Stupid Question Alert

LittleMissTwin
LittleMissTwin Posts: 7
edited October 7 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I'm a newbie... can someone please explain, in very simple language, what my daily summary actually means? I'm trying to lose 1lb per week so my calorie intake is supposed to be 1270. I'm exercising every day. My intake is adding up to more than 1270 on the days I exercise but never over the combined calorie intake + exercise if that makes sense? :blushing:

Replies

  • reicutie
    reicutie Posts: 4
    calories you lose during your exercise is deducted to the calories you take during eating... so if you want to eat more, you have to exercise a lot.. but it's good to stay under your goal so you'll lose more.. my goal is 1200... i want to lose at least 2lbs per week.. the calorie limit is computed automatically based on your desired weight loss.. you should not exceed your target calorie.. did i answer your question or did i confuse you more? :)
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    I'm assuming you put your daily activity as sedentary or lightly active if you're only getting 1270 a day for 1lb a week loss.

    This means that you need to eat that much to lose 1lb a week based on no workouts at all, just a normal sedentary/lightly active lifestyle. When you exercise you burn calories making your deficit even larger.

    So based on you, your maintenance is 1770 calories a day, you are getting a 500 deficit to lose 1lb a week in which MFP puts you at 1270. If you burn another 500 through exercise your deficit is now 1000 and your "net" calories are 770 which is too low. (net calories just means total intake - exercise calories burned) So you eat those calories back taking you to a 1770 intake but you still lose because you burned 500 through exercise :)

    Basically, you eat 1270 plus what you burn in workouts, to lose your set 1lb a week. If you burn 1000 in workouts you eat 2270, if you burn 300, you eat 1570 etc etc
    When you are eating too much, MFP will give you a little red number of how much you've gone over by so you don't have to worry about working it out yourself (as long as you log your workouts through MFP) if you are under, the difference will be green. Sounds like you are doing it right :smile:

    Hope that makes sense, I wasn't quite sure exactly what you were asking but I think that's it.
  • LittleMissTwin
    LittleMissTwin Posts: 7
    Girls thanks a million. Heidi you got my query and explained the answer really well. Can I ask another related question? If my calorie allowance is 1270 and I burn 500 in a day and I only eat 1500 instead of 1770 does this work against me?

    And you're right Heidi I work in an office on a daily basis so I am basically sitting in meetings or at my computer all day every day. Hardly the most active day!
  • choface
    choface Posts: 107 Member
    I would eat about 1670 if its hard for you to get 1770 in. 100 under won't hurt you too bad.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    Girls thanks a million. Heidi you got my query and explained the answer really well. Can I ask another related question? If my calorie allowance is 1270 and I burn 500 in a day and I only eat 1500 instead of 1770 does this work against me?

    And you're right Heidi I work in an office on a daily basis so I am basically sitting in meetings or at my computer all day every day. Hardly the most active day!

    If you only eat 1500, while burning 500, your net calories are just 1000. MFP recommends 1200 as a minimum as it's generally seen as unhealthy to go below that. I would try your best to eat 1770.

    One day won't hurt, but after a while, yes it will probably work against you eating that little. Many people find greater success in breaking plataues / losing weight when they eat enough and find that too little can halt weight loss.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    The trouble is, it's really hard to be super accurate about calories, especially exercise ones. I believe as long as you EAT at least 1200 calories, you'll be fine.
  • LittleMissTwin
    LittleMissTwin Posts: 7
    Thanks Heidi - that's brill. x:smile:
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