Think I've been doing MFP all wrong...oops! Anyone else?

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vanessarieck
vanessarieck Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I was getting a little frustrated because the weight wasn't coming off as fast as I would like. I feel really dumb admitting this but I think it's because I'm eating back most of the calories I burn. I'm only allowed 1200 calories a day to lose I think 2 lbs a week. Well that hasn't been happening. It just dawned on me the other day that in order to actually lose weight more aggressively I need to leave some calories "on the table" at the end of the day. Have you been in the same boat? Am I right or wrong? Looking for some thoughts on your experiences with this.

Thanks! :)
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Replies

  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    I eat most of em back and still lose slowly. I need to because I get so hungry, I would binge if I didn't. I think slow loss is better for me because I've been able to maintain my losses at each stage. MFP is set up so you should eat exercise calories back. Just make sure you are weighing everything you eat and that your exercise calories are correct.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    The problem is usually under estimating food intake and over estimating calorie burn. That's the reason to leave some exercise calories on the table. Most of us can't be so accurate that we can eat them all back.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The MFP plan is that you eat back your exercise calories. But, since it's impossible to be completely accurate on number of calories burned through exercise, you might want to only eat a percentage of them back if you are not losing when eating them all.
  • Joannesmith2818
    Joannesmith2818 Posts: 438 Member
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    You are already leaving "calories on the table" because its set at a deficeit. I think as long as you arnt over estimating the calories burnt from exercise you are fine to eat them back. Just relax and lose the weight at a steady pace!
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
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    The problem is usually under estimating food intake and over estimating calorie burn. That's the reason to leave some exercise calories on the table. Most of us can't be so accurate that we can eat them all back.
    ^^^^^This^^^^^
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    No you were doing MFP right. If you weren't losing weight you either weren't waiting long enough to see results, overestimating calories burned through exercise or underestimating what you were eating.

    Aggressive dieting usually ends in failure. Moderate deficits work to get the weight of and make it easier to keep the weigh off
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    Plus, with 20 lbs to lose, 2lbs / week is a little aggressive. Change the goals. Eat more food.
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
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    You're not eating back too many, you should eat all you burn to stay on target... BUT all estimates for exercise are just that-- estimates, they do not know your vo2max or heart rate typically... and without both numbers, real calorie expenditure is hard to track. Also if you're using TDEE you should not be eating back ANY unless they are "far above and beyond the call of duty" for that energy level, that's double dipping.

    I usually aim at 50% unless I feel absolutely starved. If you have less than 30 lbs to lose, 2lb/week might also just be too aggressive of a goal.
  • TdaniT
    TdaniT Posts: 331 Member
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    You are already leaving "calories on the table" because its set at a deficeit. I think as long as you arnt over estimating the calories burnt from exercise you are fine to eat them back. Just relax and lose the weight at a steady pace!

    ^^^ This ^^^
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Plus, with 20 lbs to lose, 2lbs / week is a little aggressive. Change the goals. Eat more food.

    This too.
  • Markguns
    Markguns Posts: 554 Member
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    Re calculate your #'s read these. You should only be losing about 1lb a week with only 20 to go.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • franklinsmom
    franklinsmom Posts: 8 Member
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    I wear a pulse rate monitor that tracks heart rate and calories burned. The MFP estimated burned calories for exercise is WAY higher than what I'm actually burning. Once I realized that, it made a huge difference.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
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    I was getting a little frustrated because the weight wasn't coming off as fast as I would like. I feel really dumb admitting this but I think it's because I'm eating back most of the calories I burn. I'm only allowed 1200 calories a day to lose I think 2 lbs a week. Well that hasn't been happening. It just dawned on me the other day that in order to actually lose weight more aggressively I need to leave some calories "on the table" at the end of the day. Have you been in the same boat? Am I right or wrong? Looking for some thoughts on your experiences with this.

