HELP HELP HELP HELP!! I NEED OPINIONS PLEASE!!!!!!!

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  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Also (and it might seem obvious, but people do sometimes wonder...) you don't have to wait until after the exercise to eat the calories. If you know you're going to do a workout later on, but don't like eating too much at night, you could just have a bit extra for breakfast or lunch. Then you'll have more fuel to do work out. :smile:

    Yep. I like to estimate my exercise calories and work them in to my meals/snacks throughout the day. I've always eaten all my exercise calories and it has never stopped me from losing weight.
  • djh0505
    djh0505 Posts: 5
    I eat part of mine and still lost. Granted I only joined this month, but it the past I have used other sites and ate my "bonus" calories. After such a intense workout, you might need protein (I think). I have a daily allotment of 1400 and eat them. Good luck
  • marticapitt
    marticapitt Posts: 27 Member
    I don't count them. My lower caloire intake will make me lose, burning off extra with exercise I figure is a bonus in getting to the size I want to be! That said, I am careful to not go overboard with the exercise and I chose the foods I eat carefully to ge the most value for my calorie "buck".
  • ashnm88
    ashnm88 Posts: 748
    Eat when hungry and don't starve yourself.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    Okay it is showing I am supposed to eat 1200 cals a day.... I am exercising about 4 to 5 days a week burning 400 to 550 in cals depending on the day. Then its giving me more calories to eat but I dont know if I should eat them! I want the best weight loss possible!
    suggestions?
    Thanks!

    One of the primary reasons it's recommended to eat exercise calories (as I understand it) is to avoid a slowdown of your metabolism resulting in less calories burned during the day. Some people suggest that your body can go into "starvation" mode and hold onto it's precious stores of fat if your calorie intake is too low hindering progress. Meaning you work harder by eating less, but you lose "efficiency".

    A more practical way of thinking about it is that you want to keep your lbm (lean body mass) loss to a minimum while dieting. You don't really want to lose "weight", you want to lose fat. Eating too little results in a loss of lean muscle, and while your weight goes down, it's quite counter-productive to your over-all goal (of looking good!!).

    ALWAYS remember that. You aren't working hard to lose weight. You are working hard to lose fat. :)

    Good explanation for those new to this concept of losing fat, not losing "weight." :drinker:
  • eightpock
    eightpock Posts: 61
    Okay it is showing I am supposed to eat 1200 cals a day.... I am exercising about 4 to 5 days a week burning 400 to 550 in cals depending on the day. Then its giving me more calories to eat but I dont know if I should eat them! I want the best weight loss possible!
    suggestions?

    Thanks!

    My weight-loss slows when I eat back the calories all the time. I've found if one week I eat them back, and the other week stick to the goal without figuring calories burned, I tend to lose weight quicker.

    I'd try both, and see how well your body responds.
  • season0508
    season0508 Posts: 33
    Thanks everyone for the advice! : ))
  • season0508
    season0508 Posts: 33
    & Hicker and Tina dont comment on my thread if it "bothers" you. Whats the point in leaving unnessasry comments? You have nothing better to do than be rude??
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Definitely eat your exercise calories. MFP is designed so you remain at the right calorie deficit to lose your target amount every week when you eat them back. Many of us have enjoyed long term success this way, with the bonus of not feeling tired and hungry because we eat more!

    By the way, what are your goals set to? 1,200 is too low for most people. See what MFP gives you to lose 1lb a week. You'll probably have more calories to play with, lose weight steadily and more sustainably, have energy for your exercise and not feel hungry :flowerforyou:
  • season0508
    season0508 Posts: 33
    Thanks Berry! Your information is helpful and I see whatever your doing is working great for you! 27lbs! Def CONGRATS!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I will tell you this...1200 calories will do nothing but cause somewhat of a loss in the beginning, slow your metabolism down, and when you do finally eat you will hold the weight and the vicious cycle of dieting begins...

    This is not always true. It depends on a lot of things, most importantly size. People who are short may not ever need more than 1200 net calories. Other things such as genetics, disease, activity level, etc. can also affect how much you need to lose weight without slowing your metabolism. There is no one-size-fits-all rule to weight loss.
  • CABA01
    CABA01 Posts: 33
    Hi, Season,
    your question was very helpfull for me, a newcommer. Also thanks a lot for the good answers.
    Much progress with loosing fat and not weight for everyone!
    Thanks!
  • brismom070897
    brismom070897 Posts: 178 Member
    bump
  • season0508
    season0508 Posts: 33
    CABA, Glad this could also help you! I am 5'5 so pretty average height, but I sit at a desk all day for work, so I feel I should keep as low as calories as I possibly can. Today I burned almost 600 cals at the gym, so its showing I get 900 something more calories to eat for the day. There is no way I can do that I might eat 500 for the rest of the day meaning I havent had dinner or anything, but I cant do the 9.
  • season0508
    season0508 Posts: 33
    I have a second question to add to this. Is it normal to loose inches instead of weight? I can tell 100 percent in my clothing but my weight number I have only lost about 15 pounds but inces are falling off! Anyone else have this problem?
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