What do i need to set to lose weight
rosieholly
Posts: 24 Member
Hi i hope i get some answers i need to know what i need to set to lose weight. MFP set me at 1400 cals, i have joined the low carb high protein challenge but not sure if fasting will be more effective. Also i burn off lots at the gym should i add these to my daily cals ? My aim is to lose 4 stone. Thanks
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Replies
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For everyone who isn't in the UK, 4 stone == 56 pounds.
Yes, add a conservative estimate of additional calories burned in your workout (i.e. as compared to the calories you'd burn not working out instead, which are included in your MFP 1400 estimate).
You'll probably want to target 1.5-2 pounds weekly loss at first, and slow that down as you lose more.
Remember to redo your MFP goals every so often as you lose, so the TDEE estimate gets updated.
Calories below TDEE will result in losing weight. Whether you achieve that by fasting or not fasting makes no difference. Whatever works for you.3 -
The way of eating you can stick to is the WOE that is the most effective.
Unlike other sites which use TDEE calculators, MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated for them and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.
https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
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If you add your calorie burn from exercise on the days that you workout then make sure your activity setting is based on your activity level EXCLUDING this exercise.
I train about 6 times a week but because I have a desk job I set my activity level at the lowest setting because outside of intentional exercise or walking my activity is actually quite low.
I have my Garmin linked to MFP so this also avoids having negative calorie adjustments but that’s an aside.3 -
I sit on my bum all day so walk 5k each morning and work out each evening. This is day 1, i wont eat anymore now is this right. I dont lose weight and this is pretty much the norm for me
Cal 1400-food 1712 +exercise (fitbit linked 2305 ) = 1993 remaining0 -
sarabushby wrote: »If you add your calorie burn from exercise on the days that you workout then make sure your activity setting is based on your activity level EXCLUDING this exercise.
I train about 6 times a week but because I have a desk job I set my activity level at the lowest setting because outside of intentional exercise or walking my activity is actually quite low.
I have my Garmin linked to MFP so this also avoids having negative calorie adjustments but that’s an aside.
Yes, Activity Level is just your job / lifestyle - intentional exercise is meant to be logged separately.
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rosieholly wrote: »I sit on my bum all day so walk 5k each morning and work out each evening. This is day 1, i wont eat anymore now is this right. I dont lose weight and this is pretty much the norm for me
Cal 1400-food 1712 +exercise 2305 = 1993 remaining
Before you start your day, do you walk 5K steps or 5Km which depending on your height could well be a good 7k steps?
Where did you get the exercise estimate of 2305 Calories from? Is it from a connected device or is it from exercise you entered on MFP? If a connected device, which device? And is that exercise number that you see one you got DURING the day, or the final number that came up after the end of day at midnight?
The details I am asking matter, but every indication is that you should probably eat SOME of these calories back depending on the accuracy of your logging and also depending on the size of deficit you've chosen to apply.1 -
The 2305 is your total daily expenditure, not additional exercise calories (your maintenance). So if you ate 1712 that means your total deficit is 593. If you eat those 593 you would be at maintenance.1
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rkcampbell wrote: »The 2305 is your total daily expenditure, not additional exercise calories (your maintenance). So if you ate 1712 that means your total deficit is 593. If you eat those 593 you would be at maintenance.
How did you come to that conclusion? i.e. do you have some inside knowledge about the OP?
In FACT, since I now notice that the OP has updated her post indicating Fitbit linked, what you said is INCORRECT.
What remains to be seen is whether the OP is reporting 2300 linked calories in the morning, at noon, some other time, or AT or AFTER midnight0 -
rosieholly wrote: »I sit on my bum all day so walk 5k each morning and work out each evening. This is day 1, i wont eat anymore now is this right. I dont lose weight and this is pretty much the norm for me
Cal 1400-food 1712 +exercise 2305 = 1993 remaining
Before you start your day, do you walk 5K steps or 5Km which depending on your height could well be a good 7k steps?
Where did you get the exercise estimate of 2305 Calories from? Is it from a connected device or is it from exercise you entered on MFP? If a connected device, which device? And is that exercise number that you see one you got DURING the day, or the final number that came up after the end of day at midnight?
The details I am asking matter, but every indication is that you should probably eat SOME of these calories back depending on the accuracy of your logging and also depending on the size of deficit you've chosen to apply.
Thanks, i walk approx 5km nearly 3 miles every morning. My fitbit is my connected device. I workout everynight then go for a final walk. These calories have come from my fitbit before midnight. I am hoping to lose a couple of pounds per week but am maintaining hence joining MFP0 -
rkcampbell wrote: »The 2305 is your total daily expenditure, not additional exercise calories (your maintenance). So if you ate 1712 that means your total deficit is 593. If you eat those 593 you would be at maintenance.
