Question about total calorie goal in My Fitness Pal

madkcole

Hello, I'm new! First day as a matter of fact. I'm having trouble figuring out the total daily goal for calories in the food diary. Any and all responses would help greatly. My trainer calculated that my calorie intake should be 1866 calories a day for weight loss. I entered that amount into the Daily Nutrition goals. However, in my “food diary,” the “Your daily goal” for calories is 2329. I think it has something to do with the total calories burned (463) from the exercises I entered for today into the exercise diary. Can someone help explain why the calorie goal went up in the food diary?

kathy9083

MFP automatically adds on the calories you burn during cardio exercises onto your daily goal. Personally, I don't really touch the calories I burn from exercise as I've heard MFP tends to overestimate them. If your trainer recommends you should be eating 1866, I'd just stick with that and leave the exercise calories alone or if you want to eat some of them back, the highest I would eat is around 50% of what MFP says you burned. (ex: eat back only 231 calories)

leansandra

your general calorie goal is what you need to achieve weight loss. If you exercise then your energy needs are higher for that day so you get to eat more. You don't have to eat up to that goal..you can stay under that goal however weight loss >2lbs per week in not recommended as you start burning up muscle at this point. I have followed the calculations in the past and it does work. In my case I underestimated how many calories I was burning at the gym so I achieved my goal quicker however never exceeded 2lbs /week.

madkcole

Thank you both. I think you're right Kathy9083 about MFP overestimating the calories burned. I just compared it to the heart rate monitor I wear during workouts that also calculates calories burned and there's a difference of almost 60 calories. Yikes! I think I trust my monitor more.

Timelordlady85

I use my polat ft4 to calculate planned exercise and count anything outside that exercise that wasn't planned,like say I do yard work or when I'm cleaning at work during the week(cleaning business) as a bonus, they may give me a higher calorie allowance through my fitbit but I don't eat all my exercise calories back. It works for me.

madkcole

Great idea Timelordlady85. I also use the Polar T4. I never even thought about tracking calories burned doing normal every day activities.

madkcole

Just thought of another question. If the goal is to create a calorie deficit through exercise, why does MFP add back the calories you burned? What am I missing?

kyrannosaurus

madkcole wrote: »

Just thought of another question. If the goal is to create a calorie deficit through exercise, why does MFP add back the calories you burned? What am I missing?

The goal of exercise isn't to create a deficit. Exercise is for fitness and health. If you have set your goals correctly you already have a deficit built into your calorie goal.

seska422

madkcole wrote: »

Just thought of another question. If the goal is to create a calorie deficit through exercise, why does MFP add back the calories you burned? What am I missing?

The goal is to take how many calories your body uses in a day and subtract from that to get a calorie deficit. The exercise is for overall health but the actual weight loss is from eating fewer calories than your body is burning.

Your basic MFP calorie goal would get you to your weight loss deficit goal even if you didn't exercise. If you do 200 calories worth of exercise and "eat back" those 200 calories, you'll still lose at your goal rate. The more you exercise, the more you can eat.

veganbaum

madkcole wrote: »

Just thought of another question. If the goal is to create a calorie deficit through exercise, why does MFP add back the calories you burned? What am I missing?

Your trainer is likely basing your calories on TDEE, with a percentage deficit. TDEE includes ALL average activity, including exercise.

MFP uses the NEAT method, which gives you a deficit based on your daily activity WITHOUT exercise. When you enter your purposeful exercise, it then adds those calories back to your total to keep your deficit where you asked it to be. You are meant to eat those calories to maintain a healthy deficit and rate of loss, and fuel your body. However, because those numbers can be inflated, many people eat around 50-75% back to account for that inaccuracy (as well as food logging inaccuracy).

You need to go with one or the other. With TDEE, don't eat those calories MFP adds (because you already ARE eating them). With NEAT, you should eat those calories - or at least a portion.

arditarose

So did your trainer find your TDEE and subtract a percentage from it...or did he tell you your TDEE, and ask you to exercise to create a deficit?

