Serious question about calorie goals...
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I think it is important to remember that we all have our own ways of managing our health. There isn't any right way or wrong way and just because someone does it differently than you, doesn't mean you should judge them for it. I think it is more important to be supportive of each other than to criticize their choices.
yes and no. i don't think people realize the impact that eating disorders can have mentally AND physically. If they're too enwrapped in losing weight using any means possible then someone should say something. They may not know, they might be in denial, or they might be screaming out for help (if their diary is public). I choose to point it out and let them decide after telling them about the potential dangers of not eating enough.
Again, you don't know what their situation is. What you think is right might not be right for them. It is not your place to make that decision for them.0 -
I think it is important to remember that we all have our own ways of managing our health. There isn't any right way or wrong way and just because someone does it differently than you, doesn't mean you should judge them for it. I think it is more important to be supportive of each other than to criticize their choices.
yes and no. i don't think people realize the impact that eating disorders can have mentally AND physically. If they're too enwrapped in losing weight using any means possible then someone should say something. They may not know, they might be in denial, or they might be screaming out for help (if their diary is public). I choose to point it out and let them decide after telling them about the potential dangers of not eating enough.
Again, you don't know what their situation is. What you think is right might not be right for them. It is not your place to make that decision for them.
Is there ever a good reason to have an eating disorder? I don't think so.0 -
I think it is important to remember that we all have our own ways of managing our health. There isn't any right way or wrong way and just because someone does it differently than you, doesn't mean you should judge them for it. I think it is more important to be supportive of each other than to criticize their choices.
yes and no. i don't think people realize the impact that eating disorders can have mentally AND physically. If they're too enwrapped in losing weight using any means possible then someone should say something. They may not know, they might be in denial, or they might be screaming out for help (if their diary is public). I choose to point it out and let them decide after telling them about the potential dangers of not eating enough.
Again, you don't know what their situation is. What you think is right might not be right for them. It is not your place to make that decision for them.
Is there ever a good reason to have an eating disorder? I don't think so.
You are still making assumptions. If I eat 2000 calories run a marathon and burn 1500 calories, and only net 500 calories for the day, THAT is not an eating disorder. If I get the stomach flu (actually did a couple of weeks ago) and I can't keep more than 800 calories in my stomach, THAT is not an eating disorder. If my doctor ordered me to eat 1000 calories a day, THAT is not an eating disorder.0 -
I'm throwing my two cents in....
When I first started on this journey, I *CONSULTED WITH MY DOCTOR* about how many calories I should be consuming to lose weight. I am a 293 pound woman, 5'4". She said "For your height and weight, to lose you should be consuming no more than 1500 calories a day". I also have to watch my sodium and fat intake, as those affect my weight.
Just saying.... I think my doctor has a good idea of what is going to be healthy and what isn't.
I have a hard time congratulating people that eat less than 1200 calories because "the scale isn't budging".....There are healthier ways to do it than starving yourself. Perhaps a simple re-balance of the nutrients you take in will help you lose faster.0 -
The reason I was so impressed by this site was because of the friendly, helpful, and encouraging people who immediately replied to my first post and invited me as a friend. They have all been wonderful in giving out attagirls, and I love it! If they were criticizing my choices, I would probably make my diary private so no one would know if I didn't eat enough. There is already a calorie police on here which sounds the alarm when one doesn't eat at least 1200 calories. It happened to me on a day when I was doing a fruit and vegetable fast and chose not to eat the high carb veggies. It's hard to eat that many calories on just fruit and vegetables; therefore I was under 1200 that day. I still had plenty of healthy food that day and felt wonderful and full of energy. I'm thrilled when I have a good day of exercising, meet my assigned calorie goal, and end up with a real low net calorie count. I've always thought that the reason for the exercise is to accelerate weight loss. I always give my friends kudos when they are under their calorie goals. I feel they've earned it when they do, even if there is some junk food thrown in!0
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I think it is important to remember that we all have our own ways of managing our health. There isn't any right way or wrong way and just because someone does it differently than you, doesn't mean you should judge them for it. I think it is more important to be supportive of each other than to criticize their choices.
yes and no. i don't think people realize the impact that eating disorders can have mentally AND physically. If they're too enwrapped in losing weight using any means possible then someone should say something. They may not know, they might be in denial, or they might be screaming out for help (if their diary is public). I choose to point it out and let them decide after telling them about the potential dangers of not eating enough.
