MFP Calorie Goal Too High?

bluetalonuk
bluetalonuk Posts: 15
in Getting Started
Hello

I'm 5'7" Tall, Male, and 46. I'm trying to maintain my weight at 140 Lbs (Nice round figure and 22 BMI).

I am quite active. I walk 20-25 mile a day (measured by my Fitbit).

My question is:

The calculated Daily BMR is 1501 and Calorie Requirement is BMR*1.9=2852,
but MFP is calculating my target at around 4400 (2420 goal + 2000 exercise) calories per day.

Which calorie target should I use to keep my weight stable?

I must admit I am finding it hard to eat the 4400 calories a day.
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Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Do you really exercise 2000 calories every day? MFP calculates a base figure, and then adds on more calories as you log exercise.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Everybody's different, and it takes a whole lot if trial & error to find what works for you. Set your activity level to very active & set your goal to maintenance http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    Connect your Fitbit & MFP accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/30

    Do not log any step based activity. That's what the Fitbit adjustments are for. Non-step based exercise (like swimming or spinning) can be logged in Fitbit or MFP--never both. If you log in MFP, you'll be asked for start & end times. MFP will override your step data during that time.

    Give it a few weeks, then reevaluate. You may have to adjust your activity level &/or the percentage of exercise calories you eat back until you find the number of calories at which your weight stabilizes.

    Congratulations on reaching your goal.
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    I work Tuesday-Saturday and here is my MFP data for the last week

    Day Goal Exercise
    Tues 7 2589 2007
    Wed 8 " 1833
    Thurs 9 " 1800
    Fri 10 " 1734
    Sat 11 2589 1713

    My exercise calories are so high as I walk to/from work (5 miles each way) and walk a further 10-15 miles while at work. Fitbit says I'm doing 45000 - 60000 steps 5 days a week.
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
    At your weight you can spare a few pounds in order to get a more accurate estimate of your TDEE. Average the 2 estimates and eat that for 2 weeks and weigh yourself. Weigh yourself once 3 days after starting because the initial gain is to be expected then only take seriously any gain over your weigh in taken after 3 days.
  • MDF247
    MDF247 Posts: 64 Member
    "Fitbit says I'm doing 45000 - 60000 steps 5 days a week."

    I'm making an amazed face.

    Unless I intentionally get out and walk/run, I get about 2000 steps per day. Yes, I have a desk job and I shop at Amazon.com. I thought I was a superhero the one day I hit 25,000 steps. I can't imagine how often you must buy new shoes.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    If this represents an average working day for you, set your activity level to Active or Very Active, disconnect FitBit from MFP and don't count walking in your exercise calories.
  • AnotherXFitGuy
    AnotherXFitGuy Posts: 58 Member
    I work Tuesday-Saturday and here is my MFP data for the last week

    Day Goal Exercise
    Tues 7 2589 2007
    Wed 8 " 1833
    Thurs 9 " 1800
    Fri 10 " 1734
    Sat 11 2589 1713

    My exercise calories are so high as I walk to/from work (5 miles each way) and walk a further 10-15 miles while at work. Fitbit says I'm doing 45000 - 60000 steps 5 days a week.

    I think your error is in calculating your walking as exercise. It should be programmed into your activity level. My job requires me to walk a lot also so I selected "Very Active". Exercise is above and beyond work.
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    @mdf247

    I'm a Postman (Processing). I'm on my feet all of the 8 hour shift. My job involves a lot of walking, and that combined with the 10 miles walking to/from work (I don't drive so I walk to the the train station and then from the station to the plant).

    I have my target on Fitbit set to 25000 steps and the Fitbit usually buzzes around lunchtime.

    ---
    http://www.fitbit.com/user/22D3X2
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/bluetalonuk
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If you want to log your walking, change your activity level to sedentary, or keep your activity to very active and don't log the walking. Don't do both or you will be double counting.
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    @AnotherXFitGu

    I WALK at 4-6 miles / hour and runkeeper counts it as Jogging, Fitbit counts it as "Very Active" activity.

