Seriously Confused

Wafflecatcassie

Ok....so MFP set my daily calorie intake to 1200. Then I was told I that was too little and that I should at least eat my BMR, which is 1561.8...THEN I was told I had to factor in activity, which makes it 2147.475 OR 2420.79 . Some days I manage to work out harder than others....I'm not sure if I should go from a day to day basis...or try and keep it somewhere in the middle.


If I have to at least eat my BMR, why does the site set it to @300 calories less? Do I need to change it manually?


Also, exercise calories...


Ok....let's say I've eaten 1200 calories that day and do a work out that burns 300 calories....does this mean I'm back down to 900 and should eat 300 more, or would eating the 300 calories mean I'm up to 1500? Is it essential to eat your exercise calories back?

Helloitsdan

Waffle...let me run your numbers and get you on track.
PM me your:
Age
Height
Weight
Activity factor
Body Fat% (found at Fat to Fit Radio under tools)
Your waist measurement below your navel.

I'll make life a lot easier for you.
Hugs!

EricMurano

Ok....let's say I've eaten 1200 calories that day and do a work out that burns 300 calories....does this mean I'm back down to 900 and should eat 300 more, or would eating the 300 calories mean I'm up to 1500? Is it essential to eat your exercise calories back?

To follow the common belief on MFP, yes, you'll need to eat another 300 calories, 1,500 in total.

The important thing is to use this idea as a starting point and monitor your weight. If you're staying the same weight over 2-3 weeks or gaining weight over 2-3 weeks then try removing 100-200 calories from your diet.

Remember that the BMR calculators that MFP uses are not accurate. They offer a starting point that you're supposed to fine tune over time through observation.