Frustrated consuming all of my calories!!! Too many?

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  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
    One thing that helped me was to learn/realize the exercise is only to gain fitness only in both cardio and strength. I eat to only gain or lose weight via fat or muscle. I lose 1.5 to 2 pounds constantly each week weather I exercise or not. So with that said I developed my goals around that. Some examples of my goals would be: lowering my resting heart rate. I may do treadmill running daily and check my resting heart rate...After a week or two of that the RHR got much better. Next goal, build some quality muscle. To do this I workout with free weights on a regular basis and eat more protein, to help build muscle. The nice thing is that by sticking to the plan MFP set me on, there is no math involved, just follow along. The planning however is needed throughout the day with WHAT you eat to either gain or lose fat or muscle depending on the workout goals you are following.

    I think some folks get caught up in the calories they eat and the working out they do with the only goal being to lose weight.

    Hope that makes sense. Good luck!

    Yes, it does make good sense. I appreciate your level headed approach. As I said, I realize this is hotly debated. My intention really was not to debate the science so to speak, but to figure out how to deal with the need to eat more. I never have been the best veggie eater, or the 'cleanest' eater, that is how I got here. I have done well so far, I have lost inches and pounds, and I have built stamina for exercise (which I had formerly). I am doing cardio 6 days and strength 3 days. I was so excited to finally 'get' the concept of calories in - calories out. Now, I think you are right. I have become so focused on calories and not thinking about fitness just weight loss. Thanks for the perspective! :)

    If you're having trouble eating ENOUGH, then veggies are going to make it harder. Eat bigger portions of chicken and fish or whatever your meat choice and small portions of veggies at first. On the days that you are really hungry and are thinking you might go over your goal cals, THEN eat more veggies. I prefer red potatoes when I need more cals and corn when I need less cals. (Just an example)
  • amber_hanners
    amber_hanners Posts: 388 Member
    If you are set to active and you are including your work cals as exercise then you are doubling up. Try setting yourself to sedentary and still include your work cals drop yourself to lightly active and leave the walking at work out

    i agree
  • Missevanston
    Missevanston Posts: 361 Member
    If you are set to active and you are including your work cals as exercise then you are doubling up. Try setting yourself to sedentary and still include your work cals drop yourself to lightly active and leave the walking at work out

    Okay! Done! I have changed my settings to lightly active and I will stop including my cals from work. I will try this for the rest of the month and see how it goes. Thanks for your help!
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
    I will use my numbers for an example of how this works.

    My BMR (Daily Burn Rate at REST) is roughly 1900. If you click on Tools at the top of this site, there is a BMR calculator there. These are the amount of cals I will burn in a day if I do NOTHING, as in, sit in a chair. My brain burns this running my body, keeping my heart and lungs going, etc.

    My MFP Daily Set Goal the Site gives me is 1400.

    The 500 calorie deficit is how I lose weight.

    So, now, lets work out! I used an elliptical today and burned 450 calories.

    1900 BMR + 450 Elliptical = 2350 calories I burned today.

    So MFP sets my daily goal at the BMR - 500 + Work Out

    So my daily goal would be 1850 Calories, still 500 below my burn rate for that day.

    That is how it works. This site strives to keep you at the same deficit no matter how much exercise you get.

    Now, the question is, what happens if you eat less than the site tells you? You will hear terms like starvation mode, losing weight took quickly causing loose skin, etc. They are all valid concerns but it is not an exact hard science.

    As long as you are eating more than 1200 calories a day, starvation mode is highly unlikely.

    One suggestion would be to not enter in calories burned for daily things like making the bed. I basically put anything I eat in the site, and then my actual exercise in the site. But I don't try to put every little thing I do in to get max calories.

    Maybe I could be doing better if I did, but I really don't think so. Putting that stuff in would just make my daily goal higher, and I think I am eating plenty.
  • Missevanston
    Missevanston Posts: 361 Member
    I will use my numbers for an example of how this works.

    My BMR (Daily Burn Rate at REST) is roughly 1900. If you click on Tools at the top of this site, there is a BMR calculator there. These are the amount of cals I will burn in a day if I do NOTHING, as in, sit in a chair. My brain burns this running my body, keeping my heart and lungs going, etc.

    My MFP Daily Set Goal the Site gives me is 1400.

    The 500 calorie deficit is how I lose weight.

    So, now, lets work out! I used an elliptical today and burned 450 calories.

    1900 BMR + 450 Elliptical = 2350 calories I burned today.

    So MFP sets my daily goal at the BMR - 500 + Work Out

    So my daily goal would be 1850 Calories, still 500 below my burn rate for that day.