Honestly. You should just enter your stats into MFP and let it tell you what to eat to lose.

madkcole

Thanks ladies. I'm still a little unclear. (Can you tell math is not my strong suit?) I read the following on Livestrong.com about calories and losing weight:

"Increasing the number of calories you burn through exercise promotes weight loss. Another significant factor is your calorie intake. If you increase your physical activity without increasing the number of calories you consume, weight loss results. When you eat enough calories to support your current weight, you need to create a calorie deficit through physical activity. To burn enough calories to lose weight, plan to exercise five to seven times a week. If you burn 250 calories through exercise seven days a week, for example, you create a weekly deficit of 1,750 calories. Since you need a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb., this level of activity supports weight loss of 1/2 lb. per week. A modest calorie deficit of 250 calories daily equates to a weight loss of 2 lbs. per month. To lose 1 lb. per week, you would need to burn 500 calories daily."

So, if my calorie intake should be 1866 and I wanted to lose about one pound per week, wouldn't I need to burn 500 of those calories each workout?

arditarose

madkcole wrote: »

Thanks ladies. I'm still a little unclear. (Can you tell math is not my strong suit?) I read the following on Livestrong.com about calories and losing weight:

"Increasing the number of calories you burn through exercise promotes weight loss. Another significant factor is your calorie intake. If you increase your physical activity without increasing the number of calories you consume, weight loss results. When you eat enough calories to support your current weight, you need to create a calorie deficit through physical activity. To burn enough calories to lose weight, plan to exercise five to seven times a week. If you burn 250 calories through exercise seven days a week, for example, you create a weekly deficit of 1,750 calories. Since you need a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb., this level of activity supports weight loss of 1/2 lb. per week. A modest calorie deficit of 250 calories daily equates to a weight loss of 2 lbs. per month. To lose 1 lb. per week, you would need to burn 500 calories daily."

So, if my calorie intake should be 1866 and I wanted to lose about one pound per week, wouldn't I need to burn 500 of those calories each workout?

You should not try to burn 500 calories per day to lose weight.

First, calculate your TDEE-Total Daily Energy Expenditure. It includes your exercise and daily activity level. Then subtract 15 or 20% to find your deficit.

Or, enter your stats into MFP which uses the NEAT method and does not include exercise. It will give you a deficit which will allow you to "eat back" your calories burned.

madkcole

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

Point C...again, to lose a pound a week, you just need the 500 calorie deficit. If you set MFP to lose a pound a week, then the daily goal it gives you will already include your 500 calorie deficit.

I think I'm getting it now. I was viewing the calorie deficit being achieved by burning 500 calories. And as arditarose said above, burning these calories doesn't create the deficit. You guys have been so patient with me, thanks!

So, the TDEE method is the 'guided' set up. I just went back and reviewed it. It asked me my current weight and goal weight. It also asked me my exercise level. I chose “sedentary” because I work at a desk job all day. It then asked me how many times I plan on exercising. I answered “5 workouts at 60 minutes.” When I did that, it calculated "Net calories consumed/day" of 1,650 per day and "calories burned/week" at 2,640 calories per week. So, this method is calculating the 2,640 calories burned per week based on my answer of “5 workouts at 60 minutes,” correct?

There's just one more point I'm not clear on. I just looked at my food log for the day and it says “Your daily goal” is 2,113. That is 1650 +463 (calories that MFP said I burned based on my exercise today). I’m not sure I’m understanding why these calories are added back to the 1,650 “net calories.” What’s the bottom line? Based exercising 5x a week, what is the total amount of calories I should consume per day to reach my goal weight? Also, am I supposed to burn 2,460 calories per week? Is that what "calories burned/week" means?

Thanks again for all your support!

madkcole

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

Point B...to lose 1 lb a week, you need to have a 500 calorie a day deficit. How you accomplish that is up to you. I, personally think it's much easier to create the deficit by limiting my intake than exercising a crazy amount, but both would work.

