Tracking all day calories

I just got one of these Smart Health watches like a fit bit. It measure my total steps, tells me how many calories I burned thru out the day and such. My question is do I add my total calorie burned from the entire day into my fitness pal? It then gives me a negative net. But I guess I'm not really sure what net means. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Is there a sync option with MFP? I know MFP has a sync option to adjust your caloires burned. But I guess the question is, how many calories do you burn a day and how many do you eat? I assume the negative net is good as it means you are in a calorie deficit. For example, if you average 2000 calories burned (which includes metabolic functions) and eat 1500 calories a day, then it's a 500 calorie deficit.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    No because MFP already takes into account both your BMR (the calories your body burns doing nothing) and your activity level. You only add calories back in for actual exercising that isn't already included.
  • YorriaRaine
    YorriaRaine Posts: 370 Member
    First things first.

    Net Calories is your Gross Calories - Exercise Calories Burned.

    Your "net" goal for calories consumed on mfp is a calculation based on your information. It takes your BMR, which is the calories you burn from living (aka, if you were in a coma doing nothing). From your BMR, calculations can be done to determine your TDEE, which is how much you burn naturally as well as from daily activity.

    To lose weight, you eat below your TDEE, most do either a -500 calories a day for each pound they want to lose a week, or they subtract 20% from this number.

    Your watch is basically estimating how much your TDEE is for the day more than likely. To lose weight, you would need to eat below that TDEE it gives you.

    edit: You can manually change your net calorie goal each day by going into the "change goals" settings in your "my home."