    Look at my fitbit profile if you want.

    ---
    http://www.fitbit.com/user/22D3X2
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/bluetalonuk
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    If this represents an average working day for you, set your activity level to Active or Very Active, disconnect FitBit from MFP and don't count walking in your exercise calories.

    I can't stop counting my walking steps. I use a fitbit and that counts ALL my steps, Walking or Running. I have set my activity to Active in MFP.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If this represents an average working day for you, set your activity level to Active or Very Active, disconnect FitBit from MFP and don't count walking in your exercise calories.

    I can't stop counting my walking steps. I use a fitbit and that counts ALL my steps, Walking or Running. I have set my activity to Active in MFP.

    change activity level to sedentary or you will be double counting the activity if you are using fitbit
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    If this represents an average working day for you, set your activity level to Active or Very Active, disconnect FitBit from MFP and don't count walking in your exercise calories.

    I can't stop counting my walking steps. I use a fitbit and that counts ALL my steps, Walking or Running. I have set my activity to Active in MFP.

    change activity level to sedentary or you will be double counting the activity if you are using fitbit

    It's not double counting. If I don't log my walk to work on Runkeeper then Fitbit sends the steps to fitbit and I still get 1500-2000 exercise calories in MFP. I'll double check that by not logging my walks next week and see what it says.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    If this represents an average working day for you, set your activity level to Active or Very Active, disconnect FitBit from MFP and don't count walking in your exercise calories.

    I can't stop counting my walking steps. I use a fitbit and that counts ALL my steps, Walking or Running. I have set my activity to Active in MFP.

    change activity level to sedentary or you will be double counting the activity if you are using fitbit
    This.

    Or you can disconnect your FitBit from MFP so it doesn't give you extra calories for walking.

    Then if you still want to use FitBit to calculate calories for your running, the model I have, the FitBit One lets you measure steps/calories for a the time you tell it to. Just hold the button in for a few seconds - the same as you do to measure sleep, but it "knows" it's an activity instead because you keep moving.

    Don't let your FitBit be the boss of you!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If this represents an average working day for you, set your activity level to Active or Very Active, disconnect FitBit from MFP and don't count walking in your exercise calories.

    I can't stop counting my walking steps. I use a fitbit and that counts ALL my steps, Walking or Running. I have set my activity to Active in MFP.

    change activity level to sedentary or you will be double counting the activity if you are using fitbit

    It's not double counting. If I don't log my walk to work on Runkeeper then Fitbit sends the steps to fitbit and I still get 1500-2000 exercise calories in MFP. I'll double check that by not logging my walks next week and see what it says.

    Yes you will, but your base calories would be much lower at about 1800 (1500*1.2) instead of 2800
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    I think I'm going to try and stick to my 2589 & 600 calories (I'm trying the 5:2 Diet) next week and see if my weight stabilizes. At the moment I'm stuck on 145-150 lbs.
  • floppyghost
    floppyghost Posts: 9
    20-25 miles pro day is a LOT of walking. Given that even a brisk pace of walking is typically something like 3 or 3.5 mph, that's the equivalent of walking continually for at least 6 hours every single day.

    Do you really walk that much ?
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    You're male and 145 pounds? What height?
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    You're overcomplicating this. What are you eating calorie and macro wise? Is that maintaining your weight? If so, you have your answer.
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    20-25 miles pro day is a LOT of walking. Given that even a brisk pace of walking is typically something like 3 or 3.5 mph, that's the equivalent of walking continually for at least 6 hours every single day.

    Do you really walk that much ?

    as I said before I walk 5 miles to and from work (10 miles so far) then I walk around at work most of the time for 8 hours.

    My walking pace is between 4 and 6 MPH (verified by GPS)

    SO approx 13 miles/day walking around at work + 10 miles walking to/from work IS A LOT OF ACTIVITY
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    You're male and 145 pounds? What height?

