confused and frustrated

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  • oh_happy_day
    oh_happy_day Posts: 1,137 Member
    CarlanaVanHouten wrote: »
    Right now I'm using my HRM to determine my calorie burn rather than the database, but I did just start today with it. When I record my activity, I adjust the calories burned to match the HRM. However, I will also try adjusting my activity level. My morning shift is mostly sedentary, but any extras I get usually have a bit more to do.

    That's great that you have a HRM now. Just be aware that they're designed for steady state cardio and aren't 100% accurate with calorie burn. I try not to eat back all my exercise calories to give myself a cushion for error. I have one and I don't wear it while doing chores, general walking around etc because calories burnt during that are already accounted for by MFP. So if you wore it just sitting on the couch for a few hours it would tell you that you'd burnt a few hundred calories. I would recommend only wearing it for deliberate periods of exercise. The sedentary setting on MFP still assumes you walk around, do activities of daily life etc, as opposed to being in a coma.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    CarlanaVanHouten wrote: »
    Right now I'm using my HRM to determine my calorie burn rather than the database, but I did just start today with it. When I record my activity, I adjust the calories burned to match the HRM. However, I will also try adjusting my activity level. My morning shift is mostly sedentary, but any extras I get usually have a bit more to do.

    First I am sorry that I offended you. Perhaps I am more direct that you would like, and I am sorry if this comes off as rude, but I am trying to help. I am open to honest advice myself when facing problems, and try to see it as "change this to get to your goals", not judgement. We are all here to get in better shape or improve health, and advice is part of this.
    HRM are designed to monitor your heart rate. Which has some correlation to calories burned, but not always. If you go for a jog or a long walk, the correlation is better. If you are doing everyday activities, chances are the numbers you are getting are pretty much nonsense.
    When it comes to activity levels, unless you move around a lot, you are sedentary. I know it is a "harsh" thing, having to accept we are sedentary, it is hard for me too. But, the average person with a desk job, who does the normal chores and life activities, like spend an hour cleaning or an hour washing the dishes or an hour rearranging the furniture, or take the dog for a walk around the block, or even all these in a day, is sedentary when it comes to how MFP defines calorie goals. Lightly active is a person doing lots of things on their feet (e.g. a teacher walking around the classroom all day) or a person who does at least 30 minutes intentional aerobic exercise per day (and then of course does not log it).
    In the end, your scale is telling you the truth: you are eating at maintenance. It is frustrating, it is annoying, but you either accept you will remain where you are, or will have to eat less calories.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited August 2015
    CarlanaVanHouten wrote: »
    Right now I'm using my HRM to determine my calorie burn rather than the database, but I did just start today with it. When I record my activity, I adjust the calories burned to match the HRM. However, I will also try adjusting my activity level. My morning shift is mostly sedentary, but any extras I get usually have a bit more to do.

    HI Carlana,

    Using a heart rate monitor is good, but make sure it's calibrated properly or you'll get some wonky readings. A heart rate monitor works for cardio activities only. Everything else is included in your activity level.
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    edited August 2015
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    CarlanaVanHouten wrote: »
    Right now I'm using my HRM to determine my calorie burn rather than the database, but I did just start today with it. When I record my activity, I adjust the calories burned to match the HRM. However, I will also try adjusting my activity level. My morning shift is mostly sedentary, but any extras I get usually have a bit more to do.

    HI Carlana,

    Using a heart rate monitor is good, but make sure it's calibrated properly or you'll get some wonky readings. A heart rate monitor works for cardio activities only. Everything else is included in your activity level.

    Clarification: HRMs are designed for steady-state cardio, which means you're maintaining your heart rate at the same level for a period of time. Sex, cleaning, etc. doesn't do this. There are too many fluctuations in your level of exertion.

    OP - even at sedentary settings, a basic amount of movement is factored into your calorie goal. The things you are listing are part of that. If you feel that they're not, you might want to bump your level up to lightly active. However, adding a burn for everthing you do is counterproductive.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    tincanonastring wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    CarlanaVanHouten wrote: »
    Right now I'm using my HRM to determine my calorie burn rather than the database, but I did just start today with it. When I record my activity, I adjust the calories burned to match the HRM. However, I will also try adjusting my activity level. My morning shift is mostly sedentary, but any extras I get usually have a bit more to do.

    HI Carlana,

    Using a heart rate monitor is good, but make sure it's calibrated properly or you'll get some wonky readings. A heart rate monitor works for cardio activities only. Everything else is included in your activity level.

    Clarification: HRMs are designed for steady-state cardio, which means you're maintaining your heart rate at the same level for a period of time. Sex, cleaning, etc. doesn't do this. There are too many fluctuations in your level of exertion.

    OP - even at sedentary settings, a basic amount of movement is factored into your calorie goal. The things you are listing are part of that. If you feel that they're not, you might want to bump your level up to lightly active. However, adding a burn for everthing you do is counterproductive.

    This too. :)
  • Sandcastles61
    Sandcastles61 Posts: 506 Member
    CarlanaVanHouten wrote: »
    Right now I'm using my HRM to determine my calorie burn rather than the database, but I did just start today with it. When I record my activity, I adjust the calories burned to match the HRM. However, I will also try adjusting my activity level. My morning shift is mostly sedentary, but any extras I get usually have a bit more to do.

