It's got me quessing......

amarie35

I have my fitness goals set up to show that I am lightly active & that I workout @ least 5 days for 40 minutes each day. So, my question is....each day, when I add my exercises for that day, do I add all of my exercises or do I just add if I go over the 40 minutes?

It looks like if I have it set up w/ me working out 5 days a week for 40 minutes a day, that that time would already be calculated in. But, it may not be & I just wanna make sure that I've been entering my exercises in correctly.

Thanks in advance for any & all input! :flowerforyou:

Mindful_Trent

Log ALL your exercise. MFP does NOT count your exercise "goals" in its calculations for your calories. It only includes them once you actually do it and log it. The only reason you setup goals are so that you have something to aim for - it shows up in your exercise log.

I really wish MFP would make this clear (some kind of explanation on the goals setup screen or something) - it confuses many people.

Edited to add: one more thing - your "normal daily activity level" - ex. sedentary, lightly active, active, etc. - should NOT include any exercise. It should be based off your non-exercise daily routine. I work at a desk job, drive to/from work, don't get a lot of walking in, so I'm sedentary. I workout 6 days a week, but that's logged as exercise and isn't part of my "normal daily activity level".

meggonkgonk

Your activity level should generally be set WITHOUT considering your workout goals - because these can vary. So select it based on the amount of activity you do without working out. If you are not lightly active without your workouts, you can leave the lightly active setting and not log your workouts, but your calorie estimates will be less precise.

ladyhawk00

Log ALL your exercise. MFP does NOT count your exercise "goals" in its calculations for your calories. It only includes them once you actually do it and log it. The only reason you setup goals are so that you have something to aim for - it shows up in your exercise log.

I really wish MFP would make this clear (some kind of explanation on the goals setup screen or something) - it confuses many people.

Edited to add: one more thing - your "normal daily activity level" - ex. sedentary, lightly active, active, etc. - should NOT include any exercise. It should be based off your non-exercise daily routine. I work at a desk job, drive to/from work, don't get a lot of walking in, so I'm sedentary. I workout 6 days a week, but that's logged as exercise and isn't part of my "normal daily activity level".

Bingo

erickirb

All of them. MFP does not take into account your goal amount of exercise when coming up with your caloric goal. MFP is set up so you will lose your goal amount of weight not exercising by eating 100% of the recommended calories, and if you do exercise it adds calories back that you must eat in order to reach you goal weight loss.