Daily Calories?

touchdry
touchdry Posts: 32 Member
edited November 27 in Getting Started
How come I have typed in my daily target calories to be 1850 and yet my diary says it is 2300+? I do not understand!

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Have you added exercise?
  • touchdry
    touchdry Posts: 32 Member
    ... yes ... I have earned 544 calories !? What does THAT mean? My requested daily Cal rate is 1850 but now reads 2394 with my original carbs target being 20g or less now has become 30g ... why, what does it mean? I do not want to eat 30g of carbs ... but that is not my target anyway ... so have these changed figures taken into account my little bit of exercise that has 'earned' me 544 calories in a way that is beyond my ancient brain? Oh, and thanks for responding to this Tavistock Road, much appreciated. Tavistock Road ... that's not the road somewhere near Exeter ... like the Countess Weir?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    touchdry wrote: »
    ... yes ... I have earned 544 calories !? What does THAT mean? My requested daily Cal rate is 1850 but now reads 2394 with my original carbs target being 20g or less now has become 30g ... why, what does it mean? I do not want to eat 30g of carbs ... but that is not my target anyway ... so have these changed figures taken into account my little bit of exercise that has 'earned' me 544 calories in a way that is beyond my ancient brain? Oh, and thanks for responding to this Tavistock Road, much appreciated. Tavistock Road ... that's not the road somewhere near Exeter ... like the Countess Weir?

    1850 is your calorie goal before exercise. You earned additional calories because you chose to exercise (it's not required for weight loss).

    Now, the tricky part. Calorie burns can be difficult to measure, and often times inflated. What most MFP users do is start by eating back a portion of exercise calories , say 50%. Then tweak that % up or down after several weeks, based on actual results.

    A calorie deficit is all that's required for weight loss. If carbs matter to you (medically) then look to dietary fat and protein to fill in your extra calories.
  • vaskaxtumir
    vaskaxtumir Posts: 16 Member
    I don't use "earned calories" as I find that doing so either slows down or completely stalls my weight loss.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    How did you figure your calorie goal of 1850? Did you let MFP figure it for you with your stats or did you enter it manually based on your TDEE?

    MFP gives you a calorie goal before exercise and you are suggested to eat back at least 50% of those. MFP's estimates tend to be high, so no one recommends starting out by eating them all back.

    If you figured by TDEE and included your exercising, then you wouldn't eat back in the extra calories. I don't log my exercises in when I'm using the TDEE method because it messes with my numbers.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,594 Member
    Eating your exercise calories is a personal preference. I personally eat them if I am hungry. If I am not hungry, I don't. This has not inhibited my weight loss, but everyone is different.
  • touchdry
    touchdry Posts: 32 Member
    Serindipte, I am sorry but I am totally new to all this so I may seem a bit slow, or more likely, ignorant of some of the things you are telling me ... but I'll see if I can grasp what you are saying.

    My figure goal is based upon one of the online calculators. To be honest I looked at what I was given and now hope for the best. Perhaps you can advise me as to what might be an appropriate calc for me (I think I have tried about four so far ... all giving different readings!) If I give you my stats will you be able to either point me in the right direction (ie calculator), or tell me what the correct stats are (you do not have to answer this - I will understand). I am 67, suffering from Fybromyalgia and having lost weight from eating vegan. I have been advised by a nutritionist friend (unofficially) to go Keto - less than 20 carbs per day. I would prefer not to loose any more weight - which is 65k, I am 6ft tall. Having started the diet about a week ago I have been amazed by the almost total change in just about everything including: lessened pain, better sleep, feeling that I want to go on an endurance course, lively, happy, and the food is outrageously good (even though it was a bit strange not eating potatoes or rice or bread or pasta!).

    So, I am really asking if you think my possibly arbitrary goal of 1850 sounds right ... or right out of sync?

    Perhaps I ought to go and google just what calories are, and maybe I'll get a better idea as to what this is all about.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    I would suggest going into Goals on MFP, entering your stats and setting it to 'maintain'. That will figure your calories before exercise. Then enter your exercises and eat back 50-75% of those calories. It will show an increase in goal carbs, but you don't have to eat that. You can eat protein/fat instead to keep your carbs at the gram level you want them.

    None of the calculators are going to be exact for you. Each of them estimate and only an accurate food log and time will tell you how accurate it is. Give it 4-6 weeks and see how your weight is doing. If you're trending down, then increase your calories by 100-200/day. If you're going up, then decrease by the same.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories