will you gain weight going under your calorie goal?

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sbw2012
sbw2012 Posts: 22
in Health and Weight Loss
my calorie goal is roughly 1440 a day... after completing my diary and exercising sometimes i have up to 800+ calories left over for the day. i am eating healthy my day usually consist of an egg sandwich for breakfast, with 35 calorie bread. at lunch time i usually eat a salad or sandwich.... and for dinner like this evening for example i had grilled chicken tenders green beans and instant potatoes. i usually snack around on cereal bars, yogurt or fruit. i don't drink any pop just water and sometimes fat free milk.
i guess my question is...do i need to add more calories in? or should i just keep doing what i'm doing???
thanks!
sara
«134

Replies

  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    So you're eating a little over 600 cals a day?

    No, you're not "eating healthy" and you should not keep doing what you're doing. If you keep eating this way, you're going to end up in the hospital or worse in the very near future.
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    So you're eating a little over 600 cals a day?

    No, you're not "eating healthy" and you should not keep doing what you're doing. If you keep eating this way, you're going to end up in the hospital or worse in the very near future.

    This. Expecting your body to run on less than half of its daily allotment of fuel is like expecting your car to go hundreds of miles on a half-tank of gas.
  • piersonea
    piersonea Posts: 1
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    It looks like you are eating healthy, but what you are saying is that you are also exercising which is burning more calories, right? That's what I am finding at times, too. I think if you get at leat 1200 calories in, you shouldn't go into starvation mode. I'm also wondering about this because many times I'm hitting around 1200 calories for intake, but then I burn 150 cals or more in exercising. So, will my body go into starvation mode from the extra cals I'm burning or not.
  • astrasburger
    astrasburger Posts: 28 Member
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    I would just work on adding more items to your meals...example add more protein to your egg sandwich (veggies, lean meat, low fat cheese), and make sure you're eating 5 - 6 times a day...As long as you are hitting your goal for calories. what are you doing for your exercise to burn that much calories?

    If i understand your post correctly you are eating your calorie goal, but after subtracting the calories burned from working out then you have in the bank 800 "extra" calories a day?
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    It looks like you are eating healthy

    I think you need to look up the word "healthy"
  • lisapr123
    lisapr123 Posts: 863 Member
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    Are you only eating 600ish calories a day or is that from the "earned calories" from exercise? If you're only eating 600--EAT!

    But if you have so many left because they're "earned" that's another story. Personally, I found that I have to eat about half of the "earned" calories to stay on track. When I wasn't eating them, I wasn't losing. Somebody told me to make sure that my "net calories" are at least 1000. That is where I tend to be most of the time.

    Hope that helps! Good luck.
  • walkwithme1
    walkwithme1 Posts: 492 Member
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    Sara you really need to eat more and better. Instant potatos are not good for you. And if you aren't eating enough calories, that's not healthy. Do you keep a food diary? I think if you did it might help. If you are trying to lose weight then you really need to do it the healthy way. Add me if you want I would be happy to help. I lost 60 pounds last year by eating right, no diets and lots of exercise.
  • cwalters1540
    cwalters1540 Posts: 39 Member
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    Here is an article about the myth of the starvation mode.
    http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501

    Plain & simple...if you burn more calories than you consume you will lose weight. Starving yourself to lose weight, though, is not a healthy way to do it.

    You sound like you're eating the right kinds of food just not enough of them. I would increase your calorie intake. I agree with astrasburger that adding food (like cheese or veggies) to what you're already eating is a good way to increase your calories. Try increasing it for a couple of weeks and see how it affects your weight. You can always play around with it if you end up gaining or maintaining weight. Good luck!
  • paigemarie93
    paigemarie93 Posts: 778 Member
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    35 calorie bread?....
    Seriously? What brand of bread is this? I need it in my life.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    35 calorie bread?....
    Seriously? What brand of bread is this? I need it in my life.

    http://www.healthylifebread.com/

    The texture is weird though, I don't like it.
  • paigemarie93
    paigemarie93 Posts: 778 Member
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    35 calorie bread?....
    Seriously? What brand of bread is this? I need it in my life.

    http://www.healthylifebread.com/

    The texture is weird though, I don't like it.

