Excerise calories

karen2512

Hi, total newbie so forgive the what may seem a daft question. I've synced my fitbit to my fitness pal and it's adding extra calories. Adding to my daily total. I'm assuming they ate there to be ate if I need them to be? So allowing myself a treat or something?

Thank you

cwolfman13

karen2512 wrote: »

Hi, total newbie so forgive the what may seem a daft question. I've synced my fitbit to my fitness pal and it's adding extra calories. Adding to my daily total. I'm assuming they ate there to be ate if I need them to be? So allowing myself a treat or something?

Thank you

Yes...you're getting an adjustment because your actual activity per your device exceeds the activity level you've selected in MFP. Just be wary of overestimates. I've been doing this for years so I have my exercise calories pretty locked in, but it takes some trial and error. Many people will use, say 50%...which is rather arbitrary, but a reasonably good starting point from which you can start making adjustments per your actual results.

karen2512

Thank you. To be honest I am not needing to use them but just wondered just in case I fancied a glass ( bottle) of wine!! 🤣

AnnPT77

karen2512 wrote: »

Thank you. To be honest I am not needing to use them but just wondered just in case I fancied a glass ( bottle) of wine!! 🤣

If you're set up for slow weight loss for your current size, and don't do very much or very intense exercise, then not eating them back (letting them increase your calorie deficit) is probably OK. If you're already trying to lose fast (like 2 pounds a week or something), and you're getting hundreds of calories of adjustment most days but not eating them back, you're on a path toward increased health risk, and increased risk of compensatory over-eating later. Fuel is important; sooner or later, bodies tend to go after some.

There's nothing wrong with fitting wine into your calorie goal (and it's OK to bank calories within reason to do it). I can't speak for you, but if I try to sustain a really big calorie deficit for days, then drink the wine, I'll eat All. The. Foods. after the wine. That would not be helpful.

The process of losing a meaningful amount of weight is inherently a long-ish term proposition (months to years, depending on amount). Doing it in a sustainable way makes it more likely we can keep doing it long-ish term, and actually reach goal weight.

Best wishes!

karen2512

I've actually unsynced my fitbit as the extra calories were there just crying out at me and I Could do without the temptation when I've been doing so well and the whole point was to loose weight

moonangel12

karen2512 wrote: »

I've actually unsynced my fitbit as the extra calories were there just crying out at me and I Could do without the temptation when I've been doing so well and the whole point was to loose weight

MFP is designed for you to eat at least part of the exercise calories back. Personally I eat nearly all of mine and have lost at the expected rate (and at one point the Garmin entered calories for swimming were way low, likely because I suck at it so was expending WAY more energy than the average person for the number of laps I was doing, and I started to have some noticeable body reactions - intense hunger, heart palpitations, hair loss, dizziness, etc. My loss rate also increased by 50% from what I had been doing). If it’s a small amount you are probably OK, but be aware of your body and what it is doing. Faster weight loss might seem like a good plan in the moment, but there are possible repercussions.

karen2512

Thank you, I will look at a balance of both x

heybales

karen2512 wrote: »

Thank you, I will look at a balance of both x

So MFP came up with an amount it thinks you burn daily based on your selected activity level from 4 choices, and no exercise expected to be done.

And then based an eating goal on that. You trust that, it appears, whether you knew that or not.

Fitbit is reporting an amount it thinks you burned daily based on being on you, seeing your daily activity distance, and workouts, and is presenting to MFP around probably 1000 levels that MFP then creates a daily adjustment.

MFP then bases a new eating goal on that. You don't appear to trust that though.

Why the trust and distrust of MFP?
Or trusting your selection of 4 levels over distrusting Fitbit?

karen2512

It's not distrust, I just wasn't aware that is what happened. And my fitbit counts steps when I'm in the car and drying my hair so no I won't be consuming those "excerise" calories

heybales

karen2512 wrote: »

It's not distrust, I just wasn't aware that is what happened. And my fitbit counts steps when I'm in the car and drying my hair so no I won't be consuming those "excerise" calories

Have you even looked at those spikes of steps during non-walking times - looked at the distance of those "steps", and the calories that goes with it? Use your 24 hr daily graph. You'll likely find like most people that is minor, much less than the 20% off nutrition labels are allowed to be.

Did you know the Fitbit doesn't even try to account for the calorie burn associated with Thermic effect of Food (TEF), but that's a real about 10% of the calories you eat.
Fitbit gives a sleeping rate of burn to all non-step time.
But when awake non-moving, you burn more.
When standing not moving you burn even more.

Are you equally concerned about making up that side of the missing calories?

Only bringing up that many make decisions on gut, not info and thinking it out.
But yes, there are inaccuracies on both sides in many places. Hence advice that was given about having a period of best accuracy to see how trustworthy it is first.

karen2512

I dont understand any of what you've just said

What ever happened to be kind.
I asked a pretty generalised question and stated I was new to all this

heybales

Hence trying to educate - which hopefully isn't viewed as unkind.

Your 24 hr graph is on Fitbit - perhaps you haven't explored it much to have found it.

You've seen steps gained from driving and hair drying - but you don't know what that means besides extra steps.
You appear to think it means lots of extra calories - trying to help you learn the facts.

And then trying to expand your knowledge on how the Fitbit works, and how the body burns calories - double learning there if you didn't know.
I'd suggest reread it - this world we are in teaches us to scan and move on quickly - not really useful for many important things in life.

karen2512

OK so I can't see any graph on my fitbit app.

I literally use my fitbit for steps and my fitness pal for calorie counting

VeryKatie

you could have a treat. Or you could have "regular" food. Chances are your body needs nutritious food more often than not. But a treat a few times a week is fine too. Go by how you feel. Everything in moderation.