Calorie Conundrum

[angie_mitchell]

Hey everyone,

I've recently started tracking my calories through an iPhone app (Lose It!) and it has really helped me in the sense that it forces me to recognize and take responsibility for everything I eat. BUT, I'm confused about the whole calorie concept.

The program suggests I eat about 1500 calories a day. This is after I told it that I weigh 125 lbs, want to weigh 118, and want to lose 1/2 lb a week. OK, so this seems doable to me. I haven't been super hungry - if anything, I am below my calories (unless I have an off day ex: at Disneyland!). My issue is that when I workout, there is a place to enter that and the amount of calories I've burned. What it does then, is actually adds the same amount of calories I've burned to the amount I can eat for the day. So, at the end of the week, I'm 2000+ calories UNDER my allotment.

I have a hard time believing the whole process is that mathematical. If the point is to try to consume less calories than I burn, then what is the point of continuing to eat what I burn?

I know the underlying point is to rev your metabolism so that you're burning more and more calories post workout but that's not track-able.

I'm really wanting to figure this whole thing out. I don't have a LOT to lose obviously and I'm aware that I'm not overweight but I really want to move from my consistent "kinda fit" to "really fit" by my 30th birthday which is in 7 months.

I would love any insight you could offer!

Thanks so much!

angie

 

[orphylea]

Angie: I had the same problem when I was using My Fitness Pal- drove me nuts. I finally stopped inputting my exercise into the website and it seemed to make more sense to me. If you're eating 1500 calories and want to lose 1/2 a pound a week, you only need a deficit of 1750 calories (roughly 3500 calories to lose a pound) a week or a 250 calorie per day. I think you would MORE than cover that with a good Cathe workout and normal day to day activity. I would just eat the calories recommended for a week or so and see where you are. You might even be able to up them a little bit (oh to dream!). Maybe someone else can give better insight why the program adds the calories back in but I just wanted you to know that I had the same issue and pretty much skipped using that feature!

 

[meowracer]

OK - I have read twice the question and Patti's response. Here are my thoughts, and I hope I'm not missing anything b/c it makes sense to me and usually, I go around life confused about stuff like this

If you have no physical activity (or whatever level you put in to calculate your BMR), then the amount you are given is what you will burn in a day, give or take a few. So, if you don't workout, that calorie level that was calculated to create the proper deficit for you to lose the weight gives you a goal to shoot for in your eating. However, if you work out and burn an extra 500 calories, for example, then you would need to add that to the deficit amount in order to keep your body from starving. You would do fine at first but over time, you will lose the benefits of your workouts if you want to build any sort of muscle. So, if you should eat 1500 calories a day, and that is putting you in the deficit to lose weight over your allotted time, then you workout and burn 500 more calories, you are basically surviving on 1000 calories a day, which is not nearly enough. It will most likely stall your weight loss efforts b/c your body will want to hold on to what it has at that point and the first thing to go will be your muscle, leaving you with more flab than anything. I should eat about 1630 calories a day according to the calculations but I usually burn about 500 in a workout. I simply cannot reach that number to maintain b/c I don't eat over 2000 calories a day but I make sure that I get a good macronutrient division and like to be about 1700-1800 calories. This is still a deficit but it feeds my body enough that it builds the muscle and burns the fat. I leaned out noticeably when I upped my calories and watched the macronutrients. Jeepers - I hope this makes some sort of sense.

 

[GMonkey]

OK - I have read twice the question and Patti's response. Here are my thoughts, and I hope I'm not missing anything b/c it makes sense to me and usually, I go around life confused about stuff like this

If you have no physical activity (or whatever level you put in to calculate your BMR), then the amount you are given is what you will burn in a day, give or take a few. So, if you don't workout, that calorie level that was calculated to create the proper deficit for you to lose the weight gives you a goal to shoot for in your eating. However, if you work out and burn an extra 500 calories, for example, then you would need to add that to the deficit amount in order to keep your body from starving. You would do fine at first but over time, you will lose the benefits of your workouts if you want to build any sort of muscle. So, if you should eat 1500 calories a day, and that is putting you in the deficit to lose weight over your allotted time, then you workout and burn 500 more calories, you are basically surviving on 1000 calories a day, which is not nearly enough. It will most likely stall your weight loss efforts b/c your body will want to hold on to what it has at that point and the first thing to go will be your muscle, leaving you with more flab than anything. I should eat about 1630 calories a day according to the calculations but I usually burn about 500 in a workout. I simply cannot reach that number to maintain b/c I don't eat over 2000 calories a day but I make sure that I get a good macronutrient division and like to be about 1700-1800 calories. This is still a deficit but it feeds my body enough that it builds the muscle and burns the fat. I leaned out noticeably when I upped my calories and watched the macronutrients. Jeepers - I hope this makes some sort of sense.

Yes, this is how I understand it, as well. Of course...if myfitnesspal says that I get to eat 2000 calories, I come darn close to it. My weightloss may not be as fast this way, but life is more enjoyable!

 

[meowracer]

Another thing is that you don't want to screw your metabolism up. I have noticed that by upping my calories, I am hungrier b/c I am burning more calories with an increased metabolism. This does not mean that I am starving all the time and cramming crap down my throat but whereas I did not really get hungry when I wasn't consuming enough calories (b/c my metabolism had slowed some when I majorly increased workouts and intensity but not calories), my body now is working as it should and food is fuel. It is an odd concept but one that is true... eat more to lose flab and increase your metabolism/calorie burn. There is a balance, indeed, but one worth finding.

 

[orphylea]

Shana: Ooooooh. Right. Now that makes sense. I'm so blond sometimes. If the number they give you is sort of your BMR then that completely helps. Humph. My GWF is easier to understand.

 

[angie_mitchell]

Thanks so much for the replies. Sorry it took me a few days to get back. I had a strange couple of days.

Anyway, I understand the idea of not wanting to screw my metabolism up and I have no problem eating the "right" foods - I just have a hard time figuring out what those things are. Can anyone recommend high calorie, "good" foods? Otherwise, I'm having a difficult time getting in all those calories!

Thanks again for the insight!
angie

 

[GMonkey]

Thanks so much for the replies. Sorry it took me a few days to get back. I had a strange couple of days.

Anyway, I understand the idea of not wanting to screw my metabolism up and I have no problem eating the "right" foods - I just have a hard time figuring out what those things are. Can anyone recommend high calorie, "good" foods? Otherwise, I'm having a difficult time getting in all those calories!

Thanks again for the insight!
angie

Gee, wish I had that problem. Almonds and avocados are good examples of very healthy and high-calorie foods.

 

[orphylea]

Angie: Yep, I agree- peanut butter and nuts work wonders! I find that the fat also helps me not get those terrible I must eat everything in sight cravings. HTH!