Losing too fast vs eating exercise calories
25lbsorbust
Posts: 225 Member
I need some advice from you good people!
The past two weeks, I've had my FitBit HR paired up to MFP, and I've been getting the exercise calories. My activity on MFP is set to 'sedentary', and on FitBit it measures extra burned based on my normal activity level. I figured that would earn me back fewer calories, since it's factoring in the fact that I walk on average 10-12k steps a day.
I know you're not supposed to eat back all your exercise calories, so I've been eating my normal allotted amount, plus maybe 1-200 of the exercise calories if I can find measurable walks and it wasn't just short bursts that I was walking all day. On the weekends I'm a little bit more lenient with eating them back, and might take all or part, depending on my plans. I do this in place of a traditional 'cheat day'.
Anyway, instead of losing 1lb/wk, I've been losing 2. Measuring, I've lost 1.5 inches around my waist after losing a bit over 4lbs (That's where I have the most fat, along with my thighs, so it makes sense that that'd be one of the first places I start to see the biggest difference.)
I only have 17-21 lbs to go (I'm going to stop where I feel comfortable and happy between 130 and 135), so I know I shouldn't be losing that fast. Should I just chalk it up to extra movement and keep up what I'm doing? Should I add extra calories and potentially stall my weightloss?
My diary is public if y'all wanna check it out. I don't add any exercise calories outside of what FitBit gives me.
Suggestions?
The past two weeks, I've had my FitBit HR paired up to MFP, and I've been getting the exercise calories. My activity on MFP is set to 'sedentary', and on FitBit it measures extra burned based on my normal activity level. I figured that would earn me back fewer calories, since it's factoring in the fact that I walk on average 10-12k steps a day.
I know you're not supposed to eat back all your exercise calories, so I've been eating my normal allotted amount, plus maybe 1-200 of the exercise calories if I can find measurable walks and it wasn't just short bursts that I was walking all day. On the weekends I'm a little bit more lenient with eating them back, and might take all or part, depending on my plans. I do this in place of a traditional 'cheat day'.
Anyway, instead of losing 1lb/wk, I've been losing 2. Measuring, I've lost 1.5 inches around my waist after losing a bit over 4lbs (That's where I have the most fat, along with my thighs, so it makes sense that that'd be one of the first places I start to see the biggest difference.)
I only have 17-21 lbs to go (I'm going to stop where I feel comfortable and happy between 130 and 135), so I know I shouldn't be losing that fast. Should I just chalk it up to extra movement and keep up what I'm doing? Should I add extra calories and potentially stall my weightloss?
My diary is public if y'all wanna check it out. I don't add any exercise calories outside of what FitBit gives me.
Suggestions?
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Replies
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If you're using a FitBit, and it's set up correctly, then your Calorie burn is supposed to be accurate. In that case, eat all of your earned Calories. Even if it's not accurate, but you're losing more than you're supposed to, eat more.0
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If you are hitting your calorie minimums and feel good, I'd keep doing what you're doing. It will slow down fast enough on its own.0
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The only reason people recommend not to eat all your exercise calories is because many methods to calculate burn overestimate calories burnt. If you're losing faster than expected, that's a good indication that you can (and possibly should) eat more of them.
There are many people here (including myself) who eat 100% of their exercise calories because they know, from the documented history of their weight loss, that their calorie burn estimates are accurate.2 -
I can't tell if your diary status is due to inconsistent logging, or you are over restricting your intake.
1200 cal/day is recommended minimum intake without medical supervision.
Most people would expect a properly calibrated FitBit to be accurate, so you should be fine eating back 90%+ of your "earned" calories.
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I missed one and a half days of logging in about three weeks, if that's what you're referring to?I can't tell if your diary status is due to inconsistent logging, or you are over restricting your intake.
1200 cal/day is recommended minimum intake without medical supervision.
Most people would expect a properly calibrated FitBit to be accurate, so you should be fine eating back 90%+ of your "earned" calories.
Most days I eat up to my MFP-set limit, or go a few calories over. If I don't, it's because I'm simply not hungry. I'm medicated for ADD, so the stimulants are known to cause lack of appetite, and the one I'm on is even FDA approved as a temporary weight loss drug. So that might factor in.If you're using a FitBit, and it's set up correctly, then your Calorie burn is supposed to be accurate. In that case, eat all of your earned Calories. Even if it's not accurate, but you're losing more than you're supposed to, eat more.
Back when I used to use my FitBit, it would give me crazy high 'calories earned', but the setting to have your activity level be based off of your measured activity wasn't an option on the FitBit side back then. It seems to be more accurate now.
Sooo.. what you're telling me is that all those times I said no to PSL's, I could have been feeding my basic side? Ugh.0 -
1-2 pounds a week sounds normal.
I eat exercise calories back if I'm hungry. If I'm not hungry, I don't force myself to eat.
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25lbsorbust wrote: »
I missed one and a half days of logging in about three weeks, if that's what you're referring to?I can't tell if your diary status is due to inconsistent logging, or you are over restricting your intake.
1200 cal/day is recommended minimum intake without medical supervision.
Most people would expect a properly calibrated FitBit to be accurate, so you should be fine eating back 90%+ of your "earned" calories.
Most days I eat up to my MFP-set limit, or go a few calories over. If I don't, it's because I'm simply not hungry. I'm medicated for ADD, so the stimulants are known to cause lack of appetite, and the one I'm on is even FDA approved as a temporary weight loss drug. So that might factor in.If you're using a FitBit, and it's set up correctly, then your Calorie burn is supposed to be accurate. In that case, eat all of your earned Calories. Even if it's not accurate, but you're losing more than you're supposed to, eat more.
Back when I used to use my FitBit, it would give me crazy high 'calories earned', but the setting to have your activity level be based off of your measured activity wasn't an option on the FitBit side back then. It seems to be more accurate now.
Sooo.. what you're telling me is that all those times I said no to PSL's, I could have been feeding my basic side? Ugh.
Can you clarify the bolded? Do you mean activity levels here on mfp? I've never seen an option to select activity levels over on fitbit.
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All of this is basically an experiment for you to run. FitBits, MFP, Heart-rate monitors, online estimators are just that - estimations based on an algorithm that has been formulated using a cross-section of people.
It is always about keeping good accurate food records, using the best guess on exercise, weighing yourself and adjusting when needed. No one has 100% accuracy.1 -
This is my experience from January 25.
First stage: I got my daily calories down to the 1300-1400 range. I was keeping my sodium intake below 1500 mg daily . I was losing 3-4 lb per week and feeling good. However, I was having "excursions" of eating more than I'd planned which happened every couple of weeks. These weren't bad binges. Most of them only ate more than 1300 but less than maintenance, but they were indications of me not doing it right. I started a discussion to brag about my rapid weight loss.
Second stage: I got slapped upside the head by smarter people responding to my brag post. I raised my calories to the 1400-1500 range and ... kept losing 3-4 lb per week.
It was during this stage that I started calculating my average daily lb lost. Over time, my average daily loss has declined from near .5 lb per day early on to near .2 lb per day now. This is an indication of two things. First, that I've lost weight and my healthy NEAT has declined. Second, that I've under-nourished myself and my NEAT isn't healthy, having declined too much. During this stage my excursions from my eating plan became less frequent. They occurred about every 4 weeks. During this stage, I began experiencing the bad effects of a persistently low sodium diet. In particular, I was experiencing cramping in my feet during the night. That's a most unpleasant way to awaken at 2 a.m. It was during this stage that my most recent unplanned excursion occurred, in which I ate well over my maintenance and ate mostly salty bread-y carbs. This had the fortunate side effect of showing me that my idea of a sub-1500mg sodium plan was bad for me, and since then I've been diligent to get a salty pickle every day to keep my sodium closer to 2000mg. The last excursion I've had, which was on my wedding anniversary, was deliberately planned. I choose to eat a lot during that vacation and it took 8 days of subsequently staying on plan to re-lose all the fat and sodium I'd taken in. Shortly after that vacation, my Second Stage concluded.
Stage Three has began when my weight got below 200 lb. I raised my daily calorie intake to the 1600-1700 level.
I've had no excursions since my wedding anniversary in July. I no longer experience nighttime cramping. The Labor Day weekend earlier this month was a rare day off for me, and I spent the afternoon on my bicycle riding miles and miles across town just because I wanted to.3 -
Christine_72 wrote: »25lbsorbust wrote: »
I missed one and a half days of logging in about three weeks, if that's what you're referring to?I can't tell if your diary status is due to inconsistent logging, or you are over restricting your intake.
1200 cal/day is recommended minimum intake without medical supervision.
Most people would expect a properly calibrated FitBit to be accurate, so you should be fine eating back 90%+ of your "earned" calories.
Most days I eat up to my MFP-set limit, or go a few calories over. If I don't, it's because I'm simply not hungry. I'm medicated for ADD, so the stimulants are known to cause lack of appetite, and the one I'm on is even FDA approved as a temporary weight loss drug. So that might factor in.If you're using a FitBit, and it's set up correctly, then your Calorie burn is supposed to be accurate. In that case, eat all of your earned Calories. Even if it's not accurate, but you're losing more than you're supposed to, eat more.
Back when I used to use my FitBit, it would give me crazy high 'calories earned', but the setting to have your activity level be based off of your measured activity wasn't an option on the FitBit side back then. It seems to be more accurate now.
Sooo.. what you're telling me is that all those times I said no to PSL's, I could have been feeding my basic side? Ugh.
Can you clarify the bolded? Do you mean activity levels here on mfp? I've never seen an option to select activity levels over on fitbit.
Sure thing! If you're on the Desktop site, you click on "Log", and then on your food diary click on the little blue gear in the corner. It'll let you choose Sedentary or Custom.
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25lbsorbust wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »25lbsorbust wrote: »
I missed one and a half days of logging in about three weeks, if that's what you're referring to?I can't tell if your diary status is due to inconsistent logging, or you are over restricting your intake.
1200 cal/day is recommended minimum intake without medical supervision.
Most people would expect a properly calibrated FitBit to be accurate, so you should be fine eating back 90%+ of your "earned" calories.
Most days I eat up to my MFP-set limit, or go a few calories over. If I don't, it's because I'm simply not hungry. I'm medicated for ADD, so the stimulants are known to cause lack of appetite, and the one I'm on is even FDA approved as a temporary weight loss drug. So that might factor in.If you're using a FitBit, and it's set up correctly, then your Calorie burn is supposed to be accurate. In that case, eat all of your earned Calories. Even if it's not accurate, but you're losing more than you're supposed to, eat more.
Back when I used to use my FitBit, it would give me crazy high 'calories earned', but the setting to have your activity level be based off of your measured activity wasn't an option on the FitBit side back then. It seems to be more accurate now.
Sooo.. what you're telling me is that all those times I said no to PSL's, I could have been feeding my basic side? Ugh.
Can you clarify the bolded? Do you mean activity levels here on mfp? I've never seen an option to select activity levels over on fitbit.
Sure thing! If you're on the Desktop site, you click on "Log", and then on your food diary click on the little blue gear in the corner. It'll let you choose Sedentary or Custom.
Oh yes yes, I know what you mean, I'm set at sedentary over there. I thought you meant there were settings for sedentary, lightly active, active etc0
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