Calories burned during exercise

recipe4success

I am just curious, when this website and my Heart Rate Monitor tells me I burned a certain amount of calories doing an exercise, is that the amount of calories above and beyond what I would burn with my normal amount of activity during that time?

So say it tells me 200 calories burned, is that 200 extra calories, or the 50 calories i would normally burn + 150 extra calories?

I think this makes a huge difference towards what part of exercise calories one should eat back, and I have no idea as to the answer.

Thanks!

Mindful_Trent

I subtract the normal amount of calories burned (my "average" daily calories per MFP, which is about 90/hour) from the exercise calories calculated by my GoWearFit (substitute HRM if that's what your use). Those calculate how many calories you are burning during that time, but MFP already gives us the "normal" amount of calories per day and we should only add what we burn above and beyond that.

So, If i burn 300 working out for 30 minutes, I only count 255 of that as exercise calories.

lynnie30

I subtract the normal amount of calories burned (my "average" daily calories per MFP, which is about 90/hour) from the exercise calories calculated by my GoWearFit (substitute HRM if that's what your use). Those calculate how many calories you are burning during that time, but MFP already gives us the "normal" amount of calories per day and we should only add what we burn above and beyond that.

So, If i burn 300 working out for 30 minutes, I only count 255 of that as exercise calories.

so I've been so proud of the calories that I burn and have been recording all of them. I'm double counting them?:sad:

recipe4success

I subtract the normal amount of calories burned (my "average" daily calories per MFP, which is about 90/hour) from the exercise calories calculated by my GoWearFit (substitute HRM if that's what your use). Those calculate how many calories you are burning during that time, but MFP already gives us the "normal" amount of calories per day and we should only add what we burn above and beyond that.

So, If i burn 300 working out for 30 minutes, I only count 255 of that as exercise calories.

That totally makes sense! So I burn 100ish calories an hour normally, thus if i burned 800 calories in an hour (like i did yesterday) in terms of eating back calories the most i should eat back is 700. Thanks!

Mindful_Trent

I subtract the normal amount of calories burned (my "average" daily calories per MFP, which is about 90/hour) from the exercise calories calculated by my GoWearFit (substitute HRM if that's what your use). Those calculate how many calories you are burning during that time, but MFP already gives us the "normal" amount of calories per day and we should only add what we burn above and beyond that.

So, If i burn 300 working out for 30 minutes, I only count 255 of that as exercise calories.

so I've been so proud of the calories that I burn and have been recording all of them. I'm double counting them?:sad:

I wouldn't say you're double-counting all of them... it's only the small number that you'd "normally" be burning that you're double-counting. Look up what MFP says are your normal daily calories burned (in your goals page) and divide by 24 to get the hourly "normal" calorie burn - this is what I'd subtract from exercise calories per hour.

Not everyone does this, and I only do it because it makes total sense to me. Why count that calories I'd be burning anyways? Those aren't exercise calories - only the extra calories burned are.

In the end it's probably not critical to make this adjustment, but if you eat all yoru exercise calories, then it may slow weight loss a little due to overestimating. I'd rather be on the low side of my estimations than high.

lynnie30

I guess it does make total sense now. I don't usually eat my exercise calories, but this will put things more in perspective for me. Thanks!

sngnyrslp

I was always pretty sure that those numbers for "daily calories burned" are not included in the total that MFP gives us. Rather, they're a goal to work towards, as if MFP is saying "Hey we want you to burn this many calories per day" in the same way we are told "hey we want you to eat this many calories per day"
Otherwise, the minimum calories MFP would allow us to eat wouldn't be1200, it would be 1200 PLUS the daily calories burned goal. right?

recipe4success

I was always pretty sure that those numbers for "daily calories burned" are not included in the total that MFP gives us. Rather, they're a goal to work towards, as if MFP is saying "Hey we want you to burn this many calories per day" in the same way we are told "hey we want you to eat this many calories per day"
Otherwise, the minimum calories MFP would allow us to eat wouldn't be1200, it would be 1200 PLUS the daily calories burned goal. right?

They are included.

My daily calories burned = 2410

My calories/day is set at 1850 calories

This is a daily calorie deficit of 560 calories, which will equal about 1 lb/week assuming i don't exercise.