Thanks for your reply so MFP set me 1400 cals per day, today i ate 1712. I did a 5km walk a gym workout and a second walk after sitting down all day. Should i add the cals from these 3 activities. What if i dont eat any of these back. I am maintaining at the moment when i want to lose0 -
rosieholly wrote: »Cal 1400-food 1712 +exercise (fitbit linked 2305 ) = 1993 remaining
Since @rkcampbell also seems to be intrigued by this, yes, your linked Fitbit is proving an adjustment based on estimated TDEE not just the exercise component of your day.
The purpose of that adjustment is to take the value that you selected on MFP when you said you were sedentary and replace it with the value that Fitbit estimates you've burned.
There are a few caveats to consider.
Especially if you are more active early in the day and you become less active later, this adjustment WILL REDUCE and keep reducing till midnight. This is because MFP splits your day in 1440 equally active minutes but Fitbit varies what it is detecting as your burn based on the activity it detects averaged over five minute increments. As you relax watching TV Fitbit detects fewer calories and the adjustment decreases. The day ends and the adjustment becomes final at midnight.
2300 adjustment is a good indication that fitbit detects you as significantly more active than sedentary. how many steps a day do you average?
Fitbit does have a problem when it detects higher heart rates especially with movement it tends to interpret them as continuous exercise even when the increased heart rate comes from reasons other than exercise. Heart rate doesn't burn calories, actual activity burns them. Higher heart rate can be a source of error.
As mentioned the indication is that some of your "exercise" calories should be eaten depending on your logging and goals as currently set and all that!2 -
rosieholly wrote: »Cal 1400-food 1712 +exercise (fitbit linked 2305 ) = 1993 remaining
Since @rkcampbell also seems to be intrigued by this, yes, your linked Fitbit is proving an adjustment based on estimated TDEE not just the exercise component of your day.
The purpose of that adjustment is to take the value that you selected on MFP when you said you were sedentary and replace it with the value that Fitbit estimates you've burned.
There are a few caveats to consider.
Especially if you are more active early in the day and you become less active later, this adjustment WILL REDUCE and keep reducing till midnight. This is because MFP splits your day in 1440 equally active minutes but Fitbit varies what it is detecting as your burn based on the activity it detects averaged over five minute increments. As you relax watching TV Fitbit detects fewer calories and the adjustment decreases. The day ends and the adjustment becomes final at midnight.
2300 adjustment is a good indication that fitbit detects you as significantly more active than sedentary. how many steps a day do you average?
Fitbit does have a problem when it detects higher heart rates especially with movement it tends to interpret them as continuous exercise even when the increased heart rate comes from reasons other than exercise. Heart rate doesn't burn calories, actual activity burns them. Higher heart rate can be a source of error.
As mentioned the indication is that some of your "exercise" calories should be eaten depending on your logging and goals as currently set and all that!
Thank you again lots to take in. My average step count is 15000 to 17000 steps plus 50 floors. My resting heart is 62 not sure if that matters but i will look again at my calories as i didnt even know this was a thing. So should i just log each activity or keep my fitbit synced. Sorry for my lack of understanding you are being so helpful0 -
15 to 17K steps as a shorthand until you can understand fitbit/mfp integration is just about the limits of an MFP very active day.
Look. I have no way of knowing whether your body is "average" in terms of how it responds to energy intake. And I have no way of knowing how accurately you log your food intake.
All I can tell you is
a) you COULD just use the MFP very active setting and ignore fitbit adjustments
b) you SHOULD have negative adjustments enabled and expect your adjustment to decrease if you're more active in the morning than in the evening.
c) what matters in the end is what your weight TREND does over time. The rest are estimates to try to get you there.
d) if your 1400 is based on a 500 deficit, Fitbit seems to think that you're spending over 4000 Cal a day. That's fairly high even for a very active person *I assume you're female*, though not impossible if you are at a high enough weight. JUST TO BE SAFE: double check that your Fitbit setup has your correct height, weight, age etc. If you work at a desk with a mouse and keyboard and / or if you see fitbit adding extra steps during the day when you're not moving, consider marking your fitbit as being on your dominant hand even if it isn't.
e) use numbers as given. log carefully. By preference BEFORE you eat what you're logging. Observe your weight trend over a period of a few weeks that include a full hormonal cycle and then adjust based on your expected vs actual results1 -
15 to 17K steps as a shorthand until you can understand fitbit/mfp integration is just about the limits of an MFP very active day.
Look. I have no way of knowing whether your body is "average" in terms of how it responds to energy intake. And I have no way of knowing how accurately you log your food intake.
