Just a few quick questions.

Jennifernellwebb
Jennifernellwebb Posts: 209 Member
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
*I am new to this and I am still learning what to eat and not to eat to stay within my goal for the day. I plan ahead and add / take away foods in advance to see if I am going to stay within my goals for the day. I have done tomorrow's food intake and it has me within my goals so my meals and snacks are planned for tomorrow. IS THIS BAD?
*Also, I am not a big water drinker, never have been, so what I do is I add probably 1 or 2 ounces of Sobe Lifewater to my water to flavor it so I can drink it. DOES THIS EFFECT MY WATER INTAKE FOR THE DAY BY DOING THIS?
*I noticed that after I added my exercises tonight, it told me that I was basically starving myself because it gave me a 250 calorie credit along w/ more protein, etc that I could still consume BECAUSE I exercised. That confused me.... I THOUGHT THE MAIN GOAL WAS TO EAT LESS THAN YOU WORK OFF IN A DAY????
I hope I am not bothering anyone by my questions.... I am new to this and this is probably the first few questions of many.... :blushing:
:blushing: THX!!

Replies

  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Planning ahead on your meals and snacks is AWESOME. It keeps you from getting hungry and grabbing whatever's closest to you, because you already know what you're going to eat. Good for you for planning.

    You're fine flavoring your water like that. I found that I really liked the taste of a few drops of lemon juice in my water. Whatever gets it in you without adding a bunch of calories, do it!

    MFP gives you a calorie goal so that you can lose weight without exercising. You burn calories just from living, so you're already burning more than you consume if you follow the MFP recommendations. Yes, you should eat at least a portion of those exercise calories. You can do a forum search for "eating exercise calories" and get more information than you ever wanted. :laugh:

    Good luck, and welcome!
  • michaelaam18
    michaelaam18 Posts: 26
    No, planning your meals is the total opposite from bad! I plan my meals the night before so that I have a rough idea of what I'm eating the next day then I change it up a bit if I decide to do an unplanned workout.

    I have no idea what sobe is, but I'm one of the water snobs that thinks only pure water counts towards your water intake. Water is there to rehydrate you and flush out toxins, how do you expect to do that if the water has something in it? I used to hate water, but I decided I needed to drink more of it when I was 13 and 5 years later, it's the only thing I'll drink on a daily basis.

    MFP already gives you a deficit, so when you exercise it ups your calories etc to stay within the goal deficit. Eating your exercise calories back will help.

    You're not bothering anyone at all, but you'll probably get a few conflicting answers for each question, it's all about what works for you :). Good luck!
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    This site subcribes to the starvation mode myth...ignore it..just go on what you calculated your T.E.E. as and reduce cals from there and any extra you work off is plus.

    they say to drink such and such amount of water...most of us are really well hydrated. drinking plenty of water has its benefits. but remember you also intake fluid from the foods you eat. coffee and tea are water of course...if you dont like drinking water then try to add some no calorie fruit powders..or add some lemon.

    and i dont understand what you mean about what you eat. as long as you are eating a healthy diet and remaining at your calorie goal you should be fine. healthy diet is whole grains, veggies, fruits, low fat dairy, eggs with no yolks, etc. stay away from fried foods, or overly processed foods. stay away from soft drinks.
  • jhungate
    jhungate Posts: 95 Member
    I typically try to eat 1/2 to 3/4 of the extra calories I burn from exercise.

    I tried and experiment and ate ONLY what was recommended (no extra calories fro my exercise) and exercised as I had (running 4-6 miles a day, 6 days a week). I did this for two weeks and lost ZERO pounds. After the two week experiment, I decided to try and eat 1/2 to 3/4 of the extra calories and over the next two weeks I lost 9 pounds.

    Not everyone will experience the same results but this is what worked for me. Most people tend to UNDERESTIMATE what calories they consume and OVERESTIMATE how much they burn from exercise. This is what makes MFP so helpful and reliable, it gives an accurate count of both.
  • raydeb
    raydeb Posts: 33 Member
    Hi Planning is good just remember to log every day. I dont eat back my worked off cals but I know if I need extra cals at the end of week. I can up it around 200 if im getting run down a little.

    If hungry eat more (small amounts) between meals

    Hope this helps Keep going Its worth it long term.........
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    I cannot stress how much the ability to plan ahead has helped me on this journey!!!

