't eat back the calories that I burned off?

Should I stick to 1200 calories only and not record my exercise?

Ps. I eat fairly healthy and don't starve myself. I'm 5'4, 145.8lbs and I'm drinking a minimum of 46oz of water per day, usually hit that 64 oz mark when I'm exercising.

Replies

  • fr33sia12
    fr33sia12 Posts: 1,258 Member
    It's up to you whether you eat back your exercise calories. Most people eat half back. I don't as I only burn around 300 calories during exercise, but at least I have some extra if I need it.

    But firstly make sure you weigh your food and log everything you eat to make sure you are actually eating 1200.
  • bbaugh2014
    bbaugh2014 Posts: 14 Member
    I don't weigh everything, I use measuring cups for portion sizes. I also scan the barcode of ingredients I cook with to make sure I'm logging the right stuff.

    I guess I'm trying to understand the calorie equation in the app:

    For example:

    1240 cal (goal) - 1618 (food) + 638 exercise = 260 remaining.

    Is that right? Do I have 260 remaining or did I overeat that day?
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    At 5'4" and 145 lbs, you are probably in your target zone for weight. Perhaps what you really want is to move the fat around instead of actually losing weight? To do that, you cannot eat at such a big deficit. Why don't you try to see what MFP would give you as a target for maintaining your weight and eat that, while continuing your exercise routine. I'm not an exercise expert, but my guess that walking and Barre are not strength exercises ... and that is what you need to do to move the muscle and fat around ... but you cannot be eating at a deficit to build muscle, and you don't want to do both cardio and strength building in the same day, but on alternate days.
  • Unknown
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  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    bbaugh2014 wrote: »
    I don't weigh everything, I use measuring cups for portion sizes. I also scan the barcode of ingredients I cook with to make sure I'm logging the right stuff.

    I guess I'm trying to understand the calorie equation in the app:

    For example:

    1240 cal (goal) - 1618 (food) + 638 exercise = 260 remaining.

    Is that right? Do I have 260 remaining or did I overeat that day?

    measuring cups are not accurate when it comes to solids and semi solids, also anything you scan can be off as well,because not all MFP entries are correct.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited September 2016
    11 days is certainly not long enough enough to worry about this yet. You need weeks at same calories in and same calories out to be a in a stall. But even then, you are not in a true stall, your weight loss has slowed to crawl and most likely masked by severe water retention.

    You are doing less than 1200 calories yu said you come in around 1100 mark. This is wrong.

    I bet you put in that you wanted to lose 2 pounds per week and sedentary?

    You are under eating for one thing, and yes you should be eating back exercise (a portion there of). What you will end up doing is compounding your weight loss in the long run when not providing your body with much need nourishment and energy to yes.. lose weight.

    Dieting is stress on the body, and exercising is stress on the body. You should never eat below your BMR calories (I ran your stats and your BMR is approx 1380). Your body needs fuel to take care of all its normal functions as well as to lose weight.

    You should weigh all your food intake using a food scale as well. Otherwise you cannot possibly know how much your intake really is.
  • bbaugh2014
    bbaugh2014 Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks, perhaps I am just impatient. I started Barre in April at 138lbs because I wasn't thrilled with how I looked, I wanted to tone up and lose ~10 lbs. I didn't track what I was eating because I was working out 4-5 days per week and ate when I was hungry.

    I stepped on a scale 2 weeks ago and I had gained 10 pounds. Granted my body does look way more athletic than I did in April, Its the numbers on the scale and this summer I experienced chaffing in my thighs from wearing shorts in the heat and that was it for me.

    (I'm a former ballet dancer that hovered around 115 pounds for ages--I don't want to be that weigh again, but 120-130 seems reasonable)

