Does it matter how you eat your calories??

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missy5277
missy5277 Posts: 88 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am trying to figure out this whole weight loss thing! I have been tracking food and excersize for 85 days and have only lost 13lbs, i'm trying not to get discouraged but its very hard. I am really good about my excersize, I actually love it and the way i feel after however my downfall is the food. I do pretty good at work but like most eat more at night when im at home. Now with that being said i have gone over my 1200 maybe 2 or 3 times and yes i eat back my excersize calories. So does it matter what i'm eating? So does it matter if i eat 1200 in sugar or 1200 in healthy food? i know i shouldnt eat the sugar but i just cant figure out why i havent lost more with all the dedication i have put in. Oh and i am 5'6 and weigh 230 so i have plenty of room to lose!

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  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    Within a reasonable, non-retarded diet, no.
  • Cathleenr
    Cathleenr Posts: 332
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    I am trying to figure out this whole weight loss thing! I have been tracking food and excersize for 85 days and have only lost 13lbs, i'm trying not to get discouraged but its very hard. I am really good about my excersize, I actually love it and the way i feel after however my downfall is the food. I do pretty good at work but like most eat more at night when im at home. Now with that being said i have gone over my 1200 maybe 2 or 3 times and yes i eat back my excersize calories. So does it matter what i'm eating? So does it matter if i eat 1200 in sugar or 1200 in healthy food? i know i shouldnt eat the sugar but i just cant figure out why i havent lost more with all the dedication i have put in.

    weeeelllll 13 pounds in less than 3 months is a nice steady pace...
    you haven't mae your food journal public, so no telling what all you are eating, but yes, 1200 calories in sugar is not as good as 1200 calories in a balanced meal plan,if only for the nutrients. a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, but nutrients and what they do to support your bodily functions, including your ability to exercise, is important.
    depending on your health conditions, if you have any, a balanced mix of protein, carbs and fat is the best. track your weight loss progress if that is your goal and tweak the percentages of each every couple of weeks if you arent getting the results you want. include strength training and cardio....in reasonable amounts. get educated about what "reasonab;e" means and how you can incorporate it into your particular situation.
    good luck.
  • alecta337
    alecta337 Posts: 622 Member
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    Technically, no, it doesn't matter what you eat as long as calories out > calories in

    Look up "the twinkie diet"

    But it is good to get into a habit of eating healthy food. Also spread out your food throughout the day
  • merB89
    merB89 Posts: 122
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    That's about a pound a week! Which I think is a great rate to lose weight at. Seems like you're doing a great job. Keep eating fruits, veggies, whole grains, stay away from the junk (reasonably) and keep active. Just be patient! You're doing great!!
  • CaptainGordo
    CaptainGordo Posts: 4,437 Member
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    Orally is best. rimshot.gif
  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
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    85 days = about 12 weeks. 13 lbs in 12 weeks is a reasonable, safe, sustainable amount of weight to lose. Weight loss takes time. There is no quick fix and there never will be. Be proud of your accomplishments and be patient. That's my advice :)
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    With out being able to see your diary, it's impossible to give you advice
  • reharvrun
    reharvrun Posts: 31
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    I def think it matters what calories you are eating. As you know, mfp tracks not only your calories but your fat, carbs, and protein. If you are eating empty calories such as pop tarts, candy, or any type of junk food you will have a hard time losing weight. At least from my experience this is the case. I started tracking my cals and in 2 weeks time of eating healthy cals I lost 6lbs. Then I got comfortable with the counting and added in a few pieces of candy here and there and that week I didn't lose. Just remember that you can have "treats" but just don't make that your entire diet. Hope this helps.
  • lbeasey
    lbeasey Posts: 254 Member
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    I feel your pain in this part. I am 5'5" and weigh 225 now and have hit that wonderful plateau. I have talked with a personal trainer and she has said that 1200 calories is not enough fuel for your body. I upped my calorie intake to her suggestion of at least 1800 per day (does not include exercise calories) and felt a huge difference across the board. I eat back at least 1/2 of my exercise calories the days I work-out. I have started losing weight again.
    I now have a BodyBug Heart Rate Monitor and my average calorie burn each day has been 3350. Based on that information 1200 calories a day was sending me into deficit mode quickly. Good luck with this. Don't give up. I can honestly say I could always tell a difference with my workouts and the way my body is toning.
  • stefkhan
    stefkhan Posts: 27 Member
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    Losing weight at a healthy pace is great--you should be losing about 1 - 1.5 lbs per week, if you stay on a healthy diet and exercise. If you are looking to boost your weight loss, you definitely need to step out of your comfort zone. Try a different workout, something that you would not normally do. I've found Tae-Bo and circuit training to be a great plateau breaker and weight loss revver.

