OK, going to try this "eat more" thing

Sounds like you are on the right track. Food is fuel, so if you don't feed your body, it won't work like a well oiled machine. My biggest suggestion, drop some of the cardio and start lifting. Weight training has so many benefits to it that cardio can't provide.

I have a question. Are you saying that you would eat 1300 calories, then burn that many off?

Have you never checked what your actual day to day calories should be? Is 1300 ok for you?

If you are very active you should be making sure to eat at least up to 1200 net.

Is your MFP account set to a weight loss goal of one pound a week? If not, try that. If it is already and you haven't been losing weight, set it to 1/2 pound a week.

You've lost 70 pounds!??? That's awesome. Unfortunately, weight loss really slows down after that (well usually after about 10 pounds lol). So you need to re-adjust your expectations for how much weight you'll lose per week.

Also, log your exercise and eat the calories your burn during exercise.

Ok I looked up your food diary. Here is one of your days:


Totals 1,320 152 47 88
emmaruns's Daily Goal 2,403 330 80 90
Remaining 1,083 178 33 2
Calories Carbs Fat Protein
*You've earned 1203 extra calories from exercise today

Basically, since MFP puts you at a calorie deficit already, they've told you to eat 1200 calories/day. This will allow you to lose weight without even exercising. Since you are exercising, however, you need to eat back those calories. On this day you ate 1320 calories, but burned off 1203. Your body only "netted" 117 calories. This is probably why you aren't seeing the results you want. Your body thinks it's starving. If you eat back your exercise calories for a week, I really think you will notice a change. Why not test that out for a week and see how it goes?

Walking 8 miles a day would take you close to three hours, are you sure your numbers are right?

Yes, I know it sounds weird. I have a phone job and work from home. So I'm on the treaddesk close to 4 hours per day. I walk at 2.0-2.5 for 4 miles before and 4 miles after lunch. I'm at about 2.5 now.

Do you wear a HRM?

Is your MFP account set to a weight loss goal of one pound a week? If not, try that. If it is already and you haven't been losing weight, set it to 1/2 pound a week.

You've lost 70 pounds!??? That's awesome. Unfortunately, weight loss really slows down after that (well usually after about 10 pounds lol). So you need to re-adjust your expectations for how much weight you'll lose per week.

Also, log your exercise and eat the calories your burn during exercise.

No, my DAD lost 70 pounds I've lost 18 and have about 80 more to go.

AH Sorry!! well, like I said it usually slows down after 10 pounds so the same advice still applies.

Hi all,

I came to MFP to log my calories and was committed to a 1300 calorie a day plan. My dad lost 70 pounds last year doing this and I thought it seemed like the perfect solution for me..

Here is what has happened instead.

I eat 1300 calories a day from whole, healthy foods. I do 45 minutes on the elliptical a day (during the week) and walk on my "treaddesk" about 8 miles per day. Walking now in fact! On weekends, I relax the plan a bit and have dinner out or pizza once in awhile but not always.

So mathematically the pounds should be falling off, right? While it's true that I have lost weight, it has been an annoying process. I am not super hungry, but I'm wondering if you all have a point about netting negative. Yup, I net negative most days.

Another thing I noticed. I had probably my "biggest splurge" meal on Saturday night. I gained 4 pounds, which I know is part water, etc. etc. But I also got to thinking, perhaps my body is in that starvation mode area and when it thought it hit the caloric jackpot it held on for dear life? Because eating 1300 cals a day isn't netting me the mathematical results that I'm looking for.

So where to start? I burm about 1300 calories walking 8 miles a day and with the elliptical. So maybe up it to 1800 and see what happens? If I ate back all my exercise calories, I would be eating 2500 calories a day . So maybe there's a middle ground. I'm a little nervous, I'll admit, but I want to be healthy about this.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Emily

Think about it, you eat 1300 then burn 1300. Your net calories for the day is ZERO. So what does the body do? It "rids" itself of energy using tissue to ensure survival. Guess what tissue that is? MUSCLE. So not only now are you going to lose muscle, you end up lowering your metabolic rate even more. Your body composition is also probably holding on to a higher percentage of body fat now too.
You CANNOT fool the body. It's very smart. Eat back your exercise calories and find out what your true BMR is.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

If you don't exercise and you eat 1300 that is what your body will use up for normal functions. So if you burn all of those food calories your body is running on air. I try to eat back all of my exercise calories, or at least most of them and I've had great results. For months I was netting way to little and didn't lose a thing. Good luck!

Definitely eat back your exercise calories! My husband was struggling with losing, while seemingly doing everything right. We got heart rate monitors and realized that he was burning more calories while working out than the machine indicated. He started eating back the appropriate amount and has seen the benefit.

I have a question. Are you saying that you would eat 1300 calories, then burn that many off?

That's exactly right. I burn about 500 calories at the gym on the elliptical and then about 800 (100 or so per mile) walking at my desk. Then I was eating 1300 a day. I set my thing at "sedentary" then added the exercise back in. After that, I completely ignored how many more calories it said to eat and only ate 1300 anyway. I'm stubborn

According to MFP, "if every day were like today" blah blah blah I'd weigh like 15 pounds less than I do.

You have to be accurate with MFP or it won't work for you. Your activity level is for sure not "Sedentary!" I have just discovered that I lose MORE weight when my fat intake is higher than I have been keeping it, but I'd never had known if I wasn't using MFP to analyze my foods.

Here is what is working for me on MFP (not my original, got it from another very popular Topic):
1. use My Goals on MFP to accurately figure your BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate--the calories you would burn if you laid in bed all day, just running your brain and body functions.

2. Accurately enter your activity level into MFP to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This gives you the total amount of calories you use in your normal daily activities. If you ate these calories every day and did not exercise, you would maintain your weight.

3. Enter the number of calories that is your TDEE as your Daily Goal, but don't worry! You won't really eat all these, since the goal is to lose weight in a healthy way.

4. Enter EVERYTHING you eat and all the exercise calories you burn each day. What happens is your "Remaining Calories" is actually equal to your calorie deficit for the day.

5. NEVER eat less than your BMR calories, and never have a Deficit (remaining Calories) bigger than 1,000. If it's more than 1,000, eat some more! Aim to eat maybe 100-200 calories more than your BMR every day, but manage your deficit (remaining calories) to keep it high but not too high. less exercise = less food, more exercise = more food.

This keeps your body fueled, but gives you plenty of room to lose weight. You'll have enough energy and will probably lose anywhere from 1/2 to 2 lbs a week without being hungry or in starvation mode.

It should go without saying that all your calories should be good quality and not crap. 300 calories of lean mean gives your body actual nutrition, while 300 calories of chips or candy is just a waste.
Good luck!