New MyFitnessPal user

mhebenstreit
mhebenstreit Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I'm new to this app and am confused by the totals at the bottom of my food diary. It appears that as I add exercise my goals go up accordingly. I don't really like that. I want to know that I am approaching the end of my total calories I can consume (my goal calories). Is there a setting I am missing?

Replies

  • andezz99
    andezz99 Posts: 56 Member
    When you add cardio, you gain calorie credit. If your daily goal is 1200 calories and you do 500 calories worth of cardio, then your total calories are adjusted to 1700 to make up for the amount you burned. You should try to meet your daily goal as a minimum. Pay attention to the type of calories also (Carbs, Protien balance).

    Good luck and welcom.
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    No, you are not missing a setting. Your daily calorie goal is calculated to include the correct deficit to allow you to lose weight while providing you with what you need nutritionally and for energy. As you exercise, you burn calories, the MFP program adds these calories back in so that you are still hitting your net calorie target for the day. Some people choose not to eat all or any of their exercise calories back. That is a controversial topic on these boards and it is your choice, but just know that the program is designed for you do eat back those calories and hit your net calorie goal every day. It works for a lot of people. Good luck!
  • jainlor
    jainlor Posts: 7 Member
    I am new as well and just learning this
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
    Just breathe

    Don't overthink things and you'll be fine
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    When you add cardio, you gain calorie credit. If your daily goal is 1200 calories and you do 500 calories worth of cardio, then your total calories are adjusted to 1700 to make up for the amount you burned. You should try to meet your daily goal as a minimum. Pay attention to the type of calories also (Carbs, Protien balance).

    Good luck and welcom.

    This...and you don't have to eat all of them back, but you should eat some back because...You're body needs 1200 just to function properly. Let's say you burn 500 calories doing cardio 1200-500 = 700...eat back to try to get to 1200 if not a little more. You are working and demanding more of your body with working out and it can't work right if it has no fuel. Hope that makes sense.

    What I do is I use the TDEE-10-20% method and when I log my exercise, I log it as 1 calorie burned. Because I want to know the total calorie limit (which you can manually set).

    If you want to try that way here is a calculator for you...http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    If you don't have much weight to lose, or as you get closer to your goal you will want to do TDEE-10-15% tops.
    If you have a lot to lose then start at TDEE-20%.

    PM me if you have any questions.
  • taterbug29
    taterbug29 Posts: 35
    I NEVER eat back calories burned and have still been very successful
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Is a good read.
  • kravmark2
    kravmark2 Posts: 158 Member
    Love the "just breath" comment.. it's the truth. sometimes this thing is a little overwhelming at the beginning. MFP already calculates a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. You dont have to eat back your exercise calories but if youre starving that day its ok to.

    Mark

    feel free to add me
  • 78carriejohanna
    78carriejohanna Posts: 23 Member
    Hi,
    I'm new to this website. Actually heard about it on another website. It is interesting to see the breakdown with the food I'm eatting. I'm working on eatting down to my goal. I have heard about exercising and getting calories back from it and it does help, just need to do more. I'm surprise by the sugar intake on some stuff, like yogurt. Is there any low sugar yogurt out there?
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    Hi,
    I'm new to this website. Actually heard about it on another website. It is interesting to see the breakdown with the food I'm eatting. I'm working on eatting down to my goal. I have heard about exercising and getting calories back from it and it does help, just need to do more. I'm surprise by the sugar intake on some stuff, like yogurt. Is there any low sugar yogurt out there?

    Plain, non flavored has a LOT less sugar. You can add like a little brown sugar and frozen fruits and it's back to being yummy, with a little less sugar...maybe not a whole lot...but worth a shot.

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