Net Calorie Goals = Confusion

TurkieFacie
TurkieFacie Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone,

I have only been using MFP for a month and have been stumbling around trying to figure out what net calorie goal will allow a slow, healthy weight loss. I only need to lose a few pounds, but working out alone isn't cutting it. At first I only ate around 1200 calories total, then worked out on top of that and obviously went into 'starvation-mode'. Since the first week or so I have been making sure to eat back all of my bonus calories from working out. But any day where I ate a little more than usual my body would gain back two pounds! I don't know if anyone else has had such a hard time finding the perfect calorie goal, but advice would be awesome!

Thanks!
-Stephanie

Replies

  • Pilotgirl86
    Pilotgirl86 Posts: 30
    Firstly, don't weigh yourself daily, do it once a week if you must, but every two weeks is better. Our bodies can fluctuate up to 3lbs per day depending if you are retaining water, need to go to the bathroom, just ate etc. So don't use a daily weight measurement as a goal.

    Secondly, make sure you eat back all of your exercise calories, otherwise as you mentioned your metabolism will slow thanks to starvation mode and you will find it harder to lose weight.

    Have you set your "lifestyle" (sedentary, active etc) accurately? Also are you sure you are logging your exercise and calories accurately?

    You may want to try varying up your exercise, a combination of cardio (at least 30 mins at a time) and weights to boost weight loss. Make sure you eat right away after a workout, and also first thing in the morning to get your daily metabolism going!
  • TurkieFacie
    TurkieFacie Posts: 9
    Thanks for the help!

    I still haven't figured out exactly what lightly active in comparison to other categories is - I work out probably once a day for at least 10 minutes and do 45 minutes of cardio every other day, how would that be described?

    I upped the calorie goal and am going to try weighing in every friday morning instead!
  • jshinoff
    jshinoff Posts: 25 Member
    For most people setting their activity level at sedentary and then recording exercise or other extended activity is best. Using a Nike Fuel Band to track your overall activity and caloric burn helps immensely.

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