I think many people on this site have disordered eating patterns and some even have full-blown EDs. Most of them in complete denial ("I know I'm not eating much but I'm different, I only need 800 cals a day to function).0 -
The way I understand it is you base your caloric intake with the calorie goal before exercise. So, if your daily calorie goal is 1840 then that is the number of calories you should eat on a daily basis. You are not supposed to eat the calories you burn unless you are aiming to maintain your weight.
Well, that's a huge topic of debate on these forums. Some people say "eat them back", others say don't. Personally, I try to do what feels right to me, which is usually under 1800 calories consumed and quite a bit under 1800 net on days when I ride hard. It's working for me, but other people's mileage may vary.0 -
I think it is important to remember that we all have our own ways of managing our health. There isn't any right way or wrong way and just because someone does it differently than you, doesn't mean you should judge them for it. I think it is more important to be supportive of each other than to criticize their choices.
yes and no. i don't think people realize the impact that eating disorders can have mentally AND physically. If they're too enwrapped in losing weight using any means possible then someone should say something. They may not know, they might be in denial, or they might be screaming out for help (if their diary is public). I choose to point it out and let them decide after telling them about the potential dangers of not eating enough.
Again, you don't know what their situation is. What you think is right might not be right for them. It is not your place to make that decision for them.
Is there ever a good reason to have an eating disorder? I don't think so.
You are still making assumptions. If I eat 2000 calories run a marathon and burn 1500 calories, and only net 500 calories for the day, THAT is not an eating disorder. If I get the stomach flu (actually did a couple of weeks ago) and I can't keep more than 800 calories in my stomach, THAT is not an eating disorder. If my doctor ordered me to eat 1000 calories a day, THAT is not an eating disorder.
And you are also making assumptions...i don't care about the technical designation of "eating disordered" ...eating 2000 calories and burning 1500 is still unhealthy so I would still say something...eating disorder or not. 26.2 miles would burn a heck of a lot more than 1500 calories. I'm pretty sure there's a difference between someone occasionally eating 800 calories (say once in a blue moon because of an illness) and someone doing it every day. If someone's doctor ordered them to eat 1000 calories a day I'd be curious as to why and once again, I would say something.
Saying something about it, asking questions, and seeking more information is not harmful. I don't see why you are so adamant about keeping quiet when someone is eating a starvation amount of calories. If there's a "story" behind it then let them tell it, that's not going to stop me from asking about it though.0 -
Thank you for bringing this up!
I always look before I comment. I can't stand to see "good jobs" and "WTGs" when they've only netted like, 600 calories that day. It's not healthy, and we would be doing nothing but providing positive encouragement for unhealthy habits. I always comment honestly about how I feel about their diary. If they're only looking for an empty complement, they can unfriend me, I suppose =/
I'm not going to stand by and watch my friends go down a bad path.0 -
my goal is 1200 as well. I usually eat around 1200-1400 but I exercise and burn 400 so I am eating the right amount AND show up under my goal. That is how I do it. Hope that helps.0
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The way I understand it is you base your caloric intake with the calorie goal before exercise. So, if your daily calorie goal is 1840 then that is the number of calories you should eat on a daily basis. You are not supposed to eat the calories you burn unless you are aiming to maintain your weight.
Well, that's a huge topic of debate on these forums. Some people say "eat them back", others say don't. Personally, I try to do what feels right to me, which is usually under 1800 calories consumed and quite a bit under 1800 net on days when I ride hard. It's working for me, but other people's mileage may vary.
If eating the calories burned through exercise means one will maintain their weight, I must have a tapeworm or something because I've consistently ate all my calories, and consistently lost weight.
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The way I understand it is you base your caloric intake with the calorie goal before exercise. So, if your daily calorie goal is 1840 then that is the number of calories you should eat on a daily basis. You are not supposed to eat the calories you burn unless you are aiming to maintain your weight.
