Should I not exercise today?

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bellydancer72
bellydancer72 Posts: 41
in Fitness and Exercise
I calculated the totals here on MFP and after exercising tonight I still will have over a 1000 calories to eat for my dinner and snack! How the heck am I supposed to eat that much by tonight? I hardly ate anything for breakfast and lunch which is why I have such high numbers of calories still yet to go. And in fact this is a daily problem, I just can't seem to eat all my calories for the day. What should I do? And does anyone here have maybe a sample daily menu that you can share with me to show me I can eat about 5 meals a day and eat all my calories? I'm just scared of going into starvation mode! I'm set for 1200 a day if that helps.

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  • bellydancer72
    bellydancer72 Posts: 41
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    I calculated the totals here on MFP and after exercising tonight I still will have over a 1000 calories to eat for my dinner and snack! How the heck am I supposed to eat that much by tonight? I hardly ate anything for breakfast and lunch which is why I have such high numbers of calories still yet to go. And in fact this is a daily problem, I just can't seem to eat all my calories for the day. What should I do? And does anyone here have maybe a sample daily menu that you can share with me to show me I can eat about 5 meals a day and eat all my calories? I'm just scared of going into starvation mode! I'm set for 1200 a day if that helps.
  • Cinnamon_Kisses
    Cinnamon_Kisses Posts: 83
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    If you like nuts you could try them as a snack. They have a LOT of calories, but lots of good fats and protein.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    u dont have to eat the full 1000 MFP is just a guide its not going to hurt you to eat only a percentage of the excercise calories back...as long as you have enough calories for your body to sustain on..have a normal dinner and some fresh fruit for desert...dont fret....you will not go into starvation mode that easily....find what amount of excercise calories works best for you not everyone eats all of them ...yes you should excercise especially if you feel the urge...excercise is great when its not feeling like a chore
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    Today, you should exercise, as one day won't put you into starvation mode.

    Also, you answered your own question by saying that you "hardly eat anything for lunch or breakfast". Start to do that. Food is fuel, and you need it. I don't have any appetite early in the day, so I eat something small every three hours or so. (also, I turn to a protein shake a lot of mornings. . .I just am never in the mood for food early on in the day).

    Sample day:
    protein shake and coffee (around 300)
    10-11ish: apple with peanut butter, or fruit with nuts (around 200)
    noonish: a sandwich on quinoa or other whole grain bread (300-400)
    3ish: veggies and hummus or more nuts, or a serving of cheese with some carrots (200-300)
    5ish: a medium sized dinner (around 500 calories, my biggest meal of the day)

    Without exercise, that puts me at about 1500. With exercise, I usually just eat bigger "meals".

    But, I say if you plan to exercise, do it.:flowerforyou:
  • MisoSoup79
    MisoSoup79 Posts: 517
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    If you know how many calories you're going to burn in the evening, then you really need to start adding calories to your earlier meals. You can make some simple changes to add more calories, like adding peanut butter to your oatmeal, toast or fruit with breakfast; add a bit of cheese and/or avocado to your lunch; lowfat yogurt with some fruit and nuts as a mid-morning snack...

    What did you eat for breakfast and lunch today?
  • rayemlls
    rayemlls Posts: 45
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    I have the same problem. I have over 500 calories a day left....Im dieting and working out 2 hrs a day but still havent lost weight even though I stay below my calories. Im still trying to figure the whole calorie thing out. Every time I work out it adds calories but if I want to lose weight I dont want to consume all the calories it says I should..Its aggravating at times.
  • mpenn82
    mpenn82 Posts: 1
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    rayemlls - the reason you can eat all the calories you burn is because the calories MFP tell you to eat without exercising is already low enough to help you loose weight. For instance, I am supposed to eat 1320 calories a day before I exercise. That's really not that much. To maintain weight, I'd probably have to eat 1500-1600 calories. So, when i am eating only 1320, my body is already loosing weight. If I workout and burn more calories, like 400, I would have only eaten 920 that day, which is VERY little. You eat the calories you burn off back because it builds muscle and fuels your body.
  • lacieinthesky
    lacieinthesky Posts: 42 Member
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    Personally, I don't worry about leftover calories, as long as I've had at least 1200. I try to never go under that though.
  • bellydancer72
    bellydancer72 Posts: 41
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    I ate Kashi go lean cereal with light soymilk (200 cal) and for lunch I ordered pasta with grilled shrimp and marinara sauce (after eating the shrimp I didn't have the appetite to eat the pasta, so hardly any calories there). See what I mean?
    What did you eat for breakfast and lunch today?
  • bellydancer72
    bellydancer72 Posts: 41
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    That's my whole point. I'm supposed to eat 1200 a day and never come close to that on a day to day basis. I'm lucky if I reach 1000. I'm afraid if I keep this up that I will go into starvation mode and then the weight will never come off!:frown:
    Personally, I don't worry about leftover calories, as long as I've had at least 1200. I try to never go under that though.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
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    That's my whole point. I'm supposed to eat 1200 a day and never come close to that on a day to day basis. I'm lucky if I reach 1000. I'm afraid if I keep this up that I will go into starvation mode and then the weight will never come off!:frown:
    Personally, I don't worry about leftover calories, as long as I've had at least 1200. I try to never go under that though.