    Just a final heads up since you are just starting the HRM today...... It is my understanding and someone please correct me if I am wrong , but usually the first 3500 -5000 steps or so registered is already included in the'sedentary' activity setting so don't be surprised by that. This again goes to the theory that a certain amount of every day living activity is already included in the deficit, so after you hit that number the"Intentional" extra exercise activity is what you get for your calorie burn regardless of what that cardio activity might be. Best wishes
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Sandcastles61 wrote: »
    CarlanaVanHouten wrote: »
    Right now I'm using my HRM to determine my calorie burn rather than the database, but I did just start today with it. When I record my activity, I adjust the calories burned to match the HRM. However, I will also try adjusting my activity level. My morning shift is mostly sedentary, but any extras I get usually have a bit more to do.

    Just a final heads up since you are just starting the HRM today...... It is my understanding and someone please correct me if I am wrong , but usually the first 3500 -5000 steps or so registered is already included in the'sedentary' activity setting so don't be surprised by that. This again goes to the theory that a certain amount of every day living activity is already included in the deficit, so after you hit that number the"Intentional" extra exercise activity is what you get for your calorie burn regardless of what that cardio activity might be. Best wishes

    This is true. I have a Vivofit and if I don't hit 3000+ steps a day I get a negative calorie adjustment (a setting you have to opt into). So if you are not tracking steps then logging cleaning and sex is double dipping.

    I have an HRM, I only use it for cardio and only eat most of the calories from my running as that is pretty reliable. Anything else I eat maybe 50%. I do not use it for anything other than deliberate exertion through exercise.

    By adding all these extra activities and eating back all of the calories you've supposedly burned you're just setting yourself up for disappointment. Sure it's nice to feel like you've worked hard and deserve some extra food but the reality is that it will hurt your efforts to lose weight.

    No-one is harassing you (you need to check the definition of that word, you're using it incredibly erroneously), they're being honest and offering advice based on their own success and experience. Taking the advice will only benefit you.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    If you want to be able to monitor burn from daily activities like walking around and cleaning, something like a Fitbit would be the best way.

    Otherwise, I'd think it makes more sense to pick an activity level (lightly active or moderately active) and try it for a while and then adjust based on results. Then log any intentional exercise (steady-state cardio with HRM).

    When I was actively losing I figured out my daily activity was lightly active and never logged walking or cleaning or stuff -- if I did a bit extra one day I figured that was bonus and would cover any days where I was less active. I'd eat most of my calories from runs (since you can get reliable running estimates, less so for longer runs, though, so I'd not eat all of those) and cut MFP's estimates for most other things by 25-50%, depending on what it was.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    OP ask for help.
    OP given great help.
    OP doesn't like the advice and knows everything.

    OP good luck. B)
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited August 2015
    CarlanaVanHouten wrote: »
    Right now I'm using my HRM to determine my calorie burn rather than the database, but I did just start today with it. When I record my activity, I adjust the calories burned to match the HRM. However, I will also try adjusting my activity level. My morning shift is mostly sedentary, but any extras I get usually have a bit more to do.

    Please do keep in mind that an HRM will only give remotely accurate calorie counts for steady state cardio such as jogging, cycling, elliptical...etc. Using it for things like cleaning and sex will not be even remotely accurate and will give you super inflated numbers. That's just the way the math formula in them is designed. Remember, first and foremost, an HRM is just that - a Heart Rate Monitor - and is mainly used for training purposes. Heart rate is NOT directly related to calorie burns so using it outside of the parameters it is programmed with (ie anything that isn't steady state cardio) will provide inflated numbers.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    OP ask for help.
    OP given great help.
    OP doesn't like the advice and knows everything.

    OP good luck. B)

    Welcome to MFP.
  • JamestheLiar
    JamestheLiar Posts: 148 Member
    Hi Carla,

    Let's look at a couple of things ...
    • Your daily calorie intake, you're averaging about 1650 per day.
    • Your intentional daily cardio exercise (nice job with all the swimming and walking, by the way - you're doing it right!) MFP is giving you an average of about 500 calories per day.
    • I'm afraid I'm going to agree with all those who have been telling you to ignore the calorie burn from daily chores and such ... even though I admit to logging a burn from mowing my lawn.
    • Everyone gets the same advice here on MFP, and that is to only eat back a maximum of half the calories MFP gives you for exercise. I whole-heartedly agree with this advice and I suggest you do the same.
    • Putting those number together (1650-250), you get a net calorie intake of about 1400 per day.
    • If you're not losing weight at that number, which you are not, then cut back to 1300 per day at your current activity level (only eating back half the calories you get from intentional cardio exercise) and see what happens.

    It's all just math.
  • JamestheLiar
    JamestheLiar Posts: 148 Member
    Hi Carla,

    I just wanted to add something to my already too-long post above. I know you're not strictly using MFP estimates for calorie burn, but even the HRM is a shoddy estimate that actually gets even less reliable as your body weight gets farther and farther from "normal." My advice to "eat back only half of your reported calorie burn" applies to ANY estimate you're using.

    As someone mentioned earlier in the thread ... the scale will tell you when you've found the right numbers and percentages. Good luck to you. Hope this helps.
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