Calories

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kodasmom617
kodasmom617 Posts: 8 Member
in Getting Started
Hi everyone..I just joined a few days ago and I love this app..I do have one question so far..I've found that I'm below my calorie count the past couple days..is that good or should I be trying to get close to it? I've heard that not eating enough calories could be detrimental..but I have also been very active this weekend so my exercise adds into it too..idk..thanks in advance for the help!

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  • sosteach
    sosteach Posts: 260 Member
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    It depends on what your calorie count is. If you are at a minimum of 1200 you should be fine
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    Your exercise "earns" you more calories. This site starts you at a lower calorie goal than other calculators because you are meant to eat those to fuel your body for that exercise.

    Your calorie Goal is a goal to reach. It was calculated with a deficit included for weight loss. So, eat until your food bottom line reaches zero.
  • kodasmom617
    kodasmom617 Posts: 8 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Thank you both...my calorie goal is just over 1800, with my exercise I've made it to just over 1400 with around a thousand to go..I can't eat that much!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    I don't know how you estimated your exercise calories, but what are you saying?

    If your calorie Goal is 1800, eat 1800. If (for instance) you were to exercise for an hour, that would add about 300-600 calories more. That would mean you then would eat 2100-2400 total.

    I'm not sure how you are getting
    my calorie goal is just over 1800, with my exercise I've made it to just over 1400 with around a thousand to go
  • kodasmom617
    kodasmom617 Posts: 8 Member
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    Sorry..that was a bit confusing..my daily goal is 1800..I've managed to eat 1400 or so today, which is great, but factoring in the exercise does put me at around 2400 needed..so I need to try harder to eat more during the day so I don't have so many left over? Cos I'm certainly not gonna be able to eat all that tonight! Lol..
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    hmm. Well, if you're not hungry, you're not hungry. There are some days I feel like that too. Tomorrow when you are super hungry you can have an extra amount to eat. It usually works out. :smile:
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    How about some ice cream or peanut butter? That will bump it up without a lot of filling food.
  • kodasmom617
    kodasmom617 Posts: 8 Member
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    That's a great idea! Thank you! That actually brings up another question now, if you don't mind, should I focus just on the calories or should I be paying attention to the other macros as well? Cos I'm already pretty close to my sugar goal, for example..
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,979 Member
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    kodasmom617 wrote: »
    That's a great idea! Thank you! That actually brings up another question now, if you don't mind, should I focus just on the calories or should I be paying attention to the other macros as well? Cos I'm already pretty close to my sugar goal, for example..

    Unless you are under medical advice to limit sugar, don't worry about it. The MFP limit is based on general population medical advice for added sugar, but the MFP database (and the nutritional information on which most MFP entries are based) do not distinguish between added sugar and naturally occurring sugar in dairy and almost all plant-based foods.
  • kodasmom617
    kodasmom617 Posts: 8 Member
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    Oh thank you so much! That's a load off!
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,337 Member
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    also I learned some ppl go by the week, so if you have a few low calorie days, you can eat more on a day or two within the same week
  • kodasmom617
    kodasmom617 Posts: 8 Member
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    That's a really great idea! Thanks!
  • NoLimitFemme
    NoLimitFemme Posts: 118 Member
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    kodasmom617 wrote: »
    That's a great idea! Thank you! That actually brings up another question now, if you don't mind, should I focus just on the calories or should I be paying attention to the other macros as well? Cos I'm already pretty close to my sugar goal, for example..

    The only one macro that I pay attention to for the deficit part and that's sodium. As a female too much sodium can cause you to retain water and skew the numbers on the scale. I find if I go over my alloted sodium my rings are tight when I first wake up and I know immediately that my body is holding on to extra fluid. If I stay under my sodium amount then my rings fit normal.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
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    kodasmom617 wrote: »
    Thank you both...my calorie goal is just over 1800, with my exercise I've made it to just over 1400 with around a thousand to go..I can't eat that much!

    Actually, the general advice is only to eat back half to three-quarters of your exercise calories, since they're often overestimated.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,979 Member
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    ceiswyn wrote: »
    kodasmom617 wrote: »
    Thank you both...my calorie goal is just over 1800, with my exercise I've made it to just over 1400 with around a thousand to go..I can't eat that much!

    Actually, the general advice is only to eat back half to three-quarters of your exercise calories, since they're often overestimated.


    But OP is eating 400 calories below her goal of 1800, without even considering the extra calories for exercise. That would not generally be advised.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    ceiswyn wrote: »
    kodasmom617 wrote: »
    Thank you both...my calorie goal is just over 1800, with my exercise I've made it to just over 1400 with around a thousand to go..I can't eat that much!

    Actually, the general advice is only to eat back half to three-quarters of your exercise calories, since they're often overestimated.

    ...and yet I always (and still) eat the exact calories MFP gives me for exercise (and sometimes more) and they work. To each their own.

    This OP is having trouble even hitting her base.

    She'll figure it out.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
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    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    But OP is eating 400 calories below her goal of 1800, without even considering the extra calories for exercise. That would not generally be advised.

    I agree, but she may find the prospect of eating half back less intimidating than eating all.

    Adding avocados to salad can help add calories without it feeling like you're eating much more. Or cheese; that's calorie-dense if you find savouries easier than sweets.
  • kodasmom617
    kodasmom617 Posts: 8 Member
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    Thank you all so much for the info and support! I'm definitely still in the experimental stage..I do find that I don't get as much exercise during the week as I do on the weekends..so during the week I hit my calorie goal no problem! So I'll be tweaking and adjusting and hopefully figure it out soon! I'm definitely going to watch my sodium intake and try to get more activity in during the week..thank you all again!

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