    I'm not trying to crash diet, but I'd like to be under 130lbs by mid december (final dress fitting for my january wedding)
  • jadorade91
    jadorade91 Posts: 119 Member
    I have a similar question...So for example, I'm set to lose 2 lbs per week, so my calorie limit on MFP is 1200. On Tuesday I burned close to 300 calories, making my amount of calories to consume 1500. I only ate 1217 calories that day though. Am I undereating, or is this okay? Should I be eating more?
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
    Keep yourself in a deficit considering your TDEE or total burn. This includes exercise, but be cautious about over estimating how many calories you burn working out. Most fitness watches, etc. tend to way over estimate the calories you burn. If you have a regular workout you will see over time where your maintenance number is and be able to adjust. Secondly your weight loss is not linear it will bounce all over the place. My suggestion is to weigh every day first thing and then track your 7 day average as you go.
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
    Just saw your comment about using measuring cups.. ditch those and use the scale for everything. You will be amazed at how much you can be off using measuring cups over several days. Especially condiments, can cost you 100s of calories.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jadorade91 wrote: »
    I have a similar question...So for example, I'm set to lose 2 lbs per week, so my calorie limit on MFP is 1200. On Tuesday I burned close to 300 calories, making my amount of calories to consume 1500. I only ate 1217 calories that day though. Am I undereating, or is this okay? Should I be eating more?

    Since you're at the lowest goal that a woman generally should be, you should strongly consider eating at least some of your activity calories back. If you eat 1,217 and burn an additional 300 over what MFP had estimated for your activity level, then you will only net 917 calories for the day and over time this can lead to issues with health and energy.
  • bbaugh2014
    bbaugh2014 Posts: 14 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jadorade91 wrote: »
    I have a similar question...So for example, I'm set to lose 2 lbs per week, so my calorie limit on MFP is 1200. On Tuesday I burned close to 300 calories, making my amount of calories to consume 1500. I only ate 1217 calories that day though. Am I undereating, or is this okay? Should I be eating more?

    Since you're at the lowest goal that a woman generally should be, you should strongly consider eating at least some of your activity calories back. If you eat 1,217 and burn an additional 300 over what MFP had estimated for your activity level, then you will only net 917 calories for the day and over time this can lead to issues with health and energy.

    So we should be netting 1200 calories per day?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited September 2016
    bbaugh2014 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jadorade91 wrote: »
    I have a similar question...So for example, I'm set to lose 2 lbs per week, so my calorie limit on MFP is 1200. On Tuesday I burned close to 300 calories, making my amount of calories to consume 1500. I only ate 1217 calories that day though. Am I undereating, or is this okay? Should I be eating more?

    Since you're at the lowest goal that a woman generally should be, you should strongly consider eating at least some of your activity calories back. If you eat 1,217 and burn an additional 300 over what MFP had estimated for your activity level, then you will only net 917 calories for the day and over time this can lead to issues with health and energy.

    So we should be netting 1200 calories per day?

    At the very least (unless you are unusually small and/or very sedentary) -- some people should net more. And many, many women can lose weight netting more than 1,200 -- there is no reason to put yourself down to that level unless it is necessary for you to lose weight.

    Eating more calories feels better and is easier to sustain. It also makes it easier to meet all your nutritional requirements.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited September 2016
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    bbaugh2014 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jadorade91 wrote: »
    I have a similar question...So for example, I'm set to lose 2 lbs per week, so my calorie limit on MFP is 1200. On Tuesday I burned close to 300 calories, making my amount of calories to consume 1500. I only ate 1217 calories that day though. Am I undereating, or is this okay? Should I be eating more?

    Since you're at the lowest goal that a woman generally should be, you should strongly consider eating at least some of your activity calories back. If you eat 1,217 and burn an additional 300 over what MFP had estimated for your activity level, then you will only net 917 calories for the day and over time this can lead to issues with health and energy.

    So we should be netting 1200 calories per day?

    At the very least (unless you are unusually small and/or very sedentary) -- some people should net more. And many, many women can lose weight netting more than 1,200 -- there is no reason to put yourself down to that level unless it is necessary for you to lose weight.

    Eating more calories feels better and is easier to sustain. It also makes it easier to meet all your nutritional requirements.

    OP's BMR at her current stats is approx 1380 and approx TDEE around 1660 if sedentary.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    bbaugh2014 wrote: »
    I don't weigh everything, I use measuring cups for portion sizes. I also scan the barcode of ingredients I cook with to make sure I'm logging the right stuff.

    I guess I'm trying to understand the calorie equation in the app:

    For example:

    1240 cal (goal) - 1618 (food) + 638 exercise = 260 remaining.

    Is that right? Do I have 260 remaining or did I overeat that day?

    measuring cups are not accurate when it comes to solids and semi solids, also anything you scan can be off as well,because not all MFP entries are correct.


    This video shows why you need a scale instead of measuring cups.

    https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk

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