Calories Question

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IWillAchieve
IWillAchieve Posts: 23 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm confused with the calorie part... Mine set me to 1200 a day. I started almost 4 weeks ago. I still have yet to lose even one pound (according to the scale.) I'm baffled :huh:
I stick to the 1200 and work out 6 days a week.
If we are supposed to lose weight, why are we to eat our exercise calories that we are burning in order to lose weight, Doesn't that defeat the purpose. I've been being told by some to eat them, and some told me not to. A point of exercising is burn more than you take in, so why eat what we burn? How do we lose weight then?? Sorry I'm confused and am wondering why there is still NO weight loss :grumble:

Replies

  • barbiex3
    barbiex3 Posts: 1,036 Member
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    eat more... sounds stupid, but it helps. If you are only trying to lose 20 pounds, and you are already at a healthy weight, then try to set your net goal up to like 1400... you didn't say your age or weight or goal or height, so it's hard to help =[
  • Alaranio
    Alaranio Posts: 75
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    Try eating more calories. Just up it a little and eat your exercise calories. For some people eating them makes a big difference. Especially when your calories are set that low. You burn so many, you probably drop into starvation mode. Make sure they're good calories and that you get lots of water. Slowly but surely it will work. You could be loosing inched instead of weight too!
  • yeabby
    yeabby Posts: 643 Member
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    It seems counter-intuitive but whenever I stop losing if I eat more calories it helps. You need to make sure you are getting in enough to support your body through all the exercise and life. For every person it is different.

    Since not eating them back isn't working try eating back part of them. Give it a chance for a few weeks and see what happens.
  • ckdub428
    ckdub428 Posts: 453 Member
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    What are you using to figure your calories burned. If you are not using a good HRM then you could be over-estimating and therefore over eating. I hope you get it figured out. I know how frustrating it can be to feel like you are doing everything possible and not see the scale move. I might also see if you are losing inches instead of weight??
  • StarArly
    StarArly Posts: 56 Member
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    How tall are you? I ate 1200 from January until may and then reduced to 1000 calories because I am 4'10. Once I lowered my calories I started losing weight.
  • Michelle_M2002
    Michelle_M2002 Posts: 301 Member
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    What are you using to figure your calories burned. If you are not using a good HRM then you could be over-estimating and therefore over eating. I hope you get it figured out. I know how frustrating it can be to feel like you are doing everything possible and not see the scale move. I might also see if you are losing inches instead of weight??

    I agree with this!
    I currently have a Bodybugg so I know within 90% accuracy what I am burning and can adjust my daily intake as required. But before I had my Bodybugg, I was relying on the cardio equipment at the gym to tell me how many calories I was burning. Between my Stair Master, elliptical and treadmill, the machines said I was burning about 700 calories per workout.. and that's NOT counting my crunches or my plank lifts.

    Then I got my Bodybugg, I was SHOCKED to find that according to my Bodybugg, I was actually only burning 539, INCLUDING my crunches and plank lifts. So if I had "eaten back" my workout calories, I would have been over eating.

    I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend getting a Bodybugg. They are a little pricey but TOTALLY worth it. It's an investment in my health. Since getting one, my progress has really sped up. I went from loosing 1/2 pound a week or less, to loosing 2-3 pounds a week.. .simply because I am shooting to burn 2600 cals a day, so therefore can only eat 1600 cals a day for a 2 pound fat loss a week.

    Also, if I have a day where I am less active, like Sunday (my day off from working out) I typically burn less..so I know on Sunday I have to be really careful how I eat and consume a little less than my normal daily intake.

    God bless!
  • IWillAchieve
    IWillAchieve Posts: 23 Member
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    I am 27. I am 5'4 150ish pounds. Would like to be 130. To track my calories burned I just use the MFP app. Is that not accurate? I hope I'm not over estimating.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    If you eat 1200 and burn 300 your body only gets 900 and it probably wants around 2000 just to live without exercise. Your body REALLY doesn't like that. Additionally if you only have 20lbs to lose your body does not have a lot of fat stores and it will be even less happy. Yes your body has emotions. (Okay, it doesn't but it makes it easier to explain). Since your body is unhappy and doesn't want to release it's fat stores it will either adjust to the small amount of calories it's getting and /or start using muscle as energy.

    You will most likely see better results if you eat more. Aim for 0.5-1 pound of loss a week and eat all your exercise calories. Not only will you get better weight loss results but you'll be happier, healthier, and have more energy. Food is yummy!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I am 27. I am 5'4 150ish pounds. Would like to be 130. To track my calories burned I just use the MFP app. Is that not accurate? I hope I'm not over estimating.

    They aren't that bad. I just got a heart rate monitor and most of my workouts were accurate according to the database.
  • IWillAchieve
    IWillAchieve Posts: 23 Member
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    When I work out in the morning I do that Jillian Ripped in 30 on week one of that and in evenings I power walk for 5 miles for the last almost 4 weeks. One day of rest. And my job is quite a active physical one. Should I add something more to my routine?
    Thanks for the help everyone !!
  • IWillAchieve
    IWillAchieve Posts: 23 Member
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    When I work out in the morning I do that Jillian Ripped in 30 on week one of that and in evenings I power walk for 5 miles for the last almost 4 weeks. One day of rest. And my job is quite a active physical one. Should I add something more to my routine?
    Thanks for the help everyone !!
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    I am 27. I am 5'4 150ish pounds. Would like to be 130. To track my calories burned I just use the MFP app. Is that not accurate? I hope I'm not over estimating.


    At 5'4" and 150ish, you should be eating well over 1200 calories per day AND eating back your exercise calories. It sounds like you may be trying to lose too fast.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    This has to do with how MFP is designed. It is different than most other counters/plans. Most plans use your exercise to create your deficit for weight loss, keeping your daily cal goal static.

    MFP was designed with the idea that many people can't exercise regularly, or at all, due to physical limitations or time. They also recognized that most people set up an exercise plan, but as we all know, that's not necessarily what actually happens every day. So they built the site to allow for weight loss with or without exercise.

    MFP creates a built in deficit based on your loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So when you log exercise cals are added back in to keep that deficit stable. If you don't replace those cals, you've made your deficit larger than you (presumably) intended. A larger deficit does not necessarily mean faster/more weight loss; it is usually unhealthy and unsustainable. It is important to fuel the body properly.

    These threads should help as well:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
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    More food...you need to fuel your workouts!

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