will you gain weight going under your calorie goal?
sbw2012
Posts: 22
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
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
0
Replies
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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?0 -
It looks like you are eating healthy
I think you need to look up the word "healthy"0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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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!0 -
35 calorie bread?....
Seriously? What brand of bread is this? I need it in my life.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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!0 -
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.0 -
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!0
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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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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!!!0 -
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.0
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Sara, in order to keep your metabolism revved up, you need to eat all or most all of your daily calories. If you should be taking in 1200 calories, then eat 1200 or as close as you can get. Your nutrition is key though. Make sure the calories you are eating are good in nutrition. Fruits, vegetables, fish. Check your intake of protein and fiber and even some fats. If you don't eat all your calories, your body will go into starvation mode and start storing fat, which will hamper your weight loss efforts and may even cause you to gain weight. Get on a good exercise regime, eat all your calories with some good nutrition sense and keep that metabolism revved up. Good luck, okay?0
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I think eating healthy is a relative term. I eat pretty healthy....lots of fruit and veggies, protein, and not alot of carb. My calories aren't always on point because I eat so much low calorie food. I workout alot and this puts me in the hole. I just think that if you change your diet and you exercise, you will see results. If you aren't seeing results...you are either gaining muscle or not doing something correctly. Good Luck!0
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You need to NET (after exercise) 1200 calories. The good news is that it's not hard to do. Just eat whole eggs instead of whites; regular whole wheat bread instead of the 35 calorie stuff, etc. Your body needs fuel, and if you're close to your goal weight as someone else posted, not netting enough calories can cause your body to burn muscle instead of fat. People with more to lose can have a larger deficit, but if you're already slimmer then it's much better for your health to eat at a lower deficit. Remember it's not just about losing weight, it's about maintaining your health.
The reason people say you can gain doing this is that your body will get used to eating so little and then if you splurge or binge you'll gain weight faster. Technically if you ALWAYS stay that low you won't gain weight, but that doesn't make it healthy to do so.0 -
Are you sure you aren't over estimating your calories burned?0
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Starvation mode is a myth.
Etheopia, Africa.
Stop spreading that garbage0 -
I think that as long as you are eating your calories, then you are doing a great job. I do agree that you may need to eat a little more healthy like a real baked sweet potato instead of instant white potatoes. I think of my "earned calories" as a bonus, if I use them, good if I don't - that is even better. Look at Weight Watchers, they have bonus points for excercise and you could use them to have more food but you didn't have to use them if you did not want to. - They would also let you bank excercise points for a "special meal" at the end of the week or a eating out night. Hope that helps.0
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eventually yes. and banking doesn't always work.
Starvation mode (for the 2nd poster in this thread) isn't a myth.0 -
all i do is try to eat anywhere from 1200-1400 cals a day. ur body won't go into starvation mode like this and any extra cals leftover is a little bonus! it's working for me and i can honestly say i'm eating more food now than i did before!0
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35 calorie bread has a wierd texture; but tastes better if toasted.0
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35 Cal bread
I just found this tonight at walmart. The white is pretty impressive. (My husband hates wheat bread)
http://www.nicklesbakery.com/products/productCategory.php?category=Light 35
Usually I buy
http://www.auntmillies.com/Products/ProductView.aspx?prod=1357&cat=Breads
and I don't think it's too bad.0
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