When (-) exercise from BMR don't you have to subtract the resting calories for that workout time?

abstrakt

I can't find any info on this, but if you are trying to get a accurate calories count don't you have to subtract the resting calories burned from the exercise calories burned for the duration of the exercise?

For example,
1) My diet calls from 1600 calories per day.
2) I run for 60 minutes and burn 380 calories.
3) Myfitnesspal takes my 1600 (daily goal) + 380 (running) and says my net calorie intake goal is 1980 calories.

However... I burn 60 calories at rest for that same time period exercising for an hour.... so I actually only burned an additional 380 - 60 = 320 calories. Correct?

So my daily eating total should really be 1920, not 1980 calories.

Alatariel75

I too have wondered this, but you worded it well (which I probably wouldn't have)

Christine_72

I've wondered this too. My fitbit just gives me my base exercise calories which includes BMR. Does this mean all of our exercise calories are overestimates?

I "think" the Apple watch does the exercise- bmr adjustments.

nyponbell

My fitbit is supposed to account for only the "extra" and not my BMR. That said, I don't know if it actually does or not - which is why I keep a separate log in my fitness journal of my daily intake and total burn -- so long as they show the right kind of deficit, I don't care if it is absolutely accurate on MFP or not.

But, since I have an HR watch I can do that, not sure what I would do if I didn't have one.

CyberTone

@abstrakt You are correct.

The MFP Exercise Diary estimates include the amount of your BMR (the amount of Calories you would burn during that time period without moving at all).

Online activity calculators generally use METs (metabolic equivalent of tasks) to estimate Calories burned per minute. These METs values are backed by published research and compiled online in the Compendium of Physical Activities. A METs value of 1.0 equals your BMR.

Most people on MFP who log activity using the MFP Exercise Diary activities only eat back a percentage (50 to 75 percent) of the estimated earned Calories, then after four to six weeks, adjust the eat back percentage based on whether they are losing weight faster or slower than expected.

Generally, eating back a percentage of the earned Calories is a reliable shorthand way to account for not having to do the math to subtract the BMR from the estimate.

In order to subtract the BMR from the provided Calorie estimate, go to the web version APPS > BMR and get your current daily BMR value as calculated by MFP (your BMR changes as your current weight changes).

Then divide that number by 1440 minutes to get your current BMR/minute.

Multiply the BMR/minute number by the total number of minutes logged for the exercise, then subtract the BMR during those minutes to get the net estimated value for burned Calories. You can edit the Calorie estimate in the Exercise Diary with the calculated one.

The above applies only if you are logging exercises using the activities from the MFP Exercise Diary. If you have an activity tracker synced (such as Fitbit), nearly all of them already subtract your BMR/minute when providing the daily Calorie adjustment.

SafioraLinnea

The 1600 calories you are given by MFP accounts for your BMR. Additional calories earned via exercise should exclude BMR but who knows if they actually do.

I believe this issue contributes to the concept most MFP users have that the exercise calories they earn is too high an estimate. This often results in many users only eating back a portion of their calories burned in exercise - I've heard 50%-60% is the general range.

Your results may vary a bit. Feel free to test it out to see what works for you.

heybales

It's actually worse than BMR, when you are using a site that is basing eating goal on an already estimated daily burn.
Because frankly, you may not have been sleeping if you hadn't been working out.
You could have been doing something very active anyway, and your exercise above that would have been very slight.

Anyway...

You must subtract what you are already accounted to burn, then only add on exercise burned above and beyond what was expected.

So if BMR is 1600, activity level Sedentary as 2000, and say a 1 lb weekly loss is deficit 500 so eating goal on Sedentary day is 1500.

So the already accounted for per min burn is 2000 / 1440 = 1.389 per min.

So you do a 60 min workout, and say it's running so good accuracy in database at 6mph avg the whole time - 500 cal total calorie burn for that block of time.

But 1.389 x 60 = 83.34 was already accounted and planned for - so really exercise added 417 above and beyond.

That's what should be added to 1500 eating goal for total 1917 total eat back.

And that's why low calorie burn exercise like walking shows such an issue for people in the database.

Say 60 min at 3 mph = 200 cal - 83 = 117 cal actually for eat back.

And that's why people developed the idea the database is 50% off based on their results.
It potentially can be close to 50% for low level exercise that goes a long time.

Obviously that should never wipe out a deficit unless very minor, but it could. But combined with food logging inaccuracy (which can go both directions actually), there ya go.

And yes - MFP already could do this math super simple. I put in suggestion even prior to activity trackers being such a big used item.

Of course none of it matters if syncing in activity tracker as was mentioned.

Also to @cybertone 's comment - MFP could also do like Fitbit and base the database on the MET's they got the database as - and NOT converted it to weight.
They could have improved accuracy going by MET x BMR instead of by weight.

Jruzer

I believe you are correct. I subtract 2 kcal/min from my exercise calories to compensate.

rileysowner

abstrakt wrote: »

I can't find any info on this, but if you are trying to get a accurate calories count don't you have to subtract the resting calories burned from the exercise calories burned for the duration of the exercise?

For example,
1) My diet calls from 1600 calories per day.
2) I run for 60 minutes and burn 380 calories.
3) Myfitnesspal takes my 1600 (daily goal) + 380 (running) and says my net calorie intake goal is 1980 calories.

However... I burn 60 calories at rest for that same time period exercising for an hour.... so I actually only burned an additional 380 - 60 = 320 calories. Correct?

So my daily eating total should really be 1920, not 1980 calories.

Unless you are exercising for much longer times than that, those 60 calories would likely be less than the margin of error in the foods you log for the day. If you want to take the calories you burn even while resting off the time you exercise, feel free. Will it make a significant difference? Maybe, but probably not.

Christine_72

Just to clarify. So the fitbit adjustment that gets sent over to mfp has my bmr deducted from the total number, right? Sorry, i seem to have my dunce hat on today!

heybales

Fitbit doesn't send an adjustment - they send the total calorie burn for the day up to that point.
Which of course includes BMR since you are burning that too. (doesn't include TEF though).
So almost TDEE.

MFP estimated a daily burn that of course also includes BMR in it. BMR x 1.25 or 1.4 or 1.6 or 1.8.

MFP does the math with the Fitbit figure.

Fitbit daily burn minus MFP estimated daily burn minus logged exercise on MFP = adjustment. (same BMR basically, so it's removed actually).