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  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    I know MFP adds exercise calories seperately. That doesn't change the fact that someone who exercises regularly is going to burn more calories while sedentary than the person who doesn't.

    The two are not mutually exclusive.

    All I'm pointing out is how MFP is intended to work. You set your "normal daily activity level" based on your *non-exercise* activity. You log your exercise in the exercise log and *that* is how MFP accounts for your exercise calories - as logged exercise, not as part of your "normal daily activity level". If you are fairly sedentary other than your exercise, but you set your "normal daily activity level" as active because you workout regularly, then MFP will be overestimating your normal daily burn.

    No, it won't.

    I'll use me as an example this time. I have a very sedentary job; I sit at a desk for 95% of my working day. I workout 5-6 days per week, 45-75 minutes per day on average. I am set at Moderately Active on MFP with a 500/day deficit. I log all of my exercise and eat all of my exercise calories back.

    By your reasoning, I should not be losing weight and inches.

    *points at tickers in sig*
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    No, it won't.

    I'll use me as an example this time. I have a very sedentary job; I sit at a desk for 95% of my working day. I workout 5-6 days per week, 45-75 minutes per day on average. I am set at Moderately Active on MFP with a 500/day deficit. I log all of my exercise and eat all of my exercise calories back.

    By your reasoning, I should not be losing weight and inches.

    *points at tickers in sig*

    It's not an exact science. I didn't say you wouldn't lose anything, but that MFP would just likely be overestimating your normal burn... I didn't say by how much. You found something that works for you - great. That said, *in general* we are NOT supposed to consider exercise calories in our "normal daily activities" - that's just how MFP is designed. Obviously if people try something and it doesn't work for them, then they may need to tweak things - all of these are estimates anyways... but it's not the best idea to go around telling everyone to count exercise in their "normal daily activities" when that's not how MFP was designed.

    Personally, I found that using a "sedentary" setting since I work a desk job and not much activity (excluding logged exercise) and then logging my exercise calories (and eating those) is what best predicts/matches my results. If I set my activity level at active since I workout regularly AND logged and ate those calories, then my weight loss would slow.

    ::shrugs:: Like I said - it's not an exact science. Our experiences differ. My experience goes along with how the site was designed and yours doesn't. It's good info for people to be aware of.
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