Wondering about Calorie Intake?

galpal96
galpal96 Posts: 6 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been keeping track of my food intake for a little bit over a week now on here. I'm a 5'3 (5'4 on a good day) female and currently 220lbs, trying to go all the way to 120-130lbs. MFP has my caloric intake as 1,500 if I don't do any exercise - however, every day I try to get up to 10,000 steps which takes me about 2 hours to do.

I've been trying not to eat back my exercise calories but should I? I have thus far seen no results on the scale (positive or negative) and it's a bit aggravating. I've seen people say that they lost a bunch of weight within the first few weeks and I am currently seeing nothing.

Am I not eating enough calories to get any progress? Should I try to meet the caloric goal that I gain from working out (it takes me up to about 2k calories a day).

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,447 Member
    1 week is not much time at all. Depending on time of month, water retention ect you can easy go more then 1 week no change. Stick with it at least a month.
    Be careful of your logging it is easy to mis log.
  • galpal96
    galpal96 Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you @malibu927 for the info! The video is really helpful; I'll start eating back about 50% of my exercise calories back since I know that MFP can overestimate.

    @amtyrell that's true. I should try to be patient about it all, and I think I may be headed towards my period so that tends to mess with everything too.
  • STEVE142142
    STEVE142142 Posts: 867 Member
    Two quick points I want to make. You need to readjust your attitude as far as how you look at this weight loss process. Just like it didn't take you overnight to gain all the weight you want to lose your not going to lose it fast. For this process to work you have to look at it as a long-term commitment that means educating yourself about food and how it affects your body. The mfp process will work overtime. It's just a matter of inputting your numbers setting your weight loss goal per week and then just accurately logging what you eat. My one suggestion as far as logging what you eat is don't go by visual don't try to guesstimate it don't go by volume you need to get yourself a food scale that's a more accurate number.

    # 2. as other posters have stated your weight is going to fluctuate especially as a female. More than weight, you have to look at the inches lost. The amount of inches you lost are more of a true indicator of weight loss than the actual weight number. I have access to scales at work and as part of the education process I've weighed myself numerous times during the day and my weight will fluctuate anywhere from 2 to 5 pounds during the day depending on what I've eaten bathroom movements how I feel after my workout the intensity of my workout and what I've also eaten the day before period weight is not a static number it's going to fluctuate.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    I'm your height with an SW of 254. MFP had me on 1720 initially. I told it I was sedentary and wanted to lose a pound a week. I immediately began light exercise (a 30-minute walk minimum 6 days a week, 2 hours on Friday; the grocery shopping is a bit of a hike from my house) and didn't eat those calories back. I also wasn't hungry. That was six months ago.

    Over time, I've ramped up my exercise quite a bit. And as the weight has come off, MFP has revised my calorie goals, so that, at 49 lbs lighter, I'm now at 1450. At this point, if I do 50 minutes on the glider and don't eat some of it back, I do get hungry! So, I've been eating back 50% for at least 4 months now and... the weight continues to drop.
  • mrsduckforever
    mrsduckforever Posts: 2 Member
    This is probably slightly unrelated but how do you only eat 1500 a day? Food calls my name and I eat at least 200 calories over my goal every single time
  • galpal96
    galpal96 Posts: 6 Member
    @STEVE142142 you do have some valid points, and that's what I've been trying to work on. I've lost weight before but it was so long ago I don't really remember how quickly it happened or anything like that, and I suppose I'm just frustrated that I'm not even seeing the scale nudge downwards even a little. The one thing I am coming to terms with is that I'm making life style changes however, not just of the moment ones.

    I've also heard people tell you to weigh yourself less often (twice a month or even once!) and that might be helpful too. Try to look at it as an overall trend of losing weight rather than fixating on the scale every morning like I tend to do.

    @estherdragonbat I work retail so I did put myself at the setting just above sedentary. I do tend to sit a lot when I'm home but at work I'm just on my feet all day. I decided to eat back some of my exercise calories for today so that'll set me at 1,774 for the day. I was feeling a bit hungry and unsatisfied at 1500 but not horrifically so.

    @mrsduckforever I've found actually that sometimes I struggle to even meet my 1500 goal! I'll just be like do I really need to eat more food?? I used to actually not eat a lot at all. I just also never moved around, which is why I gained so much weight. But I used to skip meals without even thinking about it and then just eat a meal of take out or two later in the day.
  • Lorriehashope
    Lorriehashope Posts: 12 Member
    I started back on MFP a month ago....at first I didn't see results so I would get down and eat whatever, then I remembered the last time I was on here and I just kept being diligent. I'm seeing results now~! I'm so excited!! Just keep logging and slowly roll back the kinds of things you eat...I started on fewer carbs and sugar...it has made a major difference!
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