Well, that's a huge topic of debate on these forums. Some people say "eat them back", others say don't. Personally, I try to do what feels right to me, which is usually under 1800 calories consumed and quite a bit under 1800 net on days when I ride hard. It's working for me, but other people's mileage may vary.
I think it's the wording that confuses a lot of people. "You've earned x amount of calories today from exercise". That is a confusing statement but, the thing is in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in. That is something else that confuses people. I've seen people freak out about it because, the average 30 to 60 minute work out only burns between 300 and 800 calories. They start thinking that they have to exercise 3 to 4 hours a day to lose weight. They never considered that our bodies burn calories just to function. I've used the BMR tool on this site and I think it's wonderful. I can now tell exactly how many calories I've burned for the day and how much closer I am to losing each pound.
A person must burn a total of 3500 calories to lose a single pound. Here is an elaborate example using my own numbers. Hopefully it will be of help to everyone.
My Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is : 1808 calories
My Daily Caloric intake goal is : 1770 calories
Giving me an at Rest burn total of : 32 calories
If I ate only 1770 calories a day and did not exercise it would take me approximately 110 days to burn a single pound. Now, I want to do more so I have added exercise. I walk 40 minutes every day and that burns 304 calories. Three days a week I do a dance workout video which burns approximately 475 calories.
So, for four days a week my calorie burn total is 336 calories and three days a week it's 777 calories. So, for a full week I will burn 3675 calories. I will lose a pound and have a little extra rolling into the next week. Now, if I eat those calories then, I will lose nothing.0 -
Yeah thats what the whole debate thing is though. People on here will lecture you till they turn blue in the face that you need to eat your exercise calories... (to get your net up over 1200) HOWEVER that doesnt work for everyone. As I said, I was doing that for 3 weeks after reading it all over the boards, and didnt lose anything! so obviously it doesnt work for me.0
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Yeah thats what the whole debate thing is though. People on here will lecture you till they turn blue in the face that you need to eat your exercise calories... (to get your net up over 1200) HOWEVER that doesnt work for everyone. As I said, I was doing that for 3 weeks after reading it all over the boards, and didnt lose anything! so obviously it doesnt work for me.
That really doesn't make any sense to me. I'm going to do some research.0 -
I don't think there is a right answer. Everyone's body is different. Some can lose weight and eat their calories back and others gain weight if they eat them back (I am one of those people who gain when I eat calories back) where as my sister on the other hand still loses and doesn't even exercise nearly as much as I do.0
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Yeah thats what the whole debate thing is though. People on here will lecture you till they turn blue in the face that you need to eat your exercise calories... (to get your net up over 1200) HOWEVER that doesnt work for everyone. As I said, I was doing that for 3 weeks after reading it all over the boards, and didnt lose anything! so obviously it doesnt work for me.
That really doesn't make any sense to me. I'm going to do some research.
I found this on Living Strong .com.
"Net Calories
During the day, the amount of caloric energy in your body is in a state of constant flux. When you consume calories, your net calories number goes up, and as you burn them, the number goes down. At the end of the day, there are three possible scenarios: you burned fewer calories than you consumed and have a net gain; you burned more than you consumed and have a net loss; or the two balanced each other out.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/521023-calories-recommended-is-it-calories-consumed-or-net-calories/#ixzz1cbDYp5vG"0 -
The way I understand it is you base your caloric intake with the calorie goal before exercise. So, if your daily calorie goal is 1840 then that is the number of calories you should eat on a daily basis. You are not supposed to eat the calories you burn unless you are aiming to maintain your weight.
Well, that's a huge topic of debate on these forums. Some people say "eat them back", others say don't. Personally, I try to do what feels right to me, which is usually under 1800 calories consumed and quite a bit under 1800 net on days when I ride hard. It's working for me, but other people's mileage may vary.
I think it's the wording that confuses a lot of people. "You've earned x amount of calories today from exercise". That is a confusing statement but, the thing is in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in. That is something else that confuses people. I've seen people freak out about it because, the average 30 to 60 minute work out only burns between 300 and 800 calories. They start thinking that they have to exercise 3 to 4 hours a day to lose weight. They never considered that our bodies burn calories just to function. I've used the BMR tool on this site and I think it's wonderful. I can now tell exactly how many calories I've burned for the day and how much closer I am to losing each pound.