All I can tell you is
a) you COULD just use the MFP very active setting and ignore fitbit adjustments
b) you SHOULD have negative adjustments enabled and expect your adjustment to decrease if you're more active in the morning than in the evening.
c) what matters in the end is what your weight TREND does over time. The rest are estimates to try to get you there.
d) if your 1400 is based on a 500 deficit, Fitbit seems to think that you're spending over 4000 Cal a day. That's fairly high even for a very active person *I assume you're female*, though not impossible if you are at a high enough weight. JUST TO BE SAFE: double check that your Fitbit setup has your correct height, weight, age etc. If you work at a desk with a mouse and keyboard and / or if you see fitbit adding extra steps during the day when you're not moving, consider marking your fitbit as being on your dominant hand even if it isn't.
e) use numbers as given. log carefully. By preference BEFORE you eat what you're logging. Observe your weight trend over a period of a few weeks that include a full hormonal cycle and then adjust based on your expected vs actual results
Thanks again, so i am heavy i have 4 stone to lose i have changed my activity to more active. looking at cal breakdown from my fitbit it reads 752 walking gym 508 walking 752 fitbit cal adjuster 15423 steps 2700 -
Even as a MFP regular, I'm confused now.
So to recap, Fitbit says 2302 for the day, she's ingested 1712, and she wants to lose 2 pounds.
Correct me if this is wrong...
If Fitbit is connected all day and synced to MFP, then 2302 is her estimated TDEE for the day. Meaning she's approx 600 in deficit. If she wasn't syncing her Fitbit to MFP then her estimated TDEE would be based on whatever setting she chose MFP (lightly active, etc.) plus any additional exercise calories she adds herself.
Since she wants to lose 2 pounds, that would require a deficit of 1000 per day. She's at nearly 600 today, which might result in 1.2 pounds for the week, not including the usual initial water weight loss.2 -
So are you saying your linked Fitbit is giving you an ADDITIONAL 2300 calories? That seems quite excessive. Although I could always be wrong. If that’s the case, then your calculations would be correct. If that’s your final number of total calories burned according to your Fitbit then that would be your TDEE as stated earlier.1
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Retroguy2000 wrote: »Even as a MFP regular, I'm confused now.
So to recap, Fitbit says 2302 for the day, she's ingested 1712, and she wants to lose 2 pounds.
Correct me if this is wrong...
If Fitbit is connected all day and synced to MFP, then 2302 is her estimated TDEE for the day. Meaning she's approx 600 in deficit. If she wasn't syncing her Fitbit to MFP then her estimated TDEE would be based on whatever setting she chose MFP (lightly active, etc.) plus any additional exercise calories she adds herself.
Since she wants to lose 2 pounds, that would require a deficit of 1000 per day. She's at nearly 600 today, which might result in 1.2 pounds for the week, not including the usual initial water weight loss.
Two separate issues. What the number say, as stated, and what to do.
a) The 2300 is very time dependent but it is "additional" over MFP settings. So it will only be final and correct at midnight. At that time the Fitbit TDEE value will have replaced the MFP value.
Assuming no exercise was logged on MFP. If exercise is logged on MFP and integration is enabled, that manual value will over-ride the detected value on Fitbit.
I would suggest that to be unwanted.
But literally MFP (and Fitbit) are claiming she is burning over 4k Cal.
However, with negative calories enabled this should REDUCE as the day goes on and if she is less active than the level selected on MFP (most people sit around at mbr * 1.0 not 1.25 when watching TV in the evening, even as low as 0.95 when sleeping since Mifflin is actually RMR not BMR)
b) a settings check would be something to do. And I would look at detected exercise. Walks are normally well researched and evaluated. Explosive lifting with short duration movements and increased heart rate are more likely to over-log. They could be replaced with an equivalent MET value moderate walk (weight reps and moderate walking are both 3.5MET activities) I would do any of that on Fitbit.
c) more importantly I would concentrate on weight trend. (trendweight) and on FULLY logging all bites before they enter mouth. double checking with SR Legacy values on Food Data Central would also be a good idea.
after a month or so of good data I would compare expected vs actual and make adjustments based on my own logging.2 -
Retroguy2000 wrote: »Even as a MFP regular, I'm confused now.
So to recap, Fitbit says 2302 for the day, she's ingested 1712, and she wants to lose 2 pounds.
Correct me if this is wrong...
If Fitbit is connected all day and synced to MFP, then 2302 is her estimated TDEE for the day. Meaning she's approx 600 in deficit. If she wasn't syncing her Fitbit to MFP then her estimated TDEE would be based on whatever setting she chose MFP (lightly active, etc.) plus any additional exercise calories she adds herself.
