I Do Not Think My Calories Burned Is Correct..Need Advice

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  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
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    I have been tracking my food and exercise for 11 days. I lost 4 lbs in 5 days. Then today I got on the scale and I was up to my beginning weight

    Wow, are you ever active!

    The snipped quote is what I'd focus on. 11 days.... you lost 4 lbs in 5 days. The 4 lbs in 5 days would have been some kind of immediate, noob, water loss thing.... that wasn't a true indication of the rate you could expect. But, you knew that. So, the fact that it jumped back up isn't a huge shock, either. If you've suddenly added all that exercise, the common theory is that your muscles retain water for repair.

    I think, aside from being as accurate as you can with your logging, and either getting a HRM, or going with the lower estimated burns from the equipment, or eating less than the calories burned back..... that you should change nothing for another couple of weeks. Wait until you have a reasonable period of time to accumulate data, and then reassess. If you're doing things right, by that time, you'll have a legitimate loss.
  • fitfabforties
    fitfabforties Posts: 370 Member
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    it's hard to figure this all out sometimes.....my HRM watch always says that I've burned more calories than MFP does....for instance....I walked briskly for 10 minutes this morning to work and my watch said 162....MFP says 39!!!...I entered the 39 calories and I probably won't eat them back.....last night I did 30 minutes of Brazil Butt Lift Sculpt....my watch said 531!!!! WTF??...MFP says about 200....I entered the MFP amount....my general rule is enter the MFP amount or about half of what my watch says, whatever one is lower and then eat back only a few of those entered.....good luck!!!
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    Just FYI MOST gym equipment (treadmills, etc.) have the "projected caloric burn" default set for a 5'2" 150 lbs woman.

    Wear a HR monitor for best results.

    +1 Those things lie all the time. HR monitor is the way to go.

    However, How fast can you go on a treadmill? My experiences in the past with the treadmill going at least 3.3 mph worked just fine for a good burn and the calories calculated on MFP were close enough
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I have a rule of thumb to never eat the calories that MFP claims I burned off during exercise. Instead, I just eat within my 1600 calories for the day, and take the burned amount as a bonus. If you're just going to turn around and eat the calories you just burned off by working out, then what's the point of working out? You can eat the same amount without bothering to work out.

    MFP as designed gives you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. Eating back exercise calories keeps the "original" deficit. If you are obese a large deficit is fine. Closer to goal a really large deficit ensures fat+muscle loss. Most people want to minimize muscle loss, so they eat more. You need to fuel workouts to minimize muscle loss.

    The "point of working out" is fitness. Yes, it burns some calories (especially cardio) but a well rounded program includes strength training which helps you keep lean muscle while eating at a deficit.
  • landiekate
    landiekate Posts: 32 Member
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    I'd just buy a HRM, I've had mine for about 3 years now, and never plan on letting it go. Just now, I've had to replace the batteries.
    I never really trusted the exercise-burning-calculations on here.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    11 days isn't enough time to know whether or not you're eating too much. 5 lbs is well within the range of normal fluctuations, especially if you had some extra sodium or did an usual amount of exercise. Be patient. Wait 4-6 weeks before you start tweaking things.
  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
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    Lots of trial and error when you first start out to try and find what is right for you.
  • Mike_III
    Mike_III Posts: 22 Member
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    I'm having the same issue, but it's been almost two months. I lost 12 pounds and I'm not sure how to log my weight training. I've looked online at several calculations and it seams that MFP is always low. I haven't lost anything in two weeks. I weight train 3 days a week full body workout and I've been able to increase my weight last week. I don't know maybe its because I'm adding muscle?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I'm having the same issue, but it's been almost two months. I lost 12 pounds and I'm not sure how to long my weight training. I've looked online at several calculations and it seams that MFP is always low. I having lost anything in two weeks. I weight train 3 days a week full body workout and I've been able to increase weight my last week. I don't know maybe its because I'm adding muscle?

