please help. im confused on calories

Options
rissa1322
rissa1322 Posts: 107
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi~

So here is my issue. when i signed up for this it had me go through my customizer to create my calories i should eat a day.. in the registration i said that i will work out 60 min a day 5 times a week... so it created my calories to be 1200 that i eat a day.. but when i work out... i log my excercise and it adds the calories that i burnt to my daily allowance.
am i sopposed to always eat the 1200 b/c i already registered with working out.
or listen to what it says and eat the extra that i earned?

please help
rissa

Replies

  • rissa1322
    rissa1322 Posts: 107
    Options
    Hi~

    So here is my issue. when i signed up for this it had me go through my customizer to create my calories i should eat a day.. in the registration i said that i will work out 60 min a day 5 times a week... so it created my calories to be 1200 that i eat a day.. but when i work out... i log my excercise and it adds the calories that i burnt to my daily allowance.
    am i sopposed to always eat the 1200 b/c i already registered with working out.
    or listen to what it says and eat the extra that i earned?

    please help
    rissa
  • katiechakos
    katiechakos Posts: 348 Member
    Options
    Hi Rissa! The 1200 is the base amount, if you exercise that day, you get to add those additional calories to your overall. For example, if you do a spinning class and burn 600+ calories, the system adds those to the base. It's awesome! It's really hard for me to only eat 1200 calories (I love food too much!) so the additional calories work really well for me.

    How are you liking the program so far?
  • Razboo
    Razboo Posts: 439 Member
    Options
    Indeed. The work out goal doesn't apply to the base calories, only to the exercise part of the site. It should be tracking there what you enter and how close to your exercise goal you are. Personally I find it highly motivating to know that when work out, I get to add calories to my daily amount.
  • rissa1322
    rissa1322 Posts: 107
    Options
    this helps a lot.. i have basically been starving myself for the last week and a half.. no wonder i havent lost much weight.. i was starting to get frustrated b/c when i work out its usually burning 500-600 calories, but i would only eat the base 1200 they assigned to me... so i was living off 600 calories....

    i do like the program... its easy to use and hopefully now i will see results better since my body isnt going to be holding on to calories for dear life..
    how is it working for you
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    personally, this website has allowed me to completely change my lifestyle, allowing me to track what I eat and how much I exercise (and consequently loose weight in a perfectly controlled manner). I am the kind of person that needs (craves) structure. If I just say, I'm gonna start exercising and eating better, I can't do it. But give me a program to follow, and a way to track it, and I become the poster child for the program.
  • rissa1322
    rissa1322 Posts: 107
    Options
    banks~

    You also agree with the other two posters about the excercise and calories.. i have heard all sorts of different things from different people.... i just want to make sure im eating enought or not eating too much.

    thanks
    carissa
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    They are absolutely correct. this site follows along with most current thinking. for every calorie you burn in a day, you are allowed to add it to your total allowable calories. From all I have read, the sweet spot for fat burning and cardio is about 300 - 500 total calories (including your exercise calories) below your at rest (maintain) calories. Stay in that range and you won't be overly hungry, you will loose a pound a week, and you won't be tired or starving your body.
  • rissa1322
    rissa1322 Posts: 107
    Options
    sorry for being so "duh" today... but i was wondering on some clarification...
    you said
    From all I have read, the sweet spot for fat burning and cardio is about 300 - 500 total calories (including your exercise calories) below your at rest (maintain) calories.

    are u saying.. to basically burn 300 to 500 a day in excercise?
    thanks for your patience:happy:
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    not necessarily. (and don't worry about the "duh" factor, some of this stuff can be very confusing)

    here, look at it this way.

    if I were to stay in bed and do nothing all day my body would burn 2400 calories
    so that is my maintain caloric intake. (if you want to know how to find yours, go to your goals page, change your goals and just choose your plan as maintain instead of loose, it will tell you what caloric intake you need to keep your current weight)

    if I want to loose a lb a week by caloric intake (food) alone, I need to eat 1900 calories a day.
    because 1 lb is 3500 calories. 3500 calories divided by 7 days is 500 calories a day.
    so my maintain calories (2400) - 500 = 1900 calories a day to loose a pound a week.

    now if I add 300 calories a day for exercise, now I can consume 2200 calories a day and still be at the 1 lb a week total.

    I hope this helps.

    regards, Banks.
  • rissa1322
    rissa1322 Posts: 107
    Options
    ok so mine said 1900 calories... so going off your formula to lose 1 pd a week by calories alone i have to eat 1400 calories.. and then on the days i work out.. i add those calories...
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    Bingo! :happy:

    good luck.
  • rissa1322
    rissa1322 Posts: 107
    Options
    thanks a ton

    man i have been starving myself.. i bet my body held onto every piece of fat i had!

Categories