Does myfitnesspal double up on energy expenditure?

fergusondanielmark

So i exercise every day for at least 60 minutes so set my acitivity level to active. When I go for a run I log that. Are the KJ that I burnt in that run already counted when I set the activity level to active? SHould i change it to sedentary?

PansyLass13

it will be allowing you more calories with the "active" option, so yes, it is sort of counting it twice. many people (and i've almost always done this) log calories burned as 1, so you're not eating back those calories.

harper16

Your daily activity is before any exercise. I'd log the exercise separate.

heybales

The daily activity increases in calories covers increased daily activity - not exercise unless your workouts are only walking for not long.
Then it might - by sheer coincidence.

It's better to get the activity level correct for what you are doing for non-exercise time.
You got a family and household duties and a desk job? Lightly-Active

Desk job & sitting commute and come home and plop down on the computer for rest of the evening till bed? Sedentary

Log the workouts accurately for time and intensity if there is an option (speed or pace).
If very low key workout like walking - take half the time or half the calories.
If no intensity description, perhaps 75% of the time or calories given.

So it really depends - if your daily life really was active outside exercise (and some are) - then not double counted.
If it sounds like the way you did describe it - probably some overlap.

But get the activity level right - don't pick a totally incorrect number for exercise like 0 calories.
You need decent stats to look back on to figure things out - purposely doing things wrong won't help that situation down the road.

rheddmobile

Daily activity isn’t meant to cover purposeful exercise - if you are sedentary apart from one hour of working out a day, set it to sedentary and log the one hour. Active as a baseline would be someone who moved heavy boxes for a living or a mailman with a walking route or something similar.

sijomial

fergusondanielmark wrote: »

SHould i change it to sedentary?

That depends if your combined job and other routine activity excluding exercise actually amounts to being sedentary!

janejellyroll

Are you active apart from the exercise? This is what MFP means when they ask that question.

If you aren't and you're counting the exercise as part of what makes you active, then yes. You're double dipping. MFP isn't doubling up, you are.

fergusondanielmark

Thanks for your help everyone! Really cleared it up for me

VeryKatie

Yes in your case you should not log it, you're counting it twice. If you want to log it, set to lightly active and then log 50-75% of any exercise separately

janejellyroll

VeryKatie wrote: »

Yes in your case you should not log it, you're counting it twice. If you want to log it, set to lightly active and then log 50-75% of any exercise separately

How do you know that lightly active is the right activity setting for OP? How will changing the activity setting and logging just part of the exercise result in a more accurate calorie estimate for OP?