Mindful_Trent

I was always pretty sure that those numbers for "daily calories burned" are not included in the total that MFP gives us. Rather, they're a goal to work towards, as if MFP is saying "Hey we want you to burn this many calories per day" in the same way we are told "hey we want you to eat this many calories per day"
Otherwise, the minimum calories MFP would allow us to eat wouldn't be1200, it would be 1200 PLUS the daily calories burned goal. right?

MFP estimates how many calories you normally burn "Daily calories burned", then subtracts from that the deficit needed to meet your weight loss goal. That's why exercise calories are added to your daily calorie allowance - your deficit is already built-in. The only thing is that it will not go below 1200 calories, so if you burn less than 2200 on a normal day, it will not let you set it to a 1000 cal deficit. Shygal gave a good example above. Here's my setup:

Daily Calories Burned = 2200 (how many I burn on a normal day before exercise)

I want to lose 2 lbs/week, so that a 1000 cal deficit per day.

2200 daily calories burned - 1000 deficit = 1200 calories to eat per day, plus exercise calories

StacySkinny

Ok after reading the replies I'm even more confused. lol

sngnyrslp

I was always pretty sure that those numbers for "daily calories burned" are not included in the total that MFP gives us. Rather, they're a goal to work towards, as if MFP is saying "Hey we want you to burn this many calories per day" in the same way we are told "hey we want you to eat this many calories per day"
Otherwise, the minimum calories MFP would allow us to eat wouldn't be1200, it would be 1200 PLUS the daily calories burned goal. right?

MFP estimates how many calories you normally burn "Daily calories burned", then subtracts from that the deficit needed to meet your weight loss goal. That's why exercise calories are added to your daily calorie allowance - your deficit is already built-in. The only thing is that it will not go below 1200 calories, so if you burn less than 2200 on a normal day, it will not let you set it to a 1000 cal deficit. Shygal gave a good example above. Here's my setup:

Daily Calories Burned = 2200 (how many I burn on a normal day before exercise)

I want to lose 2 lbs/week, so that a 1000 cal deficit per day.

2200 daily calories burned - 1000 deficit = 1200 calories to eat per day, plus exercise calories

Oh I was under the impression from previous posts that "daily calories burned" referred to the exercise goals that we set when MFP calculates our goals. THOSE calories, the daily and weekly calories burned (or expected to be burned) via the exercise amounts you choose when setting goals, are not included in your daily calorie goal. I tested this by setting my expected workouts to zero and my recommended calorie intake stayed the same.

rpatiag

ME TOO! I'M TOTALLY CONFUSED NOW

SHALONDAG

I do not subtract any calories from my calories burned during exercise. I have worn my HRM all day on some days and the BMR ( estimated average daily calories for my activity level- I'm a nurse) that MFP has given me is pretty accurate. Therefore I give myself all of the credit for calories burned during exercise. I am losing weight doing this, so it works for me!

Mindful_Trent

Oh I was under the impression from previous posts that "daily calories burned" referred to the exercise goals that we set when MFP calculates our goals. THOSE calories, the daily and weekly calories burned (or expected to be burned) via the exercise amounts you choose when setting goals, are not included in your daily calorie goal. I tested this by setting my expected workouts to zero and my recommended calorie intake stayed the same.

Nope - "Daily Calories Burned" does not take into account ANY exercise calories. It's kind of confusing because MFP asks you about your exercise goals, but the only time they count toward your calories burned is when you log them into the exercise log. The reason you enter exercise goals is because it tracks your goals on the exercise log.

Your "Daily Calories Burned" which is what determines how much you are allowed to eat (before exercise) is based on regular daily activity (what you do every day) based on the activity level you set it at. I have a desk job and don't do much walking around (I drive to/from work) so I set mine at sedentary.

bigfathonu

So here's a question - when you set up your program originally on your iphone it asks how many times you exercise a week. I put 5 times.

When it gives my my estimated weight loss is it counting those 5 days of exercise or when I actually do the exercise do I need to enter the 30 mins a day x 5?

I found it strange that it asked at the beginning and then you still have to enter the exercises individually or at the setup was it just trying to figure out what type of person you are in terms of exercise?