Help/Advice/Slap on the wrist needed. Please??

janemem · June 2012

I am getting rather confused after reading so many posts about eating back exercise calories/eating too little/net calories......

I will tell you what I am doing at the moment, please feel free to comment or offer advice as to what I maybe should be doing.

I am 5'4"
I weigh 115lb
My daily Goal is 1200 calories
I am registered as 'Sedentary' but I try to be as active as I can
I log most/all exercise/activity daily
I log absolutely everything I eat/drink
I only eat back my exercise calories (and more!) on a Sunday
I generally consume 900-1000 calories each day
I eat very low fat
I very rarely eat anything processed
I make al my meals from scratch
I tend to lose about 3lb a week until Sunday when I'll gain 1.5-2lb
I should be maintaining but I only feel comfortable knowing I'm still losing

Opinions please.

sarahrbraun · June 2012

I think you should eat more through the week. If you are exercising, you are burning calories. You should aim to have a NET of 1200 calories per day unless you have been advised by a doctor/dietician that it is safe to go lower.

think about it....if you are eating 900 calories, but burning 500 in your activities, you are only giving your body 400 calories to function on for the whole day! Would you ever think that eating only 400 calories a day was OK?

I am not an athlete by any measure, but I am set at sedentary, and I work out 3-4 times per week burning 500 calories or so each time. I have a fitbit so I know when I have walked around *a lot* and I get calorie adjustments accordingly. That being said, I aim for 1200 calories NET per day. Many days I cannot make it, even though I am eating 1500-1700+ calories a day. Lately I have been eating Atkins meal bars as a snack (200+ calories, low carb, low fat) in an aim to fuel my body. I am losing 1-1.5lbs a week.

artbkward · June 2012

I am 5'4"
I weigh 115lb
I should be maintaining but I only feel comfortable knowing I'm still losing

To me this looks like a problem. If you already weigh 115, what is your goal weight? You're on the low side of a normal BMI for your height now, losing much more could put you underweight. I understand if you want to tone up but to try and lose a pound or more a week at this point may teeter on being unhealthy especially since you are not eating enough as the above poster already mentioned.

kgprice11 · June 2012

1200 calories seems alittle low for the amount of "stuff" you are doing. you should always have a net of right around the 1200 calories designated. If you have below it might affect your health and make you sick over time.

janemem · June 2012

I've just calculated my average 'net' for the last 7 days to be 800.

I have absolutely no idea if this is good or bad though.

janemem · June 2012

I am 5'4"
I weigh 115lb
I should be maintaining but I only feel comfortable knowing I'm still losing

To me this looks like a problem. If you already weigh 115, what is your goal weight? You're on the low side of a normal BMI for your height now, losing much more could put you underweight. I understand if you want to tone up but to try and lose a pound or more a week at this point may teeter on being unhealthy especially since you are not eating enough as the above poster already mentioned.

Ideally I'd like to lose at least another 4lb but I know this won't look good on me so if I just lose another 2lb and then try to keep it at that I think I'll be ok.

I do need to tone up, I have hardly any muscle definition at all and am developing 'old woman skin' if you know what I mean. It looks disgusting!

When I exercise I can't do too much before I'm light headed though so I generally stick to long fast walks every other day if I can manage it.

kgprice11 · June 2012

I am 5'4"
I weigh 115lb
I should be maintaining but I only feel comfortable knowing I'm still losing

To me this looks like a problem. If you already weigh 115, what is your goal weight? You're on the low side of a normal BMI for your height now, losing much more could put you underweight. I understand if you want to tone up but to try and lose a pound or more a week at this point may teeter on being unhealthy especially since you are not eating enough as the above poster already mentioned.

Ideally I'd like to lose at least another 4lb but I know this won't look good on me so if I just lose another 2lb and then try to keep it at that I think I'll be ok.

I do need to tone up, I have hardly any muscle definition at all and am developing 'old woman skin' if you know what I mean. It looks disgusting!

When I exercise I can't do too much before I'm light headed though so I generally stick to long fast walks every other day if I can manage it.

I honestly would stop losing weight and start "toning" your body as in strength training and you will see your weight either stay the same or go up alittle bit because of muscle mass. Being 5'4" 115lbs is fine except that you said you have no muscle which is not good because that means that the 115lbs. is an unhealthy structure even though your BMI is low.

Hope I help and I hope I do not offend you in anyway :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

janemem · June 2012

I am 5'4"
I weigh 115lb
I should be maintaining but I only feel comfortable knowing I'm still losing

To me this looks like a problem. If you already weigh 115, what is your goal weight? You're on the low side of a normal BMI for your height now, losing much more could put you underweight. I understand if you want to tone up but to try and lose a pound or more a week at this point may teeter on being unhealthy especially since you are not eating enough as the above poster already mentioned.

Ideally I'd like to lose at least another 4lb but I know this won't look good on me so if I just lose another 2lb and then try to keep it at that I think I'll be ok.

I do need to tone up, I have hardly any muscle definition at all and am developing 'old woman skin' if you know what I mean. It looks disgusting!

When I exercise I can't do too much before I'm light headed though so I generally stick to long fast walks every other day if I can manage it.

I honestly would stop losing weight and start "toning" your body as in strength training and you will see your weight either stay the same or go up alittle bit because of muscle mass. Being 5'4" 115lbs is fine except that you said you have no muscle which is not good because that means that the 115lbs. is an unhealthy structure even though your BMI is low. Hope I help and I hope I do not offend you in anyway :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

No offence taken at all, I asked for help and advice and that's what I'm getting.
The flowers were a nice surprise though, thank you. ;-)

I know I need to exercise more but I really don't have the energy to do much more than I do now. If I'm totally honest some days it's hard enough just getting through my normal duties let alone think about exercising.

I'm also worried that if I up my exercise I'll still not be able to eat more than I do now, I know what I'm like.

artbkward · June 2012

I am 5'4"
I weigh 115lb
I should be maintaining but I only feel comfortable knowing I'm still losing

To me this looks like a problem. If you already weigh 115, what is your goal weight? You're on the low side of a normal BMI for your height now, losing much more could put you underweight. I understand if you want to tone up but to try and lose a pound or more a week at this point may teeter on being unhealthy especially since you are not eating enough as the above poster already mentioned.

Ideally I'd like to lose at least another 4lb but I know this won't look good on me so if I just lose another 2lb and then try to keep it at that I think I'll be ok.

I do need to tone up, I have hardly any muscle definition at all and am developing 'old woman skin' if you know what I mean. It looks disgusting!

When I exercise I can't do too much before I'm light headed though so I generally stick to long fast walks every other day if I can manage it.

I honestly would stop losing weight and start "toning" your body as in strength training and you will see your weight either stay the same or go up alittle bit because of muscle mass. Being 5'4" 115lbs is fine except that you said you have no muscle which is not good because that means that the 115lbs. is an unhealthy structure even though your BMI is low. Hope I help and I hope I do not offend you in anyway :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

No offence taken at all, I asked for help and advice and that's what I'm getting.
The flowers were a nice surprise though, thank you. ;-)

I know I need to exercise more but I really don't have the energy to do much more than I do now. If I'm totally honest some days it's hard enough just getting through my normal duties let alone think about exercising.

I'm also worried that if I up my exercise I'll still not be able to eat more than I do now, I know what I'm like.

You're netting 800 cal/day per average? You're probably tired and light headed because you aren't eating enough. Less is not better, you HAVE to give your body the fuel it requires. Yes, if you work out you will need to eat more yet. That is something you will have to come to terms with.

mmapags · June 2012

Plain and simple, you are way undereating for the amount of activity you are getting to remain healthy. The bare minimum you should be eating is 1200 calories per day and be eating back ALL exercise calories EVERY DAY! Honestly, from the tone of your post and things you are saying like you are only comfortable if you are still losing, I'm going to suggest you may want to consider whether or not your desire for loss at this point is rooted in some kind of compulsive issue or emotional issue. You are at a low weight and bordering on under weight. Please consider what I am saying and take it in a spirit of concern. I've spoken bluntly but not without care!

JulieKetchup · June 2012

I just wanted to say ditto to that last comment. If you are working out and feel faint and like you lack energy is because you aren't giving your body enough fuel. You need to eat in order to exercise and that is why MFP recommends that you eat the calories you burn, so you maintain enough to properly fuel your body. There is absolutely no way you are going to tone up if you don't eat more. To gain muscle you have to gain weight and to do that you have to eat more. What will happen is your body will run out of the food you provide it and will start using up the fat in the body. If there is no fat it will start using muscle to fuel it and this a very dangerous and unhealthy state. I agree with mmapags that you need to take a closer look at why you feel better when you continue to lose weight even though you are borderline unhealthy. I hope this helps too!

janemem · June 2012

Thanks for all your comments, advice and concern and I really am trying to take it on board but I know the way my body works and I just know 100% that if I start to eat more then the weight will go on.
Today I plan to consume a total of 953 calories (I've already eaten some, the rest is here next to me; pickled vegetables, sugar free jelly, sunflower seeds, all healthy).
My exercise (that I logged) for today 'bought' me 417 calories.
I'm fine with that but I just know if I was to eat those 417 calories the scale would either stay the same tomorrow or, worse still, go up.
I honestly am one of those people that just has to look at food to get fat!

RuthieCass · June 2012

I am getting rather confused after reading so many posts about eating back exercise calories/eating too little/net calories......

I will tell you what I am doing at the moment, please feel free to comment or offer advice as to what I maybe should be doing.

I am 5'4"
I weigh 115lb
My daily Goal is 1200 calories
I am registered as 'Sedentary' but I try to be as active as I can
I log most/all exercise/activity daily
I log absolutely everything I eat/drink
I only eat back my exercise calories (and more!) on a Sunday
I generally consume 900-1000 calories each day
I eat very low fat
I very rarely eat anything processed
I make al my meals from scratch
I tend to lose about 3lb a week until Sunday when I'll gain 1.5-2lb
I should be maintaining but I only feel comfortable knowing I'm still losing

Opinions please.

Honestly, it sounds like you are at the start of an unhealthy obsession with netting low calories. Please rethink what you are doing. At your current weight, you should be working on maintaining, not losing. If you really have a psychological problem adding calories to your diet, at least ease up on the cardio. Work on strength training instead.

Also, eating fat doesn't make you fat. Eating too many calories makes you fat.

If you are gaining 1.5-2 lbs over the weekend, you are probably binging (even though I'm guessing that a portion of it is water weight). This along with your light-headiness is your body trying to tell you to feed it.

sarahrbraun · June 2012

honestly...I don't think you are reading between the lines and *hearing* what we are trying to say, so I had best just say it bluntly.

the tone of your thread makes you sound VERY anorexic. You are obsessed with gaining weight, and you refuse to try and understand that you lack energy and are weak and dizzy because of your eating habits. You need to consult your doctor and probably a psychologist or psychiatrist who deals with eating disorders.

mmapags · June 2012

Initially, if you eat more you will gain weight. You have basically been starving your self and your body will absorb and hold some nutrients. That is normal and healthy and will level off after a short time. You really need to think about your attatchment to these low calories. It sounds a little unhealthily obsessive.

Help/Advice/Slap on the wrist needed. Please??

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