    It's definitely okay to cheat here and there, but you can't over do it. I struggle with sweets, especially chocolate. I'd love to eat my 1200 calories of only chocolate, but obviously it's not safe to do that. You should try to eat everything in moderation, and don't deprive yourself either, that's when you end up pigging out, and eating like a crazy person. Stay on track, you can do this!!

    Good luck!!
  • maria9274
    maria9274 Posts: 19 Member
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    have you measured yourself? not all fat loss shows in pounds lost, muscle takes up less space so you'll lose inches even when the scale seems to be slow going
  • missy5277
    missy5277 Posts: 88 Member
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    I shouldve said this but i do eat pretty healthy but like many people i have my downfalls every now and then, even with the downfall i include every calorie and dont short myself and after breakfast and lunch i still have roughly 900 calories left when it comes time for dinner. I snack on fruit and veggies ALL day.
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
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    Ok, this goes against everything everyone says here, but... Don't eat back ALL your exercise calories! I stopped doing that and the pounds dropped off like a rock in a lake. Don't starve yourself, but don't go out of your way to eat back 100% of what you burn. Eat back about half of what you burn. Your body isn't going to go into starvation mode, you aren't going to lose muscle. It's simple, eat less, work out more. You think the people on the Biggest Loser eat back the 2000 calories they burn in a workout?? Hellllllll no, and they get skinny! Well some of them do.

    Also, get a heart rate monitor (like the Polar FT4), wear it when you exercise, this way you know for sure how many calories you burn, don't rely on the machine or the website to tell you.

    Cut back sodium, drink lots of water, cut back the sugar. When you exercise, really get your heart rate up for long periods of time. You need to get yourself comfortable with being uncomfortable when you work out. That's how you get results!

    Good Luck!
  • carloP90X
    carloP90X Posts: 109
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    Google Professor Dr. Mark Haub. It's a great eyeopener and something to think about.
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    Ok, this goes against everything everyone says here, but... Don't eat back ALL your exercise calories! I stopped doing that and the pounds dropped off like a rock in a lake. Don't starve yourself, but don't go out of your way to eat back 100% of what you burn. Eat back about half of what you burn. Your body isn't going to go into starvation mode, you aren't going to lose muscle. It's simple, eat less, work out more. You think the people on the Biggest Loser eat back the 2000 calories they burn in a workout?? Hellllllll no, and they get skinny! Well some of them do.

    Also, get a heart rate monitor (like the Polar FT4), wear it when you exercise, this way you know for sure how many calories you burn, don't rely on the machine or the website to tell you.

    Cut back sodium, drink lots of water, cut back the sugar. When you exercise, really get your heart rate up for long periods of time. You need to get yourself comfortable with being uncomfortable when you work out. That's how you get results!

    Good Luck!

    I eat back *most* of my exercise calories (often all or very close to all) and in 3.5 months I've lost 25 lbs. And I was only 165 to start with. Eating exercise calories is not going to cause a problem as long as your MFP account settings are correct and your calorie burn estimates are fairly accurate (from a HRM, not from crazy off-the-wall MFP estimates). Sometimes I stall out when I've been working really hard at exercising and staying under goal without a break, but then I lose more all of a sudden when I take a break from exercising and go over my goal for a few days. I had a 4 day 'break' last week due to taking a trip and was worried I wouldn't lose any weight last week, and then when I weighed in I'd lost 2.2 lbs in 9 days (I'm set to 1 lb per week so that's surprising at this stage for me).

    The people on Biggest Loser are under constant medical supervision. I wouldn't try to do what they do w/o the same level of supervision.

    13 lbs in 12 weeks is really not bad at all - but I understand why you'd feel you should be able to do more. If you're really concerned, you could go for a physical at your GP to make sure there is nothing off with your bloodwork that could affect weightloss efforts.
  • amandapandabear29
    amandapandabear29 Posts: 3
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    I'm having the same issue. Idk if it's okay that I drink pop every day, but I'm still at 1200...:/ I also don't own a scale, so I'm going by how I feel and look
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Please read this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    Those calories should go in your mouth.

    This isn't an option.

    1_27_12_Stewart.jpg

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