- Agreed!

madkcole

Currently, I'm burning between 250 and 300 calories per workout (except today - stayed on the bike longer today). In your opinions, is that enough to lose a pound a week, granted I'm following the calorie intake recommendation by MFP and exercising 5x a week. (Arg - I suspect I'm over analyzing this)

veganbaum

madkcole wrote: »

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

Point C...again, to lose a pound a week, you just need the 500 calorie deficit. If you set MFP to lose a pound a week, then the daily goal it gives you will already include your 500 calorie deficit.

I think I'm getting it now. I was viewing the calorie deficit being achieved by burning 500 calories. And as arditarose said above, burning these calories doesn't create the deficit. You guys have been so patient with me, thanks!

So, the TDEE method is the 'guided' set up. I just went back and reviewed it. It asked me my current weight and goal weight. It also asked me my exercise level. I chose “sedentary” because I work at a desk job all day. It then asked me how many times I plan on exercising. I answered “5 workouts at 60 minutes.” When I did that, it calculated "Net calories consumed/day" of 1,650 per day and "calories burned/week" at 2,640 calories per week. So, this method is calculating the 2,640 calories burned per week based on my answer of “5 workouts at 60 minutes,” correct?

There's just one more point I'm not clear on. I just looked at my food log for the day and it says “Your daily goal” is 2,113. That is 1650 +463 (calories that MFP said I burned based on my exercise today). I’m not sure I’m understanding why these calories are added back to the 1,650 “net calories.” What’s the bottom line? Based exercising 5x a week, what is the total amount of calories I should consume per day to reach my goal weight? Also, am I supposed to burn 2,460 calories per week? Is that what "calories burned/week" means?

Thanks again for all your support!

HappyCampr1 pretty much explained it, but I'll add in my own explanation and hopefully they both help.


No, MFP is NOT based on TDEE, it's based on NEAT. This is usually why people are confused at first when using MFP.

Other calculators' - and usually doctors' and trainers' - recommendations are based of off TDEE - (15-20%) (usually). So, you do NOT eat your exercise calories because the numbers already include your exercise.

MFP was set up to get you to your goal WITHOUT exercise. MFP knows that the average person is probably not going to do as much exercise as they say they will. So, instead of including it up front, it gives you the number of calories to eat based on whatever goal you entered. If you eat to that goal (and are logging accurately) you should lose weight (or gain or maintain). When you enter your exercise, you are supposed to eat those calories back, because MFP is still giving you the goal you asked for. Again, most people don't eat all of them back due to inaccuracies in burned calorie estimates as well as inaccuracies in food logging.


So, your goal is to eat 1650 a day, plus exercise calories. Today, you made your deficit larger by 463 calories (or less since those numbers are often inflated). So, you may want to eat 1650 + 230. You will still end up at roughly the same deficit you asked MFP for, depending on how accurate the exercise calories are for you and how accurate you are with your food logging. MFP DOESN'T CARE about your exercise GOAL. It cares about the exercise once you enter it, then tells you to eat more to keep your deficit healthy and your body fueled.

If you want to go with TDEE, then you'll need to manually enter your own calorie goal and not log exercise, or log it as 1 calorie.

Saber144

I dont eat back my exercise calories. Maybe this is not the best way but I've lost 45lbs and feel great and am not hungry. I jog/walk 5 miles a day.

heybales

madkcole wrote: »

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

Point C...again, to lose a pound a week, you just need the 500 calorie deficit. If you set MFP to lose a pound a week, then the daily goal it gives you will already include your 500 calorie deficit.

I think I'm getting it now. I was viewing the calorie deficit being achieved by burning 500 calories. And as arditarose said above, burning these calories doesn't create the deficit. You guys have been so patient with me, thanks!

So, the TDEE method is the 'guided' set up. I just went back and reviewed it. It asked me my current weight and goal weight. It also asked me my exercise level. I chose “sedentary” because I work at a desk job all day. It then asked me how many times I plan on exercising. I answered “5 workouts at 60 minutes.” When I did that, it calculated "Net calories consumed/day" of 1,650 per day and "calories burned/week" at 2,640 calories per week. So, this method is calculating the 2,640 calories burned per week based on my answer of “5 workouts at 60 minutes,” correct?

