Exercise calories drop overtime

jillycube

Just wondering but overtime after I've done an hour of moderate cardio I just noticed how my exercise calories going from positive back to negative. Do I need to keep exercising to keep my exercise calories low throughout the day? I also have my fitbit linked to myfitnesspal and mfp only takes my steps from fitbit. If there's was already a discussion on this, please link me if that answers my question. Thanks.

janejellyroll

I'm assuming you have a fitness tracker linked to MFP? Your initial calorie goal is based on the activity level you set with MFP. If you move less than this activity level would have estimated, then your calories for exercise will tend to diminish. What did you set your activity level to?

SCoil123

" I also have my fitbit linked to myfitnesspal and mfp only takes my steps from fitbit."

This isn't actually correct. The FitBit adjustment is for all activity including steps and other workouts entered into FitBit. It's the calorie burn difference total. It rolls over to MFP as a single adjustment and isn't broken out by activity type but it does include all of it.

The adjustment is just for the difference between what you have actually burned and what MFP assumed you would burn based on your chosen activity level and current weight. If you move less than anticipated you will get a negative adjustment, if you move more a positive one.

jillycube

@janejellyroll - My activity level on MFP is set to Very Active. Dunno if this is an important detail about myself, but I mostly bike to work and back almost 5 times a day 20-24miles (morning and evening, totaling about 600+calories a day according to fitbit) but because the weather has been discouraging my usual daily activity, I use the treadmill on a power walk-ish setting for an hour (300cals) and that's when I've noticed the exercise cals changing I'm 5ft, calorie goal is 1470. In the morning when I wake up, I see my exercise calories at - 250ish.

janejellyroll

jillycube wrote: »

@janejellyroll - My activity level on MFP is set to Very Active. Dunno if this is an important detail about myself, but I mostly bike to work and back almost 5 times a day 20-24miles (morning and evening, totaling about 600+calories a day according to fitbit) but because the weather has been discouraging my usual daily activity, I use the treadmill on a power walk-ish setting for an hour (300cals). I'm 5ft, calorie goal is 1470. In the morning when I wake up, I see my exercise calories at - 250ish.

Your activity level is almost certainly why you are seeing these adjustments. MFP is giving you the amount of calories they're assuming you would burn being "Very Active." The exercise adjustment are for anything you burn *on top* of being very active. If you don't burn much beyond that, your adjustments aren't going to be very large (or you may even see negative adjustments). Doing an hour of moderate cardio isn't much for someone who has chosen "Very Active" so on days that you aren't biking, I wouldn't be surprised to see MFP behave in the way you're describing.

jillycube

Ah that does make a bit of sense to me. Guess I'll just have to push myself a bit more when I'm on the treadmill then. Thanks!

Talan79

You could also adjust your activity level for the day. On days that you aren’t biking, you can chose lightly active. Or active if you’re getting something like 10,000 steps outside of exercise.

SCoil123

What I personally do it set MFP to sedentary so my base calories are the lowest and then FitBit adjustments tell me what to eat specific to my activity level that day. I find it easier and more consistent approach.

emilysusana

SCoil123 wrote: »

What I personally do it set MFP to sedentary so my base calories are the lowest and then FitBit adjustments tell me what to eat specific to my activity level that day. I find it easier and more consistent approach.

I second this.

Lillymoo01

One thing with adjustments is the MFP assumes you will be very active every hour, even when you are asleep. You will start the day with your calories having gone down because you have been asleep rather than taking steps. It will go down again as you unwind in the evening and become less active. It will go down if you have an office job and are sitting for several hours at a time. It will, however, go up after you exercise or walk more steps in the hour than would be deemed very active. In the end, if you are set to the activity level you are in reality the calorie goal at the end of the day should still be around the same as it was at the beginning of the day.

I personally hate this roller coaster of change during the day. Although I am very active, I have my profile at the lowest activity setting so these changes are not as great. I just know I have those extra calories I have burned to include when I prelog my food in the morning, so will be in the red at that point.