Since she wants to lose 2 pounds, that would require a deficit of 1000 per day. She's at nearly 600 today, which might result in 1.2 pounds for the week, not including the usual initial water weight loss.
Two separate issues. What the number say, as stated, and what to do.
a) The 2300 is very time dependent but it is "additional" over MFP settings. So it will only be final and correct at midnight. At that time the Fitbit TDEE value will have replaced the MFP value.
Assuming no exercise was logged on MFP. If exercise is logged on MFP and integration is enabled, that manual value will over-ride the detected value on Fitbit.
I would suggest that to be unwanted.
But literally MFP (and Fitbit) are claiming she is burning over 4k Cal.
However, with negative calories enabled this should REDUCE as the day goes on and if she is less active than the level selected on MFP (most people sit around at mbr * 1.0 not 1.25 when watching TV in the evening, even as low as 0.95 when sleeping since Mifflin is actually RMR not BMR)
b) a settings check would be something to do. And I would look at detected exercise. Walks are normally well researched and evaluated. Explosive lifting with short duration movements and increased heart rate are more likely to over-log. They could be replaced with an equivalent MET value moderate walk (weight reps and moderate walking are both 3.5MET activities) I would do any of that on Fitbit.
c) more importantly I would concentrate on weight trend. (trendweight) and on FULLY logging all bites before they enter mouth. double checking with SR Legacy values on Food Data Central would also be a good idea.
after a month or so of good data I would compare expected vs actual and make adjustments based on my own logging.
Thank you1 -
Are you saying you are burning about 1700 calories exercising over the course of two walks - one in morning and one at night? Thanks — i had a hard time following all the comments.0
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Are you saying you are burning about 1700 calories exercising over the course of two walks - one in morning and one at night? Thanks — i had a hard time following all the comments.
1700 cals burned doing a 5k walk plus evening cardio and weights. Seems high but came from my fitbit. I think this may include walking about too.0 -
rosieholly wrote: »Are you saying you are burning about 1700 calories exercising over the course of two walks - one in morning and one at night? Thanks — i had a hard time following all the comments.
1700 cals burned doing a 5k walk plus evening cardio and weights. Seems high but came from my fitbit. I think this may include walking about too.
so is it telling you that 1700 is the total calories burned for the DAY, via fitbit? and not just from exercising? from all your movement for the day?
if so, that would mean eating 1400 per day is creating a 300 calorie deficit which seems fine.
sorry if i am still not tracking. i just know that when i walk a few miles i burn maybe 100 cal per mile (certainly this varies per person) so i was trying to figure it all out. i am thrown off by some of the other numbers being discussed like 2305z
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rosieholly wrote: »Are you saying you are burning about 1700 calories exercising over the course of two walks - one in morning and one at night? Thanks — i had a hard time following all the comments.
1700 cals burned doing a 5k walk plus evening cardio and weights. Seems high but came from my fitbit. I think this may include walking about too.
so is it telling you that 1700 is the total calories burned for the DAY, via fitbit? and not just from exercising? from all your movement for the day?
if so, that would mean eating 1400 per day is creating a 300 calorie deficit which seems fine.
sorry if i am still not tracking. i just know that when i walk a few miles i burn maybe 100 cal per mile (certainly this varies per person) so i was trying to figure it all out. i am thrown off by some of the other numbers being discussed like 2305z
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rkcampbell wrote: »So are you saying your linked Fitbit is giving you an ADDITIONAL 2300 calories? That seems quite excessive. Although I could always be wrong. If that’s the case, then your calculations would be correct. If that’s your final number of total calories burned according to your Fitbit then that would be your TDEE as stated earlier.
It does seem like a big adjustment, but bear in mind that OP told MFP the were sedentary when they're actually putting in15000+ steps per day.1 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »rkcampbell wrote: »So are you saying your linked Fitbit is giving you an ADDITIONAL 2300 calories? That seems quite excessive. Although I could always be wrong. If that’s the case, then your calculations would be correct. If that’s your final number of total calories burned according to your Fitbit then that would be your TDEE as stated earlier.
It does seem like a big adjustment, but bear in mind that OP told MFP the were sedentary when they're actually putting in15000+ steps per day.
A TDEE of 3700+ (3700 plus deficit according to selected weight loss rate) sounds way way excessive though, even with 15000 steps a day, for someone looking to lose 60lbs (presuming those 60lbs will put her at a normal BMI).
Either the sync is wonky or Fitbit is overestimating a lot.
Best thing would be to first check at the source (Fitbit) what they say for total calorie burn for the day, to pinpoint the issue.1 -
Looks to me like daily activity is going in twice. Once as the full days burn and again as “exercise.”0
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