Simple maths, people. Please.

Becky388

My question to you, if a person sits at a computer 7 hours monday to friday, but walks the dog twice every day and every weekend goes trekking, also walks everywhere instead o taking the tube, how would you classify that person's OVERALL lifestyle? Sedentary? Really?

For the purpose of MFP it's "Sedentary" THEN you record any of the walking you do and any other exercise and you EAT IT BACK (at least in part).

IF you are using MFP that is what you pick, If you are using something else (like me) then its based on your program. Most people do not do the same exact thing every day, walk the same distance at the same speed, trek the same path etc. I do, which is why I use TDEE and not MFP. My calories are my calories and unless I deviate in some way from my routine I don't eat less / more.

Thank you! That's what I thought I should be doing. I have a BMF and when MFP does the calorie adjustment for "exercise" (which in reality is not exercise because if an injury) I've been eating up to that allowance. I have stalled! Going back to eating the goal I had set for BMF and ignoring MFP recommendations - just using it now as a food log because it seems to be faster than BMF's.
I did however have to set my activity level higher than my actual activity in order for MFP to agree with my average burn the BMF says I burn.

WendyTerry420

That is exactly correct. I chose sedentary and eat back my exercise calories because my days vary tremendously based on what I do at work. It will work either way.

Exactly. Same here. It's easier to choose sedentary numbers and eat them back than to choose the active numbers and to not eat them back.

WendyTerry420

May not be invalid, but it is silly to expect results in health/weight when you are eating rubbish.

You wouldnt fill a petrol car full of diesel and expect it to work (although some cars aswell as people are awkward).

It's silly to think that food is rubbish.

monty619

because of the near impossibility of tracking BMR or exercise calories down to a single number.. just stick with how much you consume and not overcomplicate things and make it an ever bigger math problem.

Aviva92

I chose sedentary due to my job regardless of how much I exercise. I assume that's what most people do. Therefore, eating back exercise calories makes more sense. I'm also assuming that when people tell you to eat back your exercise calories, you chose the baseline with this in mind.

I think you're the one who is confused, not others.

Aviva92

Your original premise is flawed. Your "lifestlye" refers to your work "lifestyle"; it does not refer to your "workout lifestyle".

Sit behind a desk all day = "Sedentary".
Move around a lot for your JOB ="Moderate".
Does your job require a lot of physical exersion? (Work construction? Lift a lot for a warehouse job? Does your job feel like a workout? etc) Then set it at "Very active".

I do not remember the exact names for the activity level settings, but you get the idea.

You are correct when stating that based on which setting you select, MFP will give you a different allotment of calories. The reason is that you burn more calories each day(before considering exercise) based on the higher the activity level your job requires.

Your lifestyle, is not just "work lifestyle". normally a person works around 37 hours a week, or 7 hours per working day - the rest of the hours in the week are also part of the lifestyle! :):)

My question to you, if a person sits at a computer 7 hours monday to friday, but walks the dog twice every day and every weekend goes trekking, also walks everywhere instead o taking the tube, how would you classify that person's OVERALL lifestyle? Sedentary? Really?

If you are adding back in those calories from walking the dog then it's sedentary otherwise you're double counting. It's basic math. I think that the point of lifestyle is to account for lifestyle exercise that you can't possibly log in such as when you're on your feet all day working vs sitting in front of a computer working. you can't log in the standing on your feet all day portion, thus it becomes part of "lifestyle".

mfpcopine

Good discussion. Another issue may be that some people over-estimate their activity level. They say they're "active" when they're actually sedentary, etc.

Klopford

I put myself as sedentary because I really am very sedentary. Exercise isn't a regular thing for me though I'm working on getting to that point. I'll eat back my exercise cals if I'm hungry enough for it. Nice to know that exercise can give me a little wiggle room so I don't have to eat the same low-cal foods EVERY DAY!

noriri

Thank you for taking the time to clarify that subject. I really appreciate it!

Erienneb

My question to you, if a person sits at a computer 7 hours monday to friday, but walks the dog twice every day and every weekend goes trekking, also walks everywhere instead o taking the tube, how would you classify that person's OVERALL lifestyle? Sedentary? Really?

For the purpose of MFP it's "Sedentary" THEN you record any of the walking you do and any other exercise and you EAT IT BACK (at least in part).

IF you are using MFP that is what you pick, If you are using something else (like me) then its based on your program. Most people do not do the same exact thing every day, walk the same distance at the same speed, trek the same path etc. I do, which is why I use TDEE and not MFP. My calories are my calories and unless I deviate in some way from my routine I don't eat less / more.

This sounds like me. I work an office job and often times am very sedintary. Therefore, I set my thing to sedintary. Now, all my workouts, I can log. I like logging them and gaining the extra calories that way because my days are so different. It would be too difficult for me to set it to "lightly active" or whatever. I'm achieving great success eating most of my exersise calories back. SOmetimes it's hard to eat over 2000 *good* calories a day, so if I can't make it I don't force it. But it's working for me.

erikatoth

Calorie count is useless as some will eat rubbish aslong as they are under calorie goal.

nutrients is where its at.

Calorie count is useless? really? you're on the MFP website, in case you didnt notice. This iste is ALL about calorie counting. You got lost? :D:D

mindidily

What I've found to work for me is to pick "lightly active" to account for all my circuit training we do during PT and to cover all the trips I make up and down the stairs at work, the days we work in the warehouse and chasing my kids around.
But I do log my running because my runs vary so much, and I will usually eat those calories back, especially if I am hungry from it.

erikatoth

Not to mention that work style is not at all indicative of "lifestyle". I see what MFP is trying to do, but its just not a perfect system.

For example,ignore weekends, and take person A.), has an active work (say, walking tour guide, walks 6/7 working hours a day, then she goes home on the tbus (2X1 hr), then spends 5 hours in front of the television , then has 8 hour sleep. Then take person B.), sitting in an office for 7 hours, then cycles to and from work (2x1hr), then after work she walks the dog for an hour, collects kids and plays with them in the playground for one hour, then cleans the house (i know, superwoman, but hear me out) for an hour then has one hour nice long heartrate-pumping sex, then sleeps for 8 hours.

according to MFP, Person A.) would be active, person B (office work) would be Sedentary. In fact, their activity level is similar. You cannot measure lifestyle activity purey on work activity. Just need to be careful, as everyone is saying here, not to double count. Be honest with yourself. This isnt about cheating.

MouthyMatthewCHANGