Exercise Calories and Different MFP Activity Levels

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JayRod2519
JayRod2519 Posts: 27 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Not sure if this is the right board...but...
I have been adding my cardio calories in and eating them back. My fitness level, as some have suggested, is set at Sedentary; therefore, it stands to reason that any exercise calories that aren't put back in to my body might push me into starvation.
BUT...if I change my fitness level to light active or moderately active, do those include built in exercise calories into my daily recommended calorie intake? Or should I still be logging exercise and eating back the calories?
If I have confused you, let me know and I will try to clarify...thanks!!

Replies

  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    You shouldn't track the exercise calories for the exercise that you have used to raise your level to lightly active.

    Hypothetical Example: Let's say that I do a gentle workout for about half an hour, six days a week. I set myself as lightly active so that I won't have to be bothered eating exercise calories. Now, one weekend, I decide to do an extremely long walk and go 15 miles. This is far beyond my normal lightly active level, so I would probably eat some of those back as well.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    When MFP asks for you activity level they mean your job. Do you sit at a desk for 8 hrs a day? Are you a mailman walking 8 hrs a day? It's not asking about how much exercise you do. So choose the level that best describes what you do on a daily basis for 8 hrs of the day then you can add any intentional exercise you do like running, cycling, etc. It's up to you whether you eat all those calories back or not. You won't go into starvation by not eating them all back because most people are really inaccurate about their food consumption versus their exercise level.
  • ilmb87
    ilmb87 Posts: 216 Member
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    If you don't want to worry about eating back calories, use the TDEE method. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Your exercise is already accounted for in those calculations, whereas MFP only calculates daily activity and exercise is considered "extra."
  • duqdevil44
    duqdevil44 Posts: 5 Member
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    How do I change my activity level? I can't find it anywhere?!?!

    Thanks!
  • JayRod2519
    JayRod2519 Posts: 27 Member
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    Ok, that clears it up...I didn't realize that my "acitivity level" was just for my job. I am already using TDEE, just didn't want to over/under consumer, obviously.

    Thanks!!!
  • JayRod2519
    JayRod2519 Posts: 27 Member
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    To change your activity level, go to "settings" at the top of the page, then to "update diet/fitness profile".

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