So confused.

Kimberly2385
Kimberly2385 Posts: 13 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Im currently 5'1 and 149lbs. My goal is to lose weight. Ive been eating 1200cals/day this week and burning 500cals a day. Today I ate a bit more 1500cals but burned 850cals.
I am doing this right? I feel fine, not dizzy or light headed at all. A little hungry before bed..

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    No. You should be hitting a net goal of 1200 calories after exercise. If you aren't eating those calories back, then you're only netting 700 calories, which is not healthy in the long term.
  • janjunie
    janjunie Posts: 1,200 Member
    What type of exercise are you doing that burns that many calories? If a machine is telling you you burned that much or even if MFP says that, know that those numbers are very over inflated. Most people eat the amount of calories this app tells them, then eat back half their exercise calories.
  • Kimberly2385
    Kimberly2385 Posts: 13 Member
    Ive been running avrg 50 mins on treadmill. Which tells me 500 cals burned
    I also strength train for about 30 mins

    Thank you for the advice. I guess i wasnt sure about eating back the calories i burned. Im just learning about weightloss. Definitely want to do it the right way
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
    I would underestimate your exercise calories and eat half of those exercise calories back. I think your exercise calories are higher than what you're actually burning.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    edited May 2017
    It is good that you feel fine, not dizzy or light headed, and go to bed a little hungry.
    If you can continue that for a several months, you may indeed lose weight. I guess at 5'1" you're thinking of something about 115 lb? It's doable. You'll need to get and always use a digital kitchen scale, as without one you're deceiving yourself with estimates of how much you're eating, and probably eating far more than you estimate. That's why I'm not emphasising 1200 net calories eaten. I suspect you're already over 1200 by underestimating food and overestimating exercise.

    However, if you're already precisely accurate and running a net intake of 700 calories every day, that's going to hurt before it helps.

    You didn't ask, but I'll say,

    Progressive heavy lifting. Do it.

    I see now you run 50 minutes on the treadmill for 500 calories. I'm at 177 and just finished 60 minutes at a 15 degree incline and 3.2 mph for 847 calories so your 500 looks realistic to me.

    But really, lift. You'll be glad you did.
  • Kimberly2385
    Kimberly2385 Posts: 13 Member
    edited May 2017
    Really great suggestions!! Ill definitely pick up a scale to try to be more accurate with caloric intake.

    Yeah. I typically do 40mins of intervals with incline. Run a steady 5.5mph for about 10.

    I lift weights but its only about 20lbs. Id like to get into it more, just trying to condition my body. The goal is weightloss and tone
  • anybeary
    anybeary Posts: 188 Member
    You are doing it right. Only eat back half your exercise calories, if any.
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