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ChubbyBunny
ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been following what is recomended on the site, calorie wise. I put in my work outs, everything I eat. This is my first week so I haven't even weighed in to see weight loss or anything.

However, I still get a lot of flack from my family. Yesterday I worked off about 400 calories, so according to this site I am supposed to make sure I eat those calories. When I mentioned this to my mother she was like, "Good, don't eat those extra calories." I was like, "The site says I'm supposed to...." Then she got all huffy and said I wouldn't lose weight that way. Obviously I don't know cause I haven't weighed.

I used to work out all the time....1+ hour workouts but I would never compensate with calories. Typically I'd take in 1200 calories, if I was lucky. I've NEVER lost weight, tone up yes....weight come off no.

So, I am doing the right thing....right?

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  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    I have been following what is recomended on the site, calorie wise. I put in my work outs, everything I eat. This is my first week so I haven't even weighed in to see weight loss or anything.

    However, I still get a lot of flack from my family. Yesterday I worked off about 400 calories, so according to this site I am supposed to make sure I eat those calories. When I mentioned this to my mother she was like, "Good, don't eat those extra calories." I was like, "The site says I'm supposed to...." Then she got all huffy and said I wouldn't lose weight that way. Obviously I don't know cause I haven't weighed.

    I used to work out all the time....1+ hour workouts but I would never compensate with calories. Typically I'd take in 1200 calories, if I was lucky. I've NEVER lost weight, tone up yes....weight come off no.

    So, I am doing the right thing....right?
  • kimber607
    kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
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    Hi

    Just my .02
    When I started this site I was told to take in 1290 cals..since I was eating MUCH more than that at the time and didn't wan tto fail..I started my program with a goal of 1400 cals a day and i was NOT working out at all
    I'm a sahm to a 3-4 1/2 yr old
    I lost weight..I'm down 25 pounds and just recently started walking on the treadmill daily and bumped by cals to 1600 and am still loosing..I plan to increase to 1700 cals
    From what I've read on this site, it's hard to judge how many cals u burn working out and the machines usually overestimate
    BUT if you are working out daily..I would def bump up your cals...if you think you are burning 400 cals
    I would increase you cals by at least 200-300 and see how that works out

    Kim
  • GIGINATOR
    GIGINATOR Posts: 355 Member
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    Yes, you are by eating your exercise calories!!!!! I have done this since January with 40lbs GONE by doing exactly what MFP recommends. I know this is a hard concept to get over, I didn't believe it at first either but it works!! Ignore what your family says and eat!
    Going below 1200 calories causes our body to hold on to those, it thinks it's starving and holds on to them like we are gonna go into hibernation!:laugh:
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
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    BK, if you print out this post and give it to your mother to read, I think she will understand a little better.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    You can also have her read this article, which is great!

    http://www.fitsense.co.uk/fit_article.php?id=100

    The overiding idea that I think she is missing is that, this site already builds in a calorie deficit, so when you exercise, you are growing that deficit by using more calories, the idea is to stay at the ORIGINAL deficit, if you exercise and don't eat those exercise calories, you are keeping the larger deficit. That is ok if you are still in a healthy deficit range, but most people try to maximize their deficit to start with (remember when you first did your goals, it asked you how much a week you wanted to lose? that is your deficit. 1lb/week is 500 cals a day, 2 lbs/ week is 1000 cals a day). This site doesn't factor in exercise pre-emptively, it waits until you actually perform and enter the exercise before it adds it to your daily caloric goal.
  • sr2000
    sr2000 Posts: 230 Member
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    Now that this topic has come up again, there is a question I'd like to add...
    Based on my F6 HRM, when I sit on the couch for 1 hour I burn approx 90 calories. I just finished a one hour workout and my HRM said I burned 429 calories (jump rope, Indian dance and thigh work)
    My question is, should I only eat back the calories burned above and beyond what I would have burned sitting on the couch? Becuase those 90 "resting rate" calories have already been factored into my reccommended daily caloric intake, right? So I'd only want to eat an extra 325 more? (I'm sorry if this has already been asked and answered, I've been looking a little and am still unclear on this)
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    Thank you guys. I have been doing what MFP says cause nothing else seems to work. This just makes sense, even though my brain sometimes fight it (thanks to years of fa diets and faulty info).

    I will keep blugging along. :happy:
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,783 Member
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    Now that this topic has come up again, there is a question I'd like to add...
    Based on my F6 HRM, when I sit on the couch for 1 hour I burn approx 90 calories. I just finished a one hour workout and my HRM said I burned 429 calories (jump rope, Indian dance and thigh work)
    My question is, should I only eat back the calories burned above and beyond what I would have burned sitting on the couch? Becuase those 90 "resting rate" calories have already been factored into my reccommended daily caloric intake, right? So I'd only want to eat an extra 325 more? (I'm sorry if this has already been asked and answered, I've been looking a little and am still unclear on this)

    I think everyone is unclear on this. Banks sent a letter to Polar and got an unclear answer on whether the HRM took your BMR or not during exercise. Here is my reasoning why I get every single one of those 429 calories:
    1. I worked out hard (pat self on the back - also more encouragement to workout)
    2. you burn more after your workout (so a little higher than those 90, even if you sit on the couch)
    3. there are many activities you don't count - going to the grocery store, eating, taking a shower - all of which burn more calories than sitting on the couch.
    4. If you sat on the couch all day and slept 8 hours a night, you would burn approximately 1940 calories. I would almost bet your daily calorie count is set lower than 1440. Am I right? Go ahead and enjoy that apple. That's about 90 calories.
    bonus round:
    5. most people do not subtract fiber calories - these are calories you cannot digest. Anyone on a good diet should get about 30+grams per day, so 30x4=120 calories. Splurge, have a banana.

