New To Calorie Counting - HELP!

freakeshow12

I'm new to this app and I have been using it for a few weeks and I find it is eye opening! I am trying to lose fat so I am eating less calories. My question is, when the app sets my calorie goal (1920) and I exercise, calories get added to my day. In wanting to be in a calorie deficit, should I stay at or below the 1920 or continue past and stay 500 calories below the daily total (app set + exercise). I'm weight lifting and cardio 3-5 times a week, I am currently at least 500 calories under the app set goal, and after 3 weeks I am down 5lbs. Just looking to see if I am on the right track or doing something wrong. It is hard to decide what on the internet is real and reliable so I will ask people like you who have done this already. Thanks in Advance!

csplatt

at 5 lb in 3 weeks i would stay the course for now. if you start to lose faster / too fast, you could start eating back some of the exercise calories. it’s trial and error.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

The weight will come off very quickly when you first go into deficit. Enjoy it!

I don't know how much you have to lose, but it's generally a game of persistence. It can be very frustrating at times. (search for my other whiney posts!)

I split the difference with exercise calories. First, do your MFP set-up using the "sedentary" setting. Then, add in for workouts. It helps to use a fitness tracker (e.g., Iphone), but I tend always to leave some exercise calories on the table.

Best of luck!

cmriverside

With the little info we have, csplatt is giving good advice.

Here is the official explanation of myfitnesspal's method of calculating.

I always ate all the calories "earned" by exercise, but I was logging everything and my weight was going in the right direction. You may or may not have to eat more or less than you are right now. It takes running your own experiment over a month or two to establish your own Goal, really. There are so many variables and only you know what they are.

freakeshow12

Thanks, trial and error is a pain! Lol!! Before the app I was eating "right" and at the gym a lot but didn't lose a pound. Out of frustration I got the app and started carb counting. I'm down 5 with what I think is 10 more. When I lose the belly and love handles I'll know I reached my goal.

Maganit

I’m a newbie as well so still not sure what I’m doing. In some of the YouTube videos people ate suggesting not to add the exercises as it will be automatically adding it back to your daily calorie limit. So if your daily limit set without exercise 1800 just eat that and your calories which you are burning with exercise will be your calorie deficit. At least that’s how I understood. Not sure if it is correct so hopefully someone will confirm it.

cmriverside

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48646779#Comment_48646779

Maganit, read that link I posted above, it explains how this site calculates your calories.

What you saw on YouTube? What channel was that? Don't believe what it said unless it was the official myfitnesspal channel. Lots of [wrong] different opinions out there that may be discussing something completely different.

Understand that link and you'll have a good start.

Maganit

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48646822#Comment_48646822

Thanks! Yes I wasn't sure those are correct. I might need to change my set up. I'm still learning so thanks your help again. :)

ddsb1111

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48646918#Comment_48646918

Just set up your goals using MFP, no need to make it more confusing for yourself. Don’t give yourself an extreme weight loss goal each week and stick to the calories it offers you. That’s literally all you need to do.