Do I need to change my activity level?

dan_the_man0904

Hello all. I'm fairly new to MFP and just got my FitBit this week. So far so good. I have used the calorie trackers in the past with varied results. I usually quit using them because it would cut my caloric intake down so far, I was starving all the time. That, and when I would exercise and track it, say on a treadmill, I would get different calorie burn results from the tracker as opposed to what was on the treadmill. So that's why I got a FitBit Charge HR. I wanted to make sure I knew EXACTLY how many calories I was burning and how much I was able to eat.

So when I signed up for MFP, and got my FitBit, I set my activity level to Lightly Active. I am a registered nurse, and my daily activity level can vary from being behind a desk all day, to giving a shower, to passing meds, or doing CPR for a half hour. There is never any real consistency and I don't really have the time to do any actual exercise.

Here's my issue. I track what I eat with MFP, and sync to my FitBit. Here is my stats from yesterday.

31 y/o male
280 lbs
Goal: 2430 calories
Food: -2625 calories
Exercise adjustment: +1363 calories
Net Calories Left: +1168

Now, I don't want to eat back all those calories, and I AM losing weight. My worry is that I'm having too much of a surplus of calories and will eventually shut down my metabolism. What defines that activity levels? Since I don't actually work out, but I'm pretty much on my feet and moving anywhere between 4-12 hours a day, it's hard to put me in a category within the parameters of the MFP software. Everything I have seen on here says to trust the FitBit and the actually calorie burn is correct, but I can't see me still losing weight if I ate back all those calories I have in surplus.

editorgrrl

Undereating won't get you to your goal any more quickly, and food is fuel.

It doesn't matter how you set your activity level if (and only if) you enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

The higher you set your activity level the smaller your adjustments—but the higher your starting calories, so it all evens out. Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), aka your maintenance calories. If you eat at a reasonable deficit from that, you will lose weight.

Edited to add that your MFP calorie goal already has your deficit built in. If you eat back all your adjustments, you're eating TDEE minus deficit.

NancyN795

More knowledgeable types may chime in with better advice, but here's my take on it.

First, you'll never know EXACTLY how many calories you're burning, but the FitBit can get most people reasonably close.

Since you indicate that your daily activity is highly variable and unpredictable, I think you should just wear your FitBit and eat what seems right for at least a week. When you get your weekly progress report from FitBit, look at it carefully and calculate your TDEE from that - especially if you had a typical week. Just take the Total Cals Burned number and divide it by 7. Subtract the appropriate amount from that to achieve the weight loss you're aiming for (500 calories per day if you're aiming to lose one pound per week) and you've got the amount you should eat each day. Make adjustments as necessary as time goes on.

Trying to pick the right MFP activity level is hard for most of us (I keep mine at the minimum and just let FitBit adjust things upward as I am active) and pretty much impossible for someone whose job is so unpredictable. However, it probably averages out over time, so tracking the TDEE that FitBit comes up with can give you a better idea of what that number should be.

heybales

Since the numbers seem huge, you might actually see if you can compare them to real life - not prior diets.

Add up a few typical days of normal eating levels in MFP - pick some date in the past.
Be as honest as you can.

How high were you eating prior to starting a diet and watching what you ate.

Many people are shocked that even for the big items they can remember, not even the small 400 cal snacks couple times daily, they were eating 1000 more than currently, and were moving a whole lot less.

Probably not a big enough activity level on MFP for that kind of day. I've found most mothers with a full time desk job are lightly active already - you are Active for sure. as that adjustment indicates.

And don't worry, if you have slower days, just confirm negative adjustments are allowed.

And that Fitbit is still underestimating too for your day.
For all non-moving time like sitting or standing, you get sleeping level calorie burn - BMR.
But when awake you burn more - RMR.
When standing not moving you burn even more.
Digesting/processing food you burn more, about 10% of calories eaten.

So only if you see in your Fitbit stats tons of steps and distance and calorie burn - when there was no such steps, then it's underestimated already.

With no formal resistance training to tell your body to retain muscle - the last thing you need is a big deficit willing to take it away.

dan_the_man0904

Thanks guys. From what I read here and what I found on a MFP blog that breaks it down, I changed to active. It gave me more calories, but if the fitbit adjustments will lessen as said before it will even out.

fatjon73

very interesting peeps....got my FB HR on Friday and the Saturdays goal was far too high, said I could eat 1800 cals for 6500 steps.....I was set at light active before I got my FB, I work in manufacturing and can spend a lot of time on my feet, but at the moment I am in the office so did light to be on safe side......after Saturday I thought I would lower my level to sedentary and let the FB work out my activity and adjust in MFP............today at work I was up and down more than normal office day...I did 6500 steps and can eat back 580 cals, so seems much closer to the mark TBH.........but from what your saying on here, I should go the other way, set it light again or active, and let FB give me less back to eat??? or do they even out if I leave it at sedentary???

Many thanks

NancyN795

fatjon73 wrote: »

very interesting peeps....got my FB HR on Friday and the Saturdays goal was far too high, said I could eat 1800 cals for 6500 steps.....I was set at light active before I got my FB, I work in manufacturing and can spend a lot of time on my feet, but at the moment I am in the office so did light to be on safe side......after Saturday I thought I would lower my level to sedentary and let the FB work out my activity and adjust in MFP............today at work I was up and down more than normal office day...I did 6500 steps and can eat back 580 cals, so seems much closer to the mark TBH.........but from what your saying on here, I should go the other way, set it light again or active, and let FB give me less back to eat??? or do they even out if I leave it at sedentary???

Many thanks

I think this is a personal preference thing. I keep my activity level in MFP set to minimum (Sedentary) and let FitBit add calories back as the day goes on. It's sort of a psycological game, really as it should even out at the end of the day no matter what, but this is what works for me. Doing it this way, I can pretty much count on the "calories remaining" that MFP shows as being a minimum, so I know I can eat *at least* that much and if I want to eat more, I'd better get moving. However, if you need to plan your food early in the day and won't be able to change it later, then it is probably best to set your activity level as accurately as possible.