    Thanks! :)

    It's not that you have been doing MFP wrong, it is the result of your unreasonable expectations. I hope you will take the advice that has already been posted.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    No you were doing MFP right. If you weren't losing weight you either weren't waiting long enough to see results, overestimating calories burned through exercise or underestimating what you were eating.

    Aggressive dieting usually ends in failure. Moderate deficits work to get the weight of and make it easier to keep the weigh off

    ^^This^^
  • cyclebummer
    cyclebummer Posts: 29
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    I too realized that by eating all that I burned thru exercise, I was getting no where, in spite of religiously logging food/exercise and being conservative with the estimates. I'm now limiting my cal intake to my BMR(1400) plus half of exercise. This should result in 1/2 pound/week loss.

    I think the problem is that my actual BMR is less than the calculated value, because my lifestyle(retired)is very sedendary indeed, except for when I am exercising(cycling and light gym workout daily)

    There do seem to be some confusing querks in the 'goal' section of MFP. One is "Calories Burned from normal daily activity," seemingly stuck at 1740 for me. This is a confusing and worthless #. How does MFP know that before I've entered my daily activity? I might decide to stay in bed all day, in which case it would be around 1400.

    One does have to apply some common sense and adjust the fixed/calculated numbers when appropriate.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I was getting a little frustrated because the weight wasn't coming off as fast as I would like. I feel really dumb admitting this but I think it's because I'm eating back most of the calories I burn. I'm only allowed 1200 calories a day to lose I think 2 lbs a week. Well that hasn't been happening. It just dawned on me the other day that in order to actually lose weight more aggressively I need to leave some calories "on the table" at the end of the day. Have you been in the same boat? Am I right or wrong? Looking for some thoughts on your experiences with this.

    Thanks! :)

    I would say to lose more weight yes, to lose more fat and retain muscle, no.

    With the amount you have to lose your goal should be to lose a maximum of 1lb/week, and to eat back the cals you burned (assuming they are calculated accurately). the faster you try and lose (larger deficit) the larger % of your loss will come from lean muscle, instead of the fat you are looking at losing.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Set your goal to lose 1 pound a week. Eat back *some* of your exercise calories.
  • rainydays5
    rainydays5 Posts: 217 Member
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    Honestly you are going to get 2 different responses. Some people eat them back and some people don't....both sets of people get results. I say figure out what works best for you and do that. Sometimes I eat some of them back and sometimes not at all, just depends on how hungry I am.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    There do seem to be some confusing querks in the 'goal' section of MFP. One is "Calories Burned from normal daily activity," seemingly stuck at 1740 for me. This is a confusing and worthless #. How does MFP know that before I've entered my daily activity? I might decide to stay in bed all day, in which case it would be around 1400.

    One does have to apply some common sense and adjust the fixed/calculated numbers when appropriate.

    Because it is an average of what you can reasonably expect to burn on a daily basis doing regular things like walking to the car, sitting, brushing your teeth, prepping food and you job (you picked the average daily activity level) plus your BMR.
    You are correct, some days you'll burn less. Then there will be other days you burn more. MFP doesn't "know", it is an average, an estimate. Even on those below average days you'll burn more than your BMR.
  • teenhamodic
    teenhamodic Posts: 43
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    gosh there's so much misinformation on this thread among the right information that it's hard for someone who hasn't been successful to pick out whats right and wrong lol

    ok first of all, you haven't stated what your goals are. if you dont care about retaining muscle because you're really just want to lose weight, then it doesn't matter how many lbs you lose. only people who want to look aesthetic should really care about losing a .lb a week.

    dont listen to anyone to tell you to eat your calories back - ever. whats the point? of course you wont be losing any weight! take a glass of water, remove 2oz of water (calories burned) and MFP tells you, you can eat those 2oz back?

    you're hungry because well, you're on a deficit! lol

    anyway - figure out what your TDEE is and go with that - not MFP numbers as they are not entirely correct - and almost never correct when it comes to calories burned.

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