A person must burn a total of 3500 calories to lose a single pound. Here is an elaborate example using my own numbers. Hopefully it will be of help to everyone.
My Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is : 1808 calories
My Daily Caloric intake goal is : 1770 calories
Giving me an at Rest burn total of : 32 calories
If I ate only 1770 calories a day and did not exercise it would take me approximately 110 days to burn a single pound. Now, I want to do more so I have added exercise. I walk 40 minutes every day and that burns 304 calories. Three days a week I do a dance workout video which burns approximately 475 calories.
So, for four days a week my calorie burn total is 336 calories and three days a week it's 777 calories. So, for a full week I will burn 3675 calories. I will lose a pound and have a little extra rolling into the next week. Now, if I eat those calories then, I will lose nothing.
Sorry but what is your weight loss goal set at? Or is your activity level really high?? Your info doesn't seem right. Mine is set to lose 2 lbs a week and I have a sedentary activity level Here are my numbers.
BMR: 1,982
MFP Calorie Goal: 1,480
Calorie Deficit Daily: 502
That means that weekly with no exercise I have a calorie deficit of 3,514. I should lose at least pound in a week just with my eating habits. The reason the exercise calories get confusing is because people don't realize that MFP already calculates the calorie deficit for you. Now, I'm not saying whether you should or shouldn't eat them. That's completely up to what works for you. But remember that if you find yourself at a plateau and can't figure out what you're doing wrong, you're usually not eating enough.0 -
In reference to the posters who are against "critiquing" someone else's food diary. If you read my previous post then you know that I think it is helpful for people to offer suggestions or hold us accountable for the choices we make. I think it will help us to stick to our goals. For those who don't want others "critiquing" their food diary? It's quite simple...keep it private. This site is meant to provide a support structure for each persons success. I am too honest a person to accept accolades for doing something the wrong way. I mean seriously if I was eating a candy bar three times a day and still coming in under my calorie goal. It would be hypocritical for me to accept a friends congratulatory statements for a job I didn't do. The object here is not to just be under our calorie goals but, to make healthier choices and to keep the weight off once we've lost it. If all we're doing is eating junk or starving ourselves then we will not be successful. If the only reason we've joined this community if for people to congratulate us on continuing our destructive behaviors then we've wasted our time and everyone elses. So, my solution to this quandary is simple.... If you don't want to comment on someone else's diary, DON'T. If you don't want people commenting on your diary, MAKE IT PRIVATE. Public diaries are basically telling everyone you are open to suggestions. My diary is public and so if I'm doing something you think could be improved, have at it. There is no law saying I have to accept your suggestions. However, if it is a good one, I'm likely to try it. It's all about each of us finding a new healthier way to live. I don't know about everyone else but, I want this weight to come off and stay off forever. That's why I'm taking things at a slower pace. 1lb a week is what is recommended for permanent weight loss.0
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The way I understand it is you base your caloric intake with the calorie goal before exercise. So, if your daily calorie goal is 1840 then that is the number of calories you should eat on a daily basis. You are not supposed to eat the calories you burn unless you are aiming to maintain your weight.
Well, that's a huge topic of debate on these forums. Some people say "eat them back", others say don't. Personally, I try to do what feels right to me, which is usually under 1800 calories consumed and quite a bit under 1800 net on days when I ride hard. It's working for me, but other people's mileage may vary.
I think it's the wording that confuses a lot of people. "You've earned x amount of calories today from exercise". That is a confusing statement but, the thing is in order to lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in. That is something else that confuses people. I've seen people freak out about it because, the average 30 to 60 minute work out only burns between 300 and 800 calories. They start thinking that they have to exercise 3 to 4 hours a day to lose weight. They never considered that our bodies burn calories just to function. I've used the BMR tool on this site and I think it's wonderful. I can now tell exactly how many calories I've burned for the day and how much closer I am to losing each pound.
A person must burn a total of 3500 calories to lose a single pound. Here is an elaborate example using my own numbers. Hopefully it will be of help to everyone.
My Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is : 1808 calories
My Daily Caloric intake goal is : 1770 calories
Giving me an at Rest burn total of : 32 calories
If I ate only 1770 calories a day and did not exercise it would take me approximately 110 days to burn a single pound. Now, I want to do more so I have added exercise. I walk 40 minutes every day and that burns 304 calories. Three days a week I do a dance workout video which burns approximately 475 calories.
So, for four days a week my calorie burn total is 336 calories and three days a week it's 777 calories. So, for a full week I will burn 3675 calories. I will lose a pound and have a little extra rolling into the next week. Now, if I eat those calories then, I will lose nothing.
Sorry but what is your weight loss goal set at? Or is your activity level really high?? Your info doesn't seem right. Mine is set to lose 2 lbs a week and I have a sedentary activity level Here are my numbers.
BMR: 1,982
MFP Calorie Goal: 1,480
Calorie Deficit Daily: 502
That means that weekly with no exercise I have a calorie deficit of 3,514. I should lose at least pound in a week just with my eating habits. The reason the exercise calories get confusing is because people don't realize that MFP already calculates the calorie deficit for you. Now, I'm not saying whether you should or shouldn't eat them. That's completely up to what works for you. But remember that if you find yourself at a plateau and can't figure out what you're doing wrong, you're usually not eating enough.
My weight loss goal is 1 lb per week because that is what is recommended as healthy and more likely it will be permanent. It didn't take me six months to put this weight on and so, I'm not going to try to take it off in six months. I would say I have a high activity level but, I am a lot more active than I used to be.0 -
In reference to the posters who are against "critiquing" someone else's food diary. If you read my previous post then you know that I think it is helpful for people to offer suggestions or hold us accountable for the choices we make. I think it will help us to stick to our goals. For those who don't want others "critiquing" their food diary? It's quite simple...keep it private. This site is meant to provide a support structure for each persons success. I am too honest a person to accept accolades for doing something the wrong way. I mean seriously if I was eating a candy bar three times a day and still coming in under my calorie goal. It would be hypocritical for me to accept a friends congratulatory statements for a job I didn't do. The object here is not to just be under our calorie goals but, to make healthier choices and to keep the weight off once we've lost it. If all we're doing is eating junk or starving ourselves then we will not be successful. If the only reason we've joined this community if for people to congratulate us on continuing our destructive behaviors then we've wasted our time and everyone elses. So, my solution to this quandary is simple.... If you don't want to comment on someone else's diary, DON'T. If you don't want people commenting on your diary, MAKE IT PRIVATE. Public diaries are basically telling everyone you are open to suggestions. My diary is public and so if I'm doing something you think could be improved, have at it. There is no law saying I have to accept your suggestions. However, if it is a good one, I'm likely to try it. It's all about each of us finding a new healthier way to live. I don't know about everyone else but, I want this weight to come off and stay off forever. That's why I'm taking things at a slower pace. 1lb a week is what is recommended for permanent weight loss.
Truly, I respect that. But I would find it discouraging if everytime I ate a cookie, I was lectured by friends. Pretty soon it would seem like an attack. If I am comfortable with eating that cookie, then you should be too. Fortunately, I have never had to experience a friend who felt it necessary to criticize or condemn my food choices. As far as the opinion that losing slower means that it stays off permanently, there really isn't any documentation to support that. For as many "professionals" that make that claim, there is an equal number of "professionals" that will tell you that it is not how slow you lose, but how permanent you intend to make the changes to your lifestyle. When you made the decision to lose the weight, you committed to yourself to change the way you eat and exercise for as long as it takes to get it off. But, if you aren't committed to continuing those methods for the rest of your life, then no weight loss will be permanent. Even if you spent the next 2.5 years losing 1 lb a week, if you return to your old habits in 3 years then you will gain all of the weight back and it won't have mattered how slowly you lost. Also, to your statement that you didn't gain the weight in six months so you shouldn't expect it to come off that quickly; you gain weight faster than you lose anyway. Sure you didn't gain it all in six months, that is because you carried some of it for awhile before you gained some more.0
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