    Not in two weeks, no. You're likely retaining water for muscle repair. It usually lasts 4-6 weeks.
  • Mike_III
    Mike_III Posts: 22 Member
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    I understand the retaining water, but I've been at this for 36 days not two weeks. I've been under goal and log everything. My weight loss goal I want is 2 pounds a week.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I understand the retaining water, but I've been at this for 36 days not two weeks. I've been under goal and log everything. My weight loss goal I want is 2 pounds a week.

    But it's only been two weeks since you had a loss?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    it's hard to figure this all out sometimes.....my HRM watch always says that I've burned more calories than MFP does....for instance....I walked briskly for 10 minutes this morning to work and my watch said 162....MFP says 39!!!...I entered the 39 calories and I probably won't eat them back.....last night I did 30 minutes of Brazil Butt Lift Sculpt....my watch said 531!!!! WTF??...MFP says about 200....I entered the MFP amount....my general rule is enter the MFP amount or about half of what my watch says, whatever one is lower and then eat back only a few of those entered.....good luck!!!

    HRMs are designed for steady state cardio, So your walking calories are a pretty good estimate if your HRM has a chest strap. Chest strap models have more accuracy than wrist only models because pulse is only measured periodically and arm movements can thro things off. But for circuit training, HIIT, strength training, yoga, things like HRMs are much less accurate.
  • Mike_III
    Mike_III Posts: 22 Member
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    I'm sorry... I was losing like 2 pounds a week since I started and it stopped two weeks ago. 1600 cals a day. I don't know if you can see my diary?
  • Mike_III
    Mike_III Posts: 22 Member
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    I understand the retaining water, but I've been at this for 36 days not two weeks. I've been under goal and log everything. My weight loss goal I want is 2 pounds a week.

    But it's only been two weeks since you had a loss?
  • Mike_III
    Mike_III Posts: 22 Member
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    I'm sorry... I was losing like 2 pounds a week since I started and it stopped two weeks ago. 1600 cals a day. I don't know if you can see my diary?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I'm sorry... I was losing like 2 pounds a week since I started and it stopped two weeks ago. 1600 cals a day. I don't know if you can see my diary?

    Weight loss will slow as you get closer to goal. Weight loss won't be linear. You would have to keep lowering calories to maintain the same pace....and at some point it's just not very safe (or even healthy weight loss).

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • AlyssamR6712
    AlyssamR6712 Posts: 114 Member
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    I would recommend getting a HRM to track your burning calories.. Also everyone's weight fluctuates daily so you may have eaten something the day before to make yourself retain water. it is impossible to gain that much weight in one day. i am a daily weigher also but i just keep in mind the body will fluctuate, for me its usually 3-4 lbs of fluctuating, accept when i am around "that time" it will be more like 5-6
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I'm sorry... I was losing like 2 pounds a week since I started and it stopped two weeks ago. 1600 cals a day. I don't know if you can see my diary?

    I can't see it, it's set to private. You can change it by going to settings > diary settings.

    Two weeks isn't long enough to be concerned yet, especially if you haven't changed anything and you were losing 2 lbs per week prior to that. You can double check your accuracy-- make sure you're weighing your food on a scale and measuring free-pouring liquids, logging everything, choosing the database entries with no asterisk or making sure the label matches, etc.

    As far as I know there are no really accurate trackers for weight training calories. I always used what MFP gave me and that was fine. Now I use what fitbit gives me and that's been fine too. But it's just a token number. The best thing to do is use it for a few weeks and then adjust up or down as needed.
  • Shirotora88
    Shirotora88 Posts: 121
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    I usually say I did half the exercise that I have actually do. For example if I work out 30 minutes I log 15 minutes, or if I work out 2 hours I use 1 hour, or if I work out 60minutes I use 30 minutes
  • Mike_III
    Mike_III Posts: 22 Member
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    Changed it

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