    Are you fairly new to dieting? If so most people have this same problem. You need to choose calorie dense foods that are good for you instead of low calorie foods. Don't be surprised if you reach a point where you are famished and can't seem to get enough food.

    Good ideas would be to add a piece of fruit to your breakfast, when you eat don't just eat the shrimp eat some of the pasta, nuts are great calorie fillers and provide a lot of nutritional value. If you eat salads add proteins or nuts or beans. Etc. And...plan ahead. It helps to plan a day or two ahead and figure your calories and if you need to get to 1200 figure out how to tweak each meal to get those few extra cals in.

    I don't eat exercise calories because that didn't help me lose weight so I focus on getting my 1500-1600 calories per day and leave it at that.

    Something good to do is to go on another site or two and figure out how many calories it takes to MAINTAIN your current weight and reduce that amount by 500 to lose a lb a week or 1000 to lose 2 and you can do that through exercise or food or both.
  • ngwife4life
    ngwife4life Posts: 569
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    I have finally figured out what these nice folks here at MFP have been trying to say over and over again. There is NO need to eat light foods! That doesn't mean you can go pig out on fast food all the time but use regular soy milk on your breakfast cereal. I buy real ice cream when I want it and just make sure I measure the portion sizes. I eat pasta. I eat pizza. I eat the way I want to eat and the foods I want to eat for the rest of my life. I do it in moderation and by carefully monitoring my calories, fat and carbs. If I deny myself the foods I love, I'm going to keep on failing time and time again like I have been!

    Sample Menu:
    B-fast: Whole wheat waffles with 1-1.5 tbsp peanut butter
    Snack: Banana and sometimes some raisins/nuts
    Lunch: Sandwich w/ one slice whole wheat bread or a wrap with lots of fresh veggies and some cheese, both with a small side of chips and a fresh fruit or veggie
    Snack: raisins/peanuts/crackers/cheese (one of those) and some fruit or fruit salad
    Dinner: Whole wheat pasta (depending on the carb count for the day), baked or grilled chicken, grilled chicken salad or breakfast for dinner!
    Dinner sides: Sometimes I do rice, a big pile of veggies, salad, etc.
    Other snacks: carrot chips, cucumbers, pineapple


    I'm a very finicky eater and I've still managed to clean up my diet A LOT from how I used to eat. I'm a work in progress so I know my sample menu isn't perfect but I still manage to get all my calories in for the day and from time to time, I have room for a treat. A real treat. Not some light, what chemical is that?! treat. Although, sometimes I do want a Skinny Cow! I can't help it! :laugh:
  • MisoSoup79
    MisoSoup79 Posts: 517
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    There is NO need to eat light foods!

    I totally agree with this statement. Light and fat free items are usually loaded with sugars or artificial sweeteners and/or sodium and/or man-made chemicals in order to replace the taste and texture of the fat that is missing. I always use real dressing (think olive oil and vinegar or yogurt based dressing.) It's very rare that I will use a fat free chemical cooking spray - i prefer olive or coconut oil. I won't buy fat free dairy products (lower fat sometimes, but not fat free). Real butter instead of margarine (or a spread that is made of natural oils and NOT hydrogenated ones).

    As long as you are monitoring your portions and especially if you are having difficulty eating enough calories, go for the full fat, full flavor versions, which contain less man-made ingredients.

    (sorry for butchering your quote, ngwife, but I just wanted to place emphasis on your statement.)
  • ngwife4life
    ngwife4life Posts: 569
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    :laugh: No problem! You said what I was trying to say much better!
  • snorker88
    snorker88 Posts: 179 Member
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    rayemlls - the reason you can eat all the calories you burn is because the calories MFP tell you to eat without exercising is already low enough to help you loose weight. For instance, I am supposed to eat 1320 calories a day before I exercise. That's really not that much. To maintain weight, I'd probably have to eat 1500-1600 calories. So, when i am eating only 1320, my body is already loosing weight. If I workout and burn more calories, like 400, I would have only eaten 920 that day, which is VERY little. You eat the calories you burn off back because it builds muscle and fuels your body.

    This is the most useful thing I have ever read on the discussion boards! I was getting really confused with the calorie calculations on here (and only eating about 600-700 calories a day- oops!)


    Thanks for this- very helpful!

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