In a perfect day I pre-track all my food in the morning. I allow myself to make substitutions during the day. I think t his will work well for me and maybe it can help others. I don't have to think about what to eat as it has been already decided. I even leave 150 cal for a surprise snack or an extra helping.

Happy Friday to all !
I walk three times a week with a friend in the morning. We do about 4-5 miles through the woods. Not just for physical exercise but also for our sanity. Being out in nature helps keep the stress level low. We have been doing this for years and our bodies are used to it. Obviously we both still managed to gain weight
Here is my question:
My fitness pal awards our effort with extra calories. Do you use your exercise calories? I feel it's a bit much and possibly counter productive. What is everybody's opinion on extra calories?

mlivermore15 wrote: »

Happy Friday to all !

Here is my question:
My fitness pal awards our effort with extra calories. Do you use your exercise calories? I feel it's a bit much and possibly counter productive. What is everybody's opinion on extra calories?

donna25trinity wrote: »

Yeah getting out in nature is great for the mind body and soul.

As for using exercise calories there are days especially when exercising alot that the body just needs more food but for the most part i agree that it can def be counter productive.

Routinely having too large a deficit can also be counter-productive in the the long term.

Renewing UAC member here. There are differing approaches, and your choice might also vary depending on the type / level of nutrition needed to support the body for your chosen exercise plan or sport. Also, some activities burn significantly more calories per session (high intensity cardio) while others are less intense in the moment, but will give other improvements metabolically over time (strength / resistance training or balance&stretching for example).

In general, if we are talking about "exercise credits granted by MFP after a daily walk / hike, or gardening or whatever", some of the calculations do strike many people as over-generous. If you are already set at an "active lifestyle" then you may already be consuming suitable calories to cover that, and should only be logging / claiming "over&above your personal norm" as MFP exercise credits.

(FYI - UAC "20 minutes of intentional exercise" is extremely broad, and need not be logged in the exercise diary. Check FAQ #3 for details - and if you are someone barely starting daily intentional activity and have little stamina, or are are recovering from an illness or injury, the 20 minutes need not even be all in one go, but rather spread over several sessions through the day)

One option is to "take in sufficient calories that even with extra "burned through activity calorie credits" you continue to average-lose your chosen target of "X per week". You may find that only eating back 1/3 or 1/2 of of the calories MFP SAID you earned will do that. Your intake will still be in deficit to your activity, but not in an unhealthy way.

That way, it isn't that you "do more so that you can eat more" but rather search out the sweetpoint for "eat more so that you can fuel doing more of what you enjoy".

That worked well for me over a 2-3 yr period when I was in the "actively shedding" phase. But it is only one option.

Purely guessing from your photos, I am probably a significantly-older-than-you female, with a consequently slower metabolism. I only recently slipped out the top of my maintenance range and am working my way back inside the envelope. Which becomes harder as you get older.

Most of my activity choice is relatively-light cardio (brisk-walk exergame and regular evening strolls / not tending to auto-include even light resistance-work or balance&flexibility in the mix that I probably should).

Congrats to you both for building strongly health-supporting lifestyle habits earlier than I put my mind and efforts towards!

This link leads to a looooong-running info-thread (started in Oct 2017) about "how to burn calories when you aren't paying attention" or what I personally call "the ninja sneak-attack approach"

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

the opening entry on page 1 explains what "NEAT" is if you don't already know, and plenty of personal applications follow. Needless to say, given the timespan, some are "pre-covid office situation" suggestions, but there are more than enough alternates to find something currently applicable that that might appeal.

These are the kind of "active-living" calorie burns that are untrackable (therefore no MFP exercise calorie credits to debate over "to eat or not to eat"), and in such tiny bursts as to seem negligible, yet will add up over time through the metabolic equivalent of "the magic of compound interest"

BMcC9 wrote: »

This link leads to a looooong-running info-thread (started in Oct 2017) about "how to burn calories when you aren't paying attention" or what I personally call "the ninja sneak-attack approach"

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

the opening entry on page 1 explains what "NEAT" is if you don't already know, and plenty of personal applications follow. Needless to say, given the timespan, some are "pre-covid office situation" suggestions, but there are more than enough alternates to find something currently applicable that that might appeal.

These are the kind of "active-living" calorie burns that are untrackable (therefore no MFP exercise calorie credits to debate over "to eat or not to eat"), and in such tiny bursts as to seem negligible, yet will add up over time through the metabolic equivalent of "the magic of compound interest"

I have found truth in this. Simply put, the weeks where I work sitting down for 10+ hours a day, I start to slowly gain weight. Then weeks where I am on vacation I find I can lose without trying, because I am on my feet and moving.

I just need to find a new career where I am on my feet - that can pay what my sitting job pays!

Looking forward to seeing all these new "faces" on the Dec 1 page next week! Happy Thanksgiving if you are in that part of the world ...

I am giving myself a S.M.A.R.T. target goal for Dec of 2.5 pounds down over the next month (by half-way between Christmas and New Years) .... which will put me juuuuuuuuussst inside the Normal BMI range, (24.99) and right at the top of my acceptable maintenance range.

That averages out to between 1/2 and 3/4 pound per week. (i am old enough to not have TOM fluctuations)

This will be accomplished by a combination of continuing the resumed stricter logging, and upping the general-activity quotient in my day (and in three weeks, I get to take 3 calendar-weeks of annual leave, so that out-door activity can take place in daylight hours and the (relatively-speaking) so-called "heat of the day". )

Setting my goals for December

December Daily Goals:
Sat: Su: Mo: Tu:
We: Th: Fr:
Work on strength/stamina: All my stats are in the normal range for my age/height.
Maintain Weight < 150
Reduce Fat%:✅ 29.3 -> 23.7
Increase Muscle%: ✅ 28.7 -> 30.9
Calories < in the green
Steps > 7500
Intentional exercise > 50 mins daily
Active hours > 6 daily
Some Activities I get to do
Meditation, walk/jog, Dancing, coastal walks
Skype with family,
Crochet, craft, watch TV, Puzzles, read
Write poetry, paint/draw
Shopping (with social distancing)

Love reading all ur tips and stories. Thanks for sharing.

Towards the end of November, I started posting a short 3-4 point Gratitude List on the What's On Your Mind Today thread. Others did too.

It's a positive point to start my day with. I encourage others to do the same (can be off line in a notebook - doesn't have to be shared here!) We "see" what we pay attention to. Why not pay attention to "bright spots" rather than "dark&gloomy" ones? By writing the list down SOMEWHERE, you can look back any time at all the little bright spots you have already experienced.

Hello all. My daily appreciations:

1. My family and friends are all healthy and staying safe.

2. I started a meditation practice in August. I am trying to make it a daily. I practiced a daily meditation more than 1/2 the days in November. I love it. My plan is to increase it so that it is an ingrained part of my daily routine.

3. Even though I didn’t make the November’s winner’s circle here in UAC, I had the fewest pass days this month than any month since January! This is the first November I can ever remember that I did not gain weight.

Have a happy day.