    5' 7"
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    You're overcomplicating this. What are you eating calorie and macro wise? Is that maintaining your weight? If so, you have your answer.

    I'm stuck at the 145-150 pounds level. I want to be at 22 BMI and therefore need to get down to 140 pounds.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    OP has already stated that he is 5'7", and that he is a postman who walks everywhere and all day long.

    I think the confusion is caused by the OP having his activity level set to active on MFP, then has the FitBit that gives him the extra calories for all the walking he does.

    If I understand this correctly, then he is indeed getting double calories for all of his walking exercise, but I could be wrong, who knows.
    Even with all the walking he does, I don't see a man at his height and weight, and in his 40s, needing 4000 calories to maintain.
    Seems a bit high to me.
    2850 sounds much more reasonable.

    OP- This all comes down to trial and error. Try your plan for awhile and see what happens. Adjust up or down as necessary after a couple of weeks.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    I did the 5:2 plan for a couple of months to break thru a plateau last Summer. It worked really well for me. If it works for you, great. Once you get to goal weight, most people maintain by doing 6:1.
    Good luck to you and keep those cards and letters coming! :smile:
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I'm stuck at the 145-150 pounds level. I want to be at 22 BMI and therefore need to get down to 140 pounds.
    You're already in the healthy range. Are you maintaining at the moment? If so, religiously record everything you eat and drink, average it out over a week and take off 500 calories .

    But as a slim man who does a lot of cardio for work, you may want to consider body re-composition as a goal. Get some weight training in as your formal exercise to change your body fat percentage rather that trying to get lighter.
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    If I understand this correctly, then he is indeed getting double calories for all of his walking exercise, but I could be wrong, who knows.
    Even with all the walking he does, I don't see a man at his height and weight, and in his 40s, needing 4000 calories to maintain.
    Seems a bit high to me.
    2850 sounds much more reasonable.

    OP- This all comes down to trial and error. Try your plan for awhile and see what happens. Adjust up or down as necessary after a couple of weeks.

    Thanks for the information.

    As I said earlier going to do the 2850 (for 5 days) and 600 (for 2 days) and see if my weight starts to move in the right direction.

    Might switch to only 1 x 600 cal day if my weight starts to go below my target.
  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
    Nevermind the calories fitbit puts onto your mfp, what does your fitbit dashboard tell you you should eat?
    also do you have runkeeper connected to mfp? if you got fitbit connected to runkeeper and then runkeeper to mfp you will double log your exercise. Once from fitbit to mfp as normal fitbit adjustments, and the second time from runkeeper to mfp as exercise calories.
    Just the fitbit on it's own won't log exercise calories on your mfp account...
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Since you're already at a healthy bmi, the 5:2 approach will be really slow. I'm not saying don't do it (I've been following it for a year now), but "fast" it is not. Please have realistic expectations.
  • bluetalonuk
    bluetalonuk Posts: 15
    Nevermind the calories fitbit puts onto your mfp, what does your fitbit dashboard tell you you should eat?
    also do you have runkeeper connected to mfp? if you got fitbit connected to runkeeper and then runkeeper to mfp you will double log your exercise. Once from fitbit to mfp as normal fitbit adjustments, and the second time from runkeeper to mfp as exercise calories.
    Just the fitbit on it's own won't log exercise calories on your mfp account...

    Fitbit is saying I should eat 4000+ cals / day too.
    and the way runkeeper works with fitbit is if you log an activity with runkeeper, fitbit ignores the steps from the sensor during that time (in the case of cycling there is lots of effort but little logged steps)

    So fitbit and runkeeper ARE NOT DOUBLE LOGGING STEPS
  • Timmmy40
    Timmmy40 Posts: 152 Member
    With that much walking everyday you should be able to eat 3500 calories a day and maintain your weight. I don't see 20 -25 miles a day. I get the 10 miles to and from work, but 13 miles at work. Fitbit is over exaggerating the distance.

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