There's just one more point I'm not clear on. I just looked at my food log for the day and it says “Your daily goal” is 2,113. That is 1650 +463 (calories that MFP said I burned based on my exercise today). I’m not sure I’m understanding why these calories are added back to the 1,650 “net calories.” What’s the bottom line? Based exercising 5x a week, what is the total amount of calories I should consume per day to reach my goal weight? Also, am I supposed to burn 2,460 calories per week? Is that what "calories burned/week" means?

Thanks again for all your support!

Just so you and others know - the eating goal and the exercise goals you selected in your profile have NO bearing on the math for each other.
Those are goals - you log whatever you actually do - which is what you did.
Exercise goals on the Exercise tab.
Eating goals on the Food tab.
One has no bearing on the other as far as initial goals is concerned.

So why are the exercise calories added back to your eating goal?
Simplicity.

In reality it's like this.
MFP figured from your stats and selected non-exercise sedentary activity level you'd burn 2150 calories a day.
You selected 1 lb weekly weight loss - so 500 cal deficit.

2150 - 500 = 1650 eating goal on sedentary day.

But you exercised 463 calories off.

non-exercise daily burn 2150 + 463 exercise = 2613 daily burn

daily burn 2613 - 500 cal deficit = 2113 eating goal.

Same 500 cal deficit, same weight loss. Exercise transforms your body. Diet causes fat loss. Hopefully only that.

But in reality, it's just easier to add the exercise to the non-exercise daily eating goal.

sedentary eating goal 1650 + 463 exercise = 2113 eating goal.

Look at that - eating goal is exactly the same no matter how you do it. And you have a 500 calorie deficit.

If 500 is reasonable deficit for amount to be lost - then you are maintaining that weight loss - rather then making it unreasonable. Which will eventually sooner or later cause negative results all around.

And just as reminder because you missed it in several posts.

MFP is NOT doing a TDEE setup, it is doing a NEAT setup.

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure - what you literally end up burning in a day all things combined.

That is what MFP ends up with after you log your exercise.

Your coach was likely do an average weekly TDEE setup, averaging back out to a daily level.
You were asked about your daily life and expected exercise routine hopefully. Then a deficit was taken off as daily eating goal that stays the same.

And that's what leads to the confusion you must do exercise to lose weight. Because with that system, your eating goal is accounting for doing whatever you said you'd do for exercise.
Miss the exercise but still eat your goal - you won't have a deficit likely.

MFP method is add the exercise when actually done.

With the same deficit - both lead to the same average results viewed from a weekly range.

What motivates you determines which one to use.

Do you plan better with exactly same calories eaten each day?
And you will be inspired to do your workouts?

Or can plan well enough with changing daily goals?
And you are motivated to workout to get to eat more?

madkcole

heybales wrote: »

So why are the exercise calories added back to your eating goal?
Simplicity.

In reality it's like this.
MFP figured from your stats and selected non-exercise sedentary activity level you'd burn 2150 calories a day.
You selected 1 lb weekly weight loss - so 500 cal deficit.
2150 - 500 = 1650 eating goal on sedentary day.
But you exercised 463 calories off.
non-exercise daily burn 2150 + 463 exercise = 2613 daily burn
daily burn 2613 - 500 cal deficit = 2113 eating goal.
Same 500 cal deficit, same weight loss. Exercise transforms your body. Diet causes fat loss. Hopefully only that.
But in reality, it's just easier to add the exercise to the non-exercise daily eating goal.
sedentary eating goal 1650 + 463 exercise = 2113 eating goal.
Look at that - eating goal is exactly the same no matter how you do it. And you have a 500 calorie deficit.

Thank you heybales. Seeing it explained in a bullet point format finally turned the light bulb on in my head. And thanks to all the rest of you too. I so appreciate your help.

madkcole

And yes, I see now that MFP is not using the TDEE method. Makes more sense now.