1, I'm new to calorie counting (not new to dieting). I'm still getting my cc feet wet and figuring this out. The most mind-bending notion for me is that a calorie is a calorie, no matter what it is comprised of.
I've read theories and "proof in the pudding" on it not mattering what you eat so long as you create the deficit, as well as the opposite that the macronutrients do matter.
While I've always "known" about calorie counting, I've never done it. Every diet in my past shrouded that detail in the program/plan itself. It is refreshing to get down to the basics, and I feel sometimes a little bit even like a novice dieter since this approach is, indeed, new for me.
Whew...that was a rant. Sorry.
2, since I am getting my cc feet wet, I'm still learning what my body can do and how it responds to what I feed it/don't feed it.
3, I was thrilled to discover that this old body, with metabolic issues, COULD lose weight when pushed. I feel like a walking science experiment sometimes.
4, my exercise is walking, and I don't do it all the time. I know I should do more, but am not a gym/sport type gal. I had 2 gym memberships over the years and literally wasted my money by never going. Once, I joined a volley ball team. That was ridiculous for me. I joined a dance troupe. Ridiculous for me. Walking is free...but I have to make myself do it and while I know it is possible in the winter (go to the mall/grocery store and walk the outer aisles, walk at lunch) it is a matter of doing it. So, for the bit that I exercise, I would not adjust my calories upwards to compensate.
Lastly, I don't eat exactly the same daily. Some days less, some right on, some more. Basically tho, I'm sustaining a deficit, and I'm still seeing results.
Same as steph7409.. I have 1200 a day and with around 300-400 calories burned while exercising my net is 800-900. It seems very low but its worked well for me so far.
Yes, I do adapt my caloric intake to accommodate exercise, but not for the reasons most people do.
Rather than adding calories to compensate for the number on the elliptical trainer, I work out with weights and add a low-carb protein shake to my diet on workout days. That way, I am building muscles and the additional calories are benefitting me in a way that just adding a bagel, or even extra fruit and veggies, do not.
i started out eating back no exercise calories and only eating 1340 a day. However, i am training for various races and was feeling faint and easily fatigued.
I then decided to drop my calories down to 1300 and eat back 60% of what was burned-- it helped after the exercise but i still felt listless during runs since i was eating after the fact.
I settled on a happy medium-- i eat 1428 a day (which will also be the maintenance calories for my goal weight) and i do not eat back my exercise calories. That way, i upped my daily fuel giving me more energy during exercise, but i am still losing.
i started out eating back no exercise calories and only eating 1340 a day. However, i am training for various races and was feeling faint and easily fatigued.
I then decided to drop my calories down to 1300 and eat back 60% of what was burned-- it helped after the exercise but i still felt listless during runs since i was eating after the fact.
I settled on a happy medium-- i eat 1428 a day (which will also be the maintenance calories for my goal weight) and i do not eat back my exercise calories. That way, i upped my daily fuel giving me more energy during exercise, but i am still losing.
its worked so far.
Well it's good that you're still losing. I haven't logged exercises yet, I don't want it to affect my calorie allowance. It's good to know that I am able to eat a little more than the allowance aimed for weight loss and hopefully still lose. We'll see how it works out. I'm trying to stay away frm the scale, last time I stepped on it, I got really scared. I'm going to step on it after Finals (a week before Christmas)
It's fun reading other dieters' suggestions here.
I've played around a bit with my eating back the exercise calories.
I walk my dogs 90+ minutes a day. I am also walking up to an hour three times a week with a friend's dog. I eat back my walking calories but I do not eat back the 60-75 minute workout that I do for me everyday.
For example: today I've walked 101 minutes with dogs so far, and did a 70 minute workout for me. This evening I will walk 30 minutes with one dog, and 45 minutes or so with the other dog. I've eaten back 420 calories from this morning, will eat back 250 calories from this evening's walks, and I've banked 460 calories. These calories do not include the cleaning I did today or my very active lifestyle.
I'm losing at least one pound a week. I'm satisfied. This works for me.