    I plan as far in advance as possible and as well as helping me stay on track it also helps with planning the shopping!!

    What is the use of logging something and seeing how many calories it is AFTER you have eaten it? By planning you can pick healthier alternatives.

    I drink water as I love the stuff but flavouring it with fresh lemon or lime will work. Steer clear of any bottled water that is high in sugar though!

    As other's have mentioned MFP has calculated your daily calories based on the info you entered so MFP has done all the maths for you based on you age / height / current weight / goal weight / daily activity level . Any exercise you do on a day to day basis is to be logged and additional calories gained should be eaten (there is a huge debate on this but I eat mine and always have done!)
  • glenbabe
    glenbabe Posts: 303 Member
    Planning ahead on your meals and snacks is AWESOME. It keeps you from getting hungry and grabbing whatever's closest to you, because you already know what you're going to eat. Good for you for planning.

    You're fine flavoring your water like that. I found that I really liked the taste of a few drops of lemon juice in my water. Whatever gets it in you without adding a bunch of calories, do it!

    MFP gives you a calorie goal so that you can lose weight without exercising. You burn calories just from living, so you're already burning more than you consume if you follow the MFP recommendations. Yes, you should eat at least a portion of those exercise calories. You can do a forum search for "eating exercise calories" and get more information than you ever wanted. :laugh:

    Good luck, and welcome!
  • glenbabe
    glenbabe Posts: 303 Member
    i agree with this quote
  • Jennifernellwebb
    Jennifernellwebb Posts: 209 Member
    Thank you all so much! I appreciate everything you have told me. My Sobe water, I actually put it in w/ my food intake for the day because I only put a small amount ( to give it a pear taste ) but it does, in fact, have 16g of carbs in each 20 oz. bottle BUT... it has no sugars and it has zero calories. To me, it is too sweet tasting to drink it full strength because I have diluted my water w/ it from day one. It does have things like 100% vitamin c , Vitamin e , Niacin, Vitamin b6, and Vitamin b12 in it. I actually don't even drink a full 20oz in a day, in all reality, I actually only add about an ounce or two to my 20 oz. cup, fill it up with ice and water (purified) and run w/ it. I do that probably 6 times a day. But I add a full bottle to my food list because there are times I really drink a lot of water. I go through 60 oz. of water just through my hour workout.
    As far as my actual food intake, I am just adding and taking away things to see if things just "fit" in my daily goal. I need to work on that fruit and veggy thing!!! Right now, I am doing one slim~fast shake a day and experimenting w/ what I have at the house as to what I am going to eat to keep myself under my 1200 calories and under the protein and other things. Special k for breakfast is great, I know, but the whole milk, opposed to skim is not good. I made a pasta dinner that absorbed all my everything that I had to spare in a day, one day!! But, thanks to all of you, trial and error, I will get it right, I am sure!! Thanks again!!
  • Ashleysh22
    Ashleysh22 Posts: 204 Member
    Great questions! when has planning ahead every been bad? lol - a girl after my own heart. I am totally a plan ahead/color coded spreadsheet kind of person. And so far it has been nothing but helpful for me.

    As for flavored water? The daily recommended water intake includes all liquids containing water. So whether you be drinking coffee, tea, flavored water, or just plain old water you are consuming liquids. and that is good. You just have to be careful about the sugar and other added ingredients. I tend to stay away from articifical sweeteners. I'd rather drink a little bit of real sugar than any amount of artifical sweeteners - we know a lot of them cause cancer (or other medical diseases). Make sure to include these servings in your calories. and of course remember that plain water is always the best water, but flavored water is better than no water.

    as for the calories? you abosolutely without a doubt need to consume the calories you burned as well. Like many have said, MFP is calculating a deficit for you based on no exercise. Someone here said that the "starving yourself" idea is a just a myth. Which is totally false. If you were to consume just the calories, without adding back those you exercise, you will really struggle to lose any weight at all. Trust me, been there, done that. Your body will store everything you eat as fat because it will think you are starving. You have to consume adequate calories.

    And more important than the calories? are the number of macronutrients. Focusing first on protein, carbs and fat. I am working on a 25:45:30 ratio. This means that 25% of my calories should come from protein, 45% of my calories should come from carbohydrates, and 30% of my calories should come from fat. But there are a little of different ratios for these, depending on your caloric needs.

    Happy to help and let me know if you have more questions!
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