Counting Steps: ON or OFF?

ChubbyPlayer1

I start this weight loss journey Wednesday! I have everything set up! I have a Apple Watch that tracks my steps.. I don’t really like the idea of it adding calories back into my day. Thoughts? I’d like to stick to my calorie target... should I turn it off? Leave it on and just mentally subtract? Or maybe log my burned calories in a note book off to the side just incase I wanna use some?

heybales

MFP is estimating a daily calorie burn based on YOUR guess of non-exercise activity level. Could be right on - more chance of being wrong though, since only 4 levels.
Then adjusting it when you add workouts.

With an activity tracker tied in - it's correcting it's initial estimate to something potentially more accurate.

So if willing to trust MFP without knowing how it got the figures - why wouldn't you trust MFP when it's trying to correct itself with your Apple watch?

What you can do to help that is confirm when it reports an average daily pace walking distance - it matches a known distance.
Correct that figure if needed.

tinkerbellang83

Why wouldn't you like the idea of calories being added back? That is how it's meant to work.

Your deficit to lose weight is already included in your calorie goal, so it won't stop you losing weight.

For example:

If your maintenance is 2300 calories and you choose to lose 25lb per week (2lb loss = 7000 calories/7 days), your calorie goal would be 1300 calories. Putting you at a calorie deficit of 1000 calories (calculation explained above).

If you are set to Sedentary your allowance includes around 3000 steps for normal daily activity. So say you go for a purposeful 30 minute walk on top of your normal day-to-day activity and that burns 150 calories and you do not include those steps.

Maintenance 2300 Cals - Exercise Calories 150 Calories = 2150 Calories

2150 calories less 1000 Calorie deficit already included = 1150 Calories Net

Putting you below the recommended intake for a woman

If you do eat them back this puts you back at 1300 calories net (1450 gross) which is still a 1000 calorie deficit and leaves you over the recommended minimum intake for a woman (1200)

amgreenwell

I can only share my person experience but I don't keep track of my steps. So, I don't know what I'm "burning" while just walking around during my day. I do keep track of my exercise, whether walking or running and I do eat back some of those calories. I feel they are over estimated most times so I don't eat them all back. It is kind of a learn as you go process. See what works for you and stick with it. I know lots of people who do count their steps but I think they walk a lot more than me in their normal day.