My Fitness Pal – telling me off RE low calories

[helloeverybody83]

Hi,

I’m using MyFitnessPal, it’s really easy to use and it’s helping me keep on track… BUT.

Because I’m doing my exercise DVD’s (goal of at least 20 mins daily but sometimes 45 mins one day then skip the next) it’s saying I can have more calories.

Then it tells me off (red letters saying I’ll be in ‘starvation mode’ etc) when I finish logging each day. Thing is, I’m full! I don’t want to eat for the sake of eating but it’s making me feel like I need to have stuff I don’t really want.

I’ve started to have a bit of fruit/small piece of cheese/celery with a low fat Dairylea on it just thinking ‘it’s good for me’ but I don’t really want it… meh. Maybe I’m being daft and should just ignore it.

But ‘starvation mode’ doesn’t really appeal to me.

By the way – it’s says I can have 1270 cals and I’m having about 800 (burning about 300 a day on exercise). x

 

[Geordie lass]

I too am doing MyFitnessPal, and it tells me that also. You can adjust the calories in the settings to what you want it to be. It tells me I should be eating 1200 cals per day, but at the moment I am managing 500cals! I love the app though, I just ignore the starvation mode advice!

 

[helloeverybody83]

Oh good - glad it's not just me!#

500 cals? Blimey - are you exercising. That doesn't sound like much at all x

 

[top_kat]

You can change the settings, or just ignore it. Stick with what you are working to. My provider advises not to offset exercise calories against those eaten which is what MFP also suggests. Although MFP also hugely over estimates the calories that it says is used in exercise and its a good minimum 30-40% lower than reality.

 

[helloeverybody83]

Yep, I always enter less time than I have done (tend to work out 45 mins but enter 30 to allow for warm up / cool down etc) anyway.

I'm exercising more for toning and fitness than weight loss to be honest. I just referenced it to explain why MFP is saying I'm 'under' x

 

[Geordie lass]

Oh good - glad it's not just me!# 500 cals? Blimey - are you exercising. That doesn't sound like much at all x

I am not exercising yet, apart from gentle walking as I am only 15 days post op. I am still on my liquids for another week, then it's the puréed foods. I cannot get back to the gym until 4 weeks post op. 500cals does not sound a lot but it's all I can manage. I get full so easily with my new sleeved stomach. It's great! Looking forward to getting back to the gym, then I'll be burning more calories than I will probably be eating! Hope my body can cope with this! M x

 

[helloeverybody83]

Oh I see - of course, sorry didn't realise you were so soon post-op! Hope you're comfortable and healing nicely. It's a strange feeling in the first few weeks - I remember feeling quite run down and sore but I'm guessing with a sleeve/bypass it's more painful?

I'm too stingy for the gym and get really paranoid about all the skinny people. But that's me being daft! I'm a bit obsessed with buying second hand and very naff celebrity workout DVD's at the moment :-/ x