    Yes, that was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it's still what I believe.
  • sr2000
    sr2000 Posts: 230 Member
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    BK, you may want to try using a tape measure as a way to measure your weight loss and health gains. Many of us are often discouraged by the lack of movement on that little scale dial, when in reality we have lost a lot of inches. Take some starting measurements of your neck, bust, ribs, waist, belly, hips(butt), and upper thigh.
    Keep up with your exercise and healthy eating and you'll be amazed as the inches drop, even if the number on the scale doesn't show the great results. ( I measure about once a month)
  • sr2000
    sr2000 Posts: 230 Member
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    Now that this topic has come up again, there is a question I'd like to add...
    Based on my F6 HRM, when I sit on the couch for 1 hour I burn approx 90 calories. I just finished a one hour workout and my HRM said I burned 429 calories (jump rope, Indian dance and thigh work)
    My question is, should I only eat back the calories burned above and beyond what I would have burned sitting on the couch? Becuase those 90 "resting rate" calories have already been factored into my reccommended daily caloric intake, right? So I'd only want to eat an extra 325 more? (I'm sorry if this has already been asked and answered, I've been looking a little and am still unclear on this)

    I think everyone is unclear on this. Banks sent a letter to Polar and got an unclear answer on whether the HRM took your BMR or not during exercise. Here is my reasoning why I get every single one of those 429 calories:
    1. I worked out hard (pat self on the back - also more encouragement to workout)
    2. you burn more after your workout (so a little higher than those 90, even if you sit on the couch)
    3. there are many activities you don't count - going to the grocery store, eating, taking a shower - all of which burn more calories than sitting on the couch.
    4. If you sat on the couch all day and slept 8 hours a night, you would burn approximately 1940 calories. I would almost bet your daily calorie count is set lower than 1440. Am I right? Go ahead and enjoy that apple. That's about 90 calories.
    bonus round:
    5. most people do not subtract fiber calories - these are calories you cannot digest. Anyone on a good diet should get about 30+grams per day, so 30x4=120 calories. Splurge, have a banana.

    Yes, that was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it's still what I believe.
    Thank you! That makes sense about the "after burn affect" And I had never considered fiber calories, thanks for that bit of info! ( my daily calories are set at 1440, and with exercise I end up eating around 1800-2100)
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    Thanks, I plan on taking measurments this weekend.
    I have a tendency to lose inches rather then pounds...but it would be nice to see some lbs come off too. That's why I am giving myself about a year to lose what I need to lose while my husband is overseas.

    A year is a long time in my mind so I am glad that this place has a wonderful support sysytem.
  • banks1850
    banks1850 Posts: 3,475 Member
    Options
    Now that this topic has come up again, there is a question I'd like to add...
    Based on my F6 HRM, when I sit on the couch for 1 hour I burn approx 90 calories. I just finished a one hour workout and my HRM said I burned 429 calories (jump rope, Indian dance and thigh work)
    My question is, should I only eat back the calories burned above and beyond what I would have burned sitting on the couch? Becuase those 90 "resting rate" calories have already been factored into my reccommended daily caloric intake, right? So I'd only want to eat an extra 325 more? (I'm sorry if this has already been asked and answered, I've been looking a little and am still unclear on this)

    I think everyone is unclear on this. Banks sent a letter to Polar and got an unclear answer on whether the HRM took your BMR or not during exercise. Here is my reasoning why I get every single one of those 429 calories:
    1. I worked out hard (pat self on the back - also more encouragement to workout)
    2. you burn more after your workout (so a little higher than those 90, even if you sit on the couch)
    3. there are many activities you don't count - going to the grocery store, eating, taking a shower - all of which burn more calories than sitting on the couch.
    4. If you sat on the couch all day and slept 8 hours a night, you would burn approximately 1940 calories. I would almost bet your daily calorie count is set lower than 1440. Am I right? Go ahead and enjoy that apple. That's about 90 calories.
    bonus round:
    5. most people do not subtract fiber calories - these are calories you cannot digest. Anyone on a good diet should get about 30+grams per day, so 30x4=120 calories. Splurge, have a banana.

    Yes, that was a little tongue-in-cheek, but it's still what I believe.

    Yeah, that polar answer was a little annoying! Anyway Srb, that 90 calories is part of your maintenance calories for the day, so, no, don't factor that in as extra, only activities that are above and beyond your normal daily activity should be added in to your calorie plan. And if you really wanted to be stingy, you could say the reverse is true, I.E. if you are normally active throughout the day but one day you are extremely lethargic, you could shave down your calorie total for that day, but I wouldn't start doing that, that's just a little to nit picky if you ask me.
  • sr2000
    sr2000 Posts: 230 Member
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    Nit picky, yes I am. Thank-you,:laugh: I do prefer that over the other word people call me when refer to my somewhat OCD behavior ( the 4 letter "a" word) I just worry about details. Too much.:laugh:

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