    That is how it works. This site strives to keep you at the same deficit no matter how much exercise you get.

    Now, the question is, what happens if you eat less than the site tells you? You will hear terms like starvation mode, losing weight took quickly causing loose skin, etc. They are all valid concerns but it is not an exact hard science.

    As long as you are eating more than 1200 calories a day, starvation mode is highly unlikely.

    One suggestion would be to not enter in calories burned for daily things like making the bed. I basically put anything I eat in the site, and then my actual exercise in the site. But I don't try to put every little thing I do in to get max calories.

    Maybe I could be doing better if I did, but I really don't think so. Putting that stuff in would just make my daily goal higher, and I think I am eating plenty.

    Thanks! I do 'get' it really. I don't add calories burned for making the bed or light house cleaning. However, I walk more than most people each day (over the goal of 10,000 steps) sometimes well over. I have been adding these calories burned, but now I have changed my settings to lightly active and will stop adding them. I will try it for the rest of the month and see how it goes. It is not like I haven't had results, I just recently have seen a trend of my not eating my net consistently. Thanks for the explanation!
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
    Well, what do you do for a living that you walk that much if you don't mind me asking?

    You should either:

    Set your profile to sedentary and count those calories, or, set it to active and not count them.

    But don't set it to sedentary and also not count them.

    You should do one or the other, just not both. :)
  • zorbaru
    zorbaru Posts: 1,077 Member
    I have a system I do. I eat breakfast, workout and burn the calories I ate, then do the same thing for lunch and dinner. If I have any snacks I workout after eating those too. I never eat the extra calories. Afterall, I burn them to lose them, I don't want them back, lol. I don't know why people on this site say to eat your exercise calories, it doesn't make sense.
    Kim

    so what exactly is your body using for fuel for regular activity? its like filling your car up with fuel, then driving around the block until its empty, then wondering why you cant drive to work

    your body needs fuel to do its usual activity through the day, if you exercise , you take away this fuel. you dont need to eat back all your calories but if you dont have enough fuel to last the day then you will do more damage than good.

    also dont forget that the calories you burn during exercise arent the only calories being burnt. your body will burn even more calories recovering from the exercise. so even if you eat ALL your exercise calories, your not actually eating all of them.

    its easy, if you click the "finished for today" button on MFP and it says you arent eating enough, then you arent eating enough. as MANY people have said, your net has to be a minimum of 1200.
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
    I will use my numbers for an example of how this works.

    My BMR (Daily Burn Rate at REST) is roughly 1900. If you click on Tools at the top of this site, there is a BMR calculator there. These are the amount of cals I will burn in a day if I do NOTHING, as in, sit in a chair. My brain burns this running my body, keeping my heart and lungs going, etc.

    My MFP Daily Set Goal the Site gives me is 1400.

    The 500 calorie deficit is how I lose weight.

    So, now, lets work out! I used an elliptical today and burned 450 calories.

    1900 BMR + 450 Elliptical = 2350 calories I burned today.

    So MFP sets my daily goal at the BMR - 500 + Work Out

    So my daily goal would be 1850 Calories, still 500 below my burn rate for that day.

    That is how it works. This site strives to keep you at the same deficit no matter how much exercise you get.

    Now, the question is, what happens if you eat less than the site tells you? You will hear terms like starvation mode, losing weight took quickly causing loose skin, etc. They are all valid concerns but it is not an exact hard science.

    As long as you are eating more than 1200 calories a day, starvation mode is highly unlikely.

    One suggestion would be to not enter in calories burned for daily things like making the bed. I basically put anything I eat in the site, and then my actual exercise in the site. But I don't try to put every little thing I do in to get max calories.

    Maybe I could be doing better if I did, but I really don't think so. Putting that stuff in would just make my daily goal higher, and I think I am eating plenty.

    Great post!
  • Missevanston
    Missevanston Posts: 361 Member
    Well, what do you do for a living that you walk that much if you don't mind me asking?

    You should either:

    Set your profile to sedentary and count those calories, or, set it to active and not count them.

    But don't set it to sedentary and also not count them.

    You should do one or the other, just not both. :)

    Hi again,

    I work as a preload manager for UPS. I spend my mornings walking loading docs, walking belts, back and forth and climbing up and down ladders. The facility is huge (think Costco x 3 deep and 6 wide) and using my pedometer I log 4-10 miles per 4 hours depending on the day. This is not leisurely walking but 'brisk' walking.

    So I set it to lightly active and will stop logging those cals burned. Thanks for the comments!
  • sunflower_yogi
    sunflower_yogi Posts: 78 Member
    bump
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