    Oh, I think I'll just stick to malted bread haha.
  • Eleisabelle
    Eleisabelle Posts: 365
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    The answer to your question is yes--going that far under your calorie goal, you will end up gaining weight, because at a certain point your body will think it's starving and will start holding on to fat and consuming your muscle instead.

    As my good Italian grandmother used to say, eateateat!
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
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    No you won't gain. Can you do it forever? Doubtful.

    Sara Lee 45 & Delightful is 45 cals a slice and tastes like real whole wheat bread. That is better than some of the others.
  • microwoman999
    microwoman999 Posts: 545 Member
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    As long as you are eating 1200 calories a day you are fine. I would eat 1200 calories a day and not eat back exercise calories and I did fine. I would switch between 1200 and 1400 every two weeks and I am still alive and fine. I also burned as much as 1000 to 1200 calories a day and did not eat back exercise calories and I did not die or go to a hospital and I am completely fine!
  • sbw2012
    sbw2012 Posts: 22
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    Sara you really need to eat more and better. Instant potatos are not good for you. And if you aren't eating enough calories, that's not healthy. Do you keep a food diary? I think if you did it might help. If you are trying to lose weight then you really need to do it the healthy way. Add me if you want I would be happy to help. I lost 60 pounds last year by eating right, no diets and lots of exercise.
    yeah those potatoes were a little rough. :x i'm eating over 1,000 calories a day sometimes even 1,200... but when i workout, (bicycling, elliptical, walking, basketball, etc) my diary always says i have like 700-800 calories left a day.
  • sbw2012
    sbw2012 Posts: 22
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    So you're eating a little over 600 cals a day?

    No, you're not "eating healthy" and you should not keep doing what you're doing. If you keep eating this way, you're going to end up in the hospital or worse in the very near future.
    no i eat more than 600 a day, i eat 1000-1300 calories a day i've even went over...but when i workout and put that in my food diary it says i have like 700-800 left. not all the time does this happen, but i guess i made my question really complicated... i guess i'm just wondering is it bad to burn a lot and have that much left over??
  • sbw2012
    sbw2012 Posts: 22
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    Are you only eating 600ish calories a day or is that from the "earned calories" from exercise? If you're only eating 600--EAT!

    But if you have so many left because they're "earned" that's another story. Personally, I found that I have to eat about half of the "earned" calories to stay on track. When I wasn't eating them, I wasn't losing. Somebody told me to make sure that my "net calories" are at least 1000. That is where I tend to be most of the time.

    Hope that helps! Good luck.
    I'm eating more than 600, trust me i love my food!
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
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    As long as you are eating 1200 calories a day you are fine. I would eat 1200 calories a day and not eat back exercise calories and I did fine. I would switch between 1200 and 1400 every two weeks and I am still alive and fine. I also burned as much as 1000 to 1200 calories a day and did not eat back exercise calories and I did not die or go to a hospital and I am completely fine!

    I don't mean to be rude, because you and I are in the same boat, but it's not the same boat that the OP is in.

    She has a LOT less weight to lose than we do, and eating a long way under your calorie limit when you don't have the same ah... surplus? is a completely different story.
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
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    It looks like you are eating healthy, but what you are saying is that you are also exercising which is burning more calories, right? That's what I am finding at times, too. I think if you get at leat 1200 calories in, you shouldn't go into starvation mode. I'm also wondering about this because many times I'm hitting around 1200 calories for intake, but then I burn 150 cals or more in exercising. So, will my body go into starvation mode from the extra cals I'm burning or not.

    1200 NET btw


    OP'r SAYS " i'm eating over 1,000 calories a day sometimes even 1,200"

    You gotta eat more than that Honey. You shouldn't be consistently under that. If I ate light, thats still too light for me!!!
  • SarahMorganP
    SarahMorganP Posts: 921 Member
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    You need to eat more. If you are set at 1200 calories than eat at least 1200 calories. If you exercise and burn 400 calories eat at least 1/2 of them back. So that day you would have eaten 1400 calories. Always eat at least 1200 calories and then eat some of your exercise calories as well.

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