Totally Confused....

JDMPWR

Here it is guys. I am new to the forum and have been using the app all this week on my phone.

I am 227 and 5'10-11 ish and it is telling me my "goal" is 1680 a day....what exactly is my goal? the amount of calories I should eat in a day? To be frank that's not much in my opinion.

I am trying to lose 2 lbs a week so I roughly have to burn 7000 calories a week so breaking that down daily it's 1000 calories I either have to burn or be deficient and or both. Right now I do 45 minutes of cardio a day and burn off roughly 650 cals doing that. That equals up to 4,550 which isnt' nearly 7000 for the week that is needed to lose 2lbs a week.

I noticed when you burn off calories for a workout it allows you to eat more food. So my "goal" of 1680 now becomes something like 2310. I take it my "goal" is already less then the caloric intake that I need to maintain my weight?

Should I be doing cardio twice a day to reach my goal of losing 2 lbs a week?

I hope this didn't confuse people. If so please message me or post and I will try to rephrase my questions.

Beebee78

Hi there,

I am not entirely sure about calorie goals as I don't follow the goal it sets on here as my trainer set me a calorie goal, but I am sure there will be someone who can help. Good luck on your journey xxx

megsta21

Hi There Bee!!!

MFP works out the deficit needed already based on all the information you have provided.

The calories you are given will slowly reduce over time as you loose weight.. it is recommended to eat half to all of your exercise calories, however this is a personal choice..

I found these links uber helpful, I would suggest reading them and then if your still confused message me an ill see if I can help you more..

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

Cheers
Megs

billybed

when you set your goal put in that you are not working out at all. THat will give you the eating calories you need to get the 2lbs a week off. Then if you work out, you eat those calories so that you net out to the same place as if you did not work out. This took me awhile to figure out.

If you put in a workout amount then you do not eat those calories as MFP has put them into your diet already, but that does not take into account if you work out more or less than you guessed in your goal. So... the easiest is to put 0 in the workout and then eat whatever workout calories you burn...

Make sense? Let me know

bonnienm

Actually your workout calories aren't included in your goal, that is why when you enter your exercise after you do it, it adds the calories to your original calorie goal. For example, my calorie goal for the day while losing weight was 1,200. If I walked for say 60 min at 4 mph and enter that under exercise, MFP adds that amount of calories (approx 300) to my original goal and I can have 1,500 calories and still have a deficit so will lose weight. Your base calories are figured by age, weight and lifestyle (sedentary, etc. like at work). It is up to you whether you "eat" all your exercise calories or just part of them but you'll still lose weight if you eat all of them.

billybed

Actually your workout calories aren't included in your goal, that is why when you enter your exercise after you do it, it adds the calories to your original calorie goal. For example, my calorie goal for the day while losing weight was 1,200. If I walked for say 60 min at 4 mph and enter that under exercise, MFP adds that amount of calories (approx 300) to my original goal and I can have 1,500 calories and still have a deficit so will lose weight. Your base calories are figured by age, weight and lifestyle (sedentary, etc. like at work). It is up to you whether you "eat" all your exercise calories or just part of them but you'll still lose weight if you eat all of them.

Right but if entering your goals you tell it that you are going to work out 5 days a week 45 min a session it may move your calories from 1200 to 1500... thus it is already taking it into account so when you work out and the system show you get 300 calories from working out you cannot eat those since the system has already adjusted for them.

Mindful_Trent

Actually your workout calories aren't included in your goal, that is why when you enter your exercise after you do it, it adds the calories to your original calorie goal. For example, my calorie goal for the day while losing weight was 1,200. If I walked for say 60 min at 4 mph and enter that under exercise, MFP adds that amount of calories (approx 300) to my original goal and I can have 1,500 calories and still have a deficit so will lose weight. Your base calories are figured by age, weight and lifestyle (sedentary, etc. like at work). It is up to you whether you "eat" all your exercise calories or just part of them but you'll still lose weight if you eat all of them.

Right but if entering your goals you tell it that you are going to work out 5 days a week 45 min a session it may move your calories from 1200 to 1500... thus it is already taking it into account so when you work out and the system show you get 300 calories from working out you cannot eat those since the system has already adjusted for them.

Entering in your exercise goals on the goals page does not impact your calorie goal in ANY WAY. All it does is give you something to shoot for - look on your exercise page and it compares your actual exercise to your goal. I tested this by putting in zero exercise goal and then something like 90 minutes/day for 6 days a week, and it made no difference in my daily calorie goal. This is why you are supposed to eat your exercise calories - MFP sets up your normal daily calorie goal with no exercise included - it is only based off of age/weight/gender/height/normal daily activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.). SInce MPF already gives you the deficit to lose weight without exercise, you are supposed to eat your exercise calories - they're bonus calories, in a way.

JDMPWR

Actually your workout calories aren't included in your goal, that is why when you enter your exercise after you do it, it adds the calories to your original calorie goal. For example, my calorie goal for the day while losing weight was 1,200. If I walked for say 60 min at 4 mph and enter that under exercise, MFP adds that amount of calories (approx 300) to my original goal and I can have 1,500 calories and still have a deficit so will lose weight. Your base calories are figured by age, weight and lifestyle (sedentary, etc. like at work). It is up to you whether you "eat" all your exercise calories or just part of them but you'll still lose weight if you eat all of them.

Right but if entering your goals you tell it that you are going to work out 5 days a week 45 min a session it may move your calories from 1200 to 1500... thus it is already taking it into account so when you work out and the system show you get 300 calories from working out you cannot eat those since the system has already adjusted for them.

Entering in your exercise goals on the goals page does not impact your calorie goal in ANY WAY. All it does is give you something to shoot for - look on your exercise page and it compares your actual exercise to your goal. I tested this by putting in zero exercise goal and then something like 90 minutes/day for 6 days a week, and it made no difference in my daily calorie goal. This is why you are supposed to eat your exercise calories - MFP sets up your normal daily calorie goal with no exercise included - it is only based off of age/weight/gender/height/normal daily activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.). SInce MPF already gives you the deficit to lose weight without exercise, you are supposed to eat your exercise calories - they're bonus calories, in a way.

This answered my question exactly. Thanks for all the replies.