[s rosa]

I'm attempting to count calories as well as exercise (using the LoseIt app on my itouch) and I'm confused - it says to lose 2 lbs a week, I should be eating about 1600 calories. I usually eat between 1400-1600 calories depending on the day. Should I be eating 1400-1600 NET calories per day to lose, or is that just total calories eaten regardless of what I burn off?

At the end of the day, depending on the timing, I might feel slightly hungry, but not starving, and I'm thinking I might not actually *be* hungry, it might be that my brain is still in the *eat constantly no matter what right up until bedtime* phase. I'm still learning to tell the difference. I figure if I'm not hungry I'm probably ok, but after entering in all the info for yesterday, I was approx. 700 calories "below budget". Help?

[evoo]

I'm not familiar with the app, did it ask for your activity level when you input your information? If so it likely took that into consideration when calculating your calories needs and weighing them against your weight loss goals.

How long have you been tracking your calories? Have you been losing, maintaining or gaining during that time?

[jigglefree]

I have been using the Loseit app as well. It will subtract your calories burned from the calories consumed and tell you what your remaining calories to be consumed.

I usually leave out my exercise and just eat my designated calories. If not I will still have about 400+ calories to consume after dinner. When I tried it with the exercise included I had almost a 1000 calories to consume before dinner. That was too much for me. I made some adjustments in my calories to be consumed and left off the exercise.

[Eliana]

I just eat 1200-1500 calories, period, regardless of exercise. 1) I don't trust the machines to tell me how much I burned and 2) I'm not exercising so I can eat more. But that's just me.

[ValerieL]

The machines (treadmills, ellipticals) are notorious for overestimating calorie burn anyway.

[kerbear879]

I use that app and I do my net calories (and yes I am losing) which is your daily calorie amount plus your exercise calories but I do estimate on the low side probably for my exercising. For example, I go to Curves 3 times a week, and their Curves Smart says I burn over 400 calories..but if I just use the generic body circuit in the iloseit app, it says around 280 or so and I usually just use the 280 number instead. And there are days where I don't eat all my calories but I like that app because it will tell you how far below you are for the week so if I want to go out to dinner one night with the OH, then I don't have to worry too much if I go over my calories for one day if I am actually under for the whole week.

If you don't plan on or don't want to eat those exercise calories, then just don't add your exercise in and you will just get the daily calories instead.

[Karen925]

Howdy,
i use that app and Nutrition Menu as well. I do not log my exercise there. I use another mode of habit formation. For me, exercise is for fitness, and calorie reduction is for weight loss. They work together but are not the same process.

Best wishes.

[Shmead]

How much are you losing? If it's between 1-2 lbs a week and you are no more than mildly hungry, keep doing what you are doing. The math is, at best, a sloppy estimate: use what happens with your body as a guide. If you lose more than 2 lbs a week for a couple weeks, eat more. If you lose less than a pound a week for 2-3 weeks, eat less.

If you are losing less than a pound a week AND you are super hungry, then it gets complicated. At that point you need to be eating differently, probably.

[Thighs Be Gone]

I have never eaten back my calories. When I was on my way down I aimed for 12-1400 calories daily and exercised daily the majority of the journey.

[Thighs Be Gone]

Hey--I also wanted to mention the you may have tweak your routine some depending on how your results are going. Also, for the hunger thing--or those hints of hunger you are feeling. Are you getting plenty of healthy fats like avacado, olive oil, fatty fish, etc? Are you getting plenty of protein and fiber? Also, you may want to make sure your foods for dinner time are all low on the Glycemic Index.

I hate to sound sanctimonious. It's just that I wish people had told me these things as I first began. I just want to help.

[MotoMichelle]

Count me as another who does not eat her calories back.

I consider burned calories from exercise a bonus to my weight loss efforts. My body survives just fine on eating around 1500 a day.

[ncuneo]

I also don't eat back my calories, but I had to increase my cals to about 1650 daily average (I zig zag) because my weight loss was stalling and I was starving (I expect to have to start lowering them in about 10lbs, hopefully more )...we're all different, you just have to find what works for you.

I liked the previous posters comment about calorie reduction for weight loss and exercise for fitness.