Confusion about Net Calories
CM9178
Posts: 1,251 Member
So I have a fitbit synched with MFP. In the morning, MFP will give me a lower calorie goal number based off what it thinks I'm going to burn (usually in the morning my goal is around 1250 because my TDEE is around 1750).
As the day goes on, and my fitbit records that I'm burning more calories, MFP slowly begins increasing my calorie goal for the day.
So on a regular day that I don't work out this is fine, I eat 1250, I net 1250, I'm good.
My confusion comes with workout days. MFP updates my calorie goal to include those calories. Yesterday is a good example of that, my goal ended up increasing to 1453 based off exercise, and I ate 1308.
My Fitbit calories burned yesterday were 1941 including the exercise.
When I look at my NET calories for yesterday on MFP (under reports), it shows 1195.
This isn't making any sense to me. Had I not worked out yesterday, I only would've eaten 1250.
I ate MORE, because I worked out....(MFP said I burned 239 exercising yesterday, so I tried to only eat about half of those calories back).
The way I look at it is, I burned 1941 calories all day INCLUDING working out.
I consumed a total of 1308 calories. Therefore, my deficit for the day is 633 calories, right???
Am I doing this wrong????
As the day goes on, and my fitbit records that I'm burning more calories, MFP slowly begins increasing my calorie goal for the day.
So on a regular day that I don't work out this is fine, I eat 1250, I net 1250, I'm good.
My confusion comes with workout days. MFP updates my calorie goal to include those calories. Yesterday is a good example of that, my goal ended up increasing to 1453 based off exercise, and I ate 1308.
My Fitbit calories burned yesterday were 1941 including the exercise.
When I look at my NET calories for yesterday on MFP (under reports), it shows 1195.
This isn't making any sense to me. Had I not worked out yesterday, I only would've eaten 1250.
I ate MORE, because I worked out....(MFP said I burned 239 exercising yesterday, so I tried to only eat about half of those calories back).
The way I look at it is, I burned 1941 calories all day INCLUDING working out.
I consumed a total of 1308 calories. Therefore, my deficit for the day is 633 calories, right???
Am I doing this wrong????
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Replies
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Fitbit calories at END of day were 1941?
Less 500 deficit it appears you have, should have resulted in MFP adjusted eating level near 1441. Not exact though, their numbers start out slightly different. You got 1453, so that's right.
So you ate 1308, but netted 1195.
1308 - 1195 = 113
Does that happen to be the amount of your MFP calorie adjustment because of Fitbit?
Anyway, MFP is assuming any positive adjustment that comes over is for exercise, but that is NOT true, it could just be more active daily life than MFP estimated based on your selection of activity level.
So it takes total eaten - that adjustment as exercise = Net calories
And indeed, Fitbit burned 1941 - 1308 eaten = 633 deficit.
Was your workout NOT step based so that you had to manually log it?
And since it's replacing the Fitbit estimate of calorie burn - you eat it all back.
The only thing you may be doing wrong is thinking a bigger deficit is better, and making the 500 (which may or may not be reasonable) bigger.
Constant basis doing that, if unreasonable, will bite you sooner or later. If over 25 lbs to lose, not that bad.
Oh yeah, that 1750 is your non-exercise TDEE, MFP takes into consideration NO exercise being done to figure your eating goal.0
