Should I add "exercises" to MyFitnessPal?

Domarius

I already use JetFit and have spent a while setting up the exercises there - it's pretty good but even it didn't have all the exercises I've been given and had to customise a few.

I don't want to have to repeat that work in MyFitnessPal (especially since a future PT visit might change all that).

Should I make like a single simplified exercise to represent the entire day's workout, or maybe I shouldn't even bother?

Can someone let me know what advantage there is to adding workouts to MyFitnessPal? I'm currently happy just doing my exercises in JetFit and watching the calorie count in MyFitnessPal, just checking that I'm not missing out on something.

tinkerbellang83

Are you factoring in the calories you're earning from the workouts into your calorie allowance in My Fitness Pal?

Below might help you understand the implications if you're not.

sijomial

If you mean reps and set entered into the strength part of the exercise diary - no that would be a pointless duplication.

Knowing what your exercise is would be helpful, as would knowing how you set your calorie goal.

Domarius

Guys I really appreciate the responses, thank you. Especially seeing how busy these forums look.

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

Are you factoring in the calories you're earning from the workouts into your calorie allowance in My Fitness Pal?

Below might help you understand the implications if you're not.

Thank you. It makes sense to know what I'm burning, not just what I'm putting in. I just need to know the best way to do that.

sijomial wrote: »

If you mean reps and set entered into the strength part of the exercise diary - no that would be a pointless duplication.

Knowing what your exercise is would be helpful, as would knowing how you set your calorie goal.

That's good to know I don't have to double up.

Well my routine is made of a variety of exercises of course, each week day has a different work out, it goes

- Upper body 1 (eg. Bench press)
- Lower body 1 (eg. squats, leg raises
- Interval (cardio)
- Upper body 2 (lots of drop sets, eg. incline press)
- Lower body 2 (eg. leg press, twisting leg raises)
- Interval (cardio)
- Rest day

Which I hear is pretty standard. Without posting my entire routine here (I can if need be) I've just given an example of one of the exercises. Each day takes about 45 mins, though interval day is more like 30 mins.

As for my calorie goal, I've used MyFitnesPal to choose "low activity" (I'm a programmer) goal of dropping 0.5kg per week, target of 75kg, and let it set the calories for me to eat each day. It set the goal of about 1600 calories to eat per day. I was getting super hungry so I changed it to 0.2kg per week and it upped the goal to about 1800 calories per day.

Hope this helps.

kimny72

So just log the time you spend on strength training and the time you spend on cardio so you have a general idea of how many additional calories you should eat to fuel your workouts.

MFP sets your calorie goal assuming you will log your exercise and eat back those additional calories.

Domarius

kimny72 wrote: »

So just log the time you spend on strength training and the time you spend on cardio so you have a general idea of how many additional calories you should eat to fuel your workouts.

MFP sets your calorie goal assuming you will log your exercise and eat back those additional calories.

Thanks Kimny - seems like I'm missing out half the functionality by not doing that. I'll ask the gym staff tomorrow how I might calculate the calories burned.

heybales

MFP does it for you!

Once you enter in the database. It'll appear small for the Strength Training Weights - and that is true.

Interval depends on what type of cardio.
Some entries in the database are much better estimates - if they have a speed or pace to them. Just be honest about the time and actual average speed or pace, not the highest you reached.
Like if running intervals, and you reach 12 mph, but walk between - the avg speed might be 6 mph when all is accounted for - so that's what you would log.

Some entries are rather lacking intensity - like Spin bike. In which case don't log the slow warmup and cooldown and stretching time.
A 60 min class may only have 45 min of actual Spin bike like it's talking about.

pinzgauer

Hi Domarius,

I also use JeFit and MFP - love both!
I'm someone who doesn't log exercises in MFP. Since the calories allowance I give myself in MFP (manually) already takes into account energy needed for exercise, I do not log my exercises into MFP separately. One might argue it's not as precise as logging each exercise session individually, however, I found logging calories for exercises to be imprecise (just check out the JeFit summary screen after each workout .. two identical sessions can yield quite different "total kgs/lbs lifted" results depending on your energy levels on that particular day.)

Here's the general calculation, also somewhat a repetition of previous posts above:
BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) x NEAT (Non-Excercise Thermogenesis) + Excercise = TDEE (Total Daily Energy expenditure)

So, to summarize, here are the two options:
1. MFP calculates your calorie allowance (BMR x NEAT) and you add your exercise, resulting in your TDEE
2. You provide MFP with your complete TDEE and just log your energy intake.

In both cases, you're aiming for your TDEE (or below that, to lose weight). You'll find that online TDEE calculators give you a higher energy requirement than MFP, that's because they also take into account your exercise.

I personally prefer the second option, because it's easier for me to plan for the same amount of calories each day, rather than to adjust my calories to the exercise on that day. However, some people are hungrier and prefer to eat more on workout days. In any case, whichever option you choose, I would suggest that you check with your results after 1 month and adjust your requirements up or down, as the BMR, NEAT and Excercise energy requirements are estimates.