Recently started up again and confused

cjcjcjcjcj
cjcjcjcjcj Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! :)
I recently started using MFP again after having a love/hate relationship with it. I was dieting in the worst possible way for myself and decided this summer I would change all of that.

I only really started keeping track of anything and everything this past month.
There's just a few things I'm a little concerned about. I eat 1200 calories a day and either try to get my exercise in (swimming or cardio for 45-60 minutes) or go work (as a waitress). When I enter in my exercise, should I be eating those calories back??

Even though its only been 10 days, I feel like I've gained weight rather than lost it, leaving me feeling a bit more self conscious and concerned that I'm not going to be able to lose this weight. Does it take some time to get used to? Especially since I was on a restricted calorie diet beforehand?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Replies

  • teamfit2day
    teamfit2day Posts: 213 Member
    if your eating atleast 1200 calories, you dont have to eat what you work out. Remember, weight loss is about a calorie deficit. if your eating everything your burning, your most likely to remina at your current weight. Just make sure you always hit that 1200 mark, dont eat less as a means to lose weight, this will only hurt you in the long run
  • CynthiaAnnGA
    CynthiaAnnGA Posts: 95
    I don't worry about eating my calories back. Just do what you know works best for you & don't make it more complicated. Eat healthy & enough of the healthy food that you are not hungry, drink your water, & excercise daily. Good luck to you. You can do this.
  • cjcjcjcjcj
    cjcjcjcjcj Posts: 19
    Thank you so much! Its really comforting to hear that!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Remember, weight loss is about a calorie deficit. if your eating everything your burning, your most likely to remina at your current weight.
    That's not true. MFP already has a deficit built in already, and you are supposed to eat back the exercise calories so that your deficit isn't so extreme.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    When you first started MFP it asked you to plug in all your numbers. MFP already included a calorie deficit for you based on your numbers. If you do not eat your exercise calories back, you have even more of a deficit and just be careful that you don't net too little. It is up to you if you eat them back, some of them back, or all of them back, but the way MFP is designed, you "should" be eating them back.
  • RealWomenLovePitbulls
    RealWomenLovePitbulls Posts: 729 Member
    I don't think you should be eating the calories that you burn at work..... I think the exercises that you eat ur calories back for are just anything you do extra, outside of your normal routine.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    If you set your activity level to sedentary then you should be eating the exercise calories that you burn at work.

    If you set it to anything besides sedentary you do not have to eat them back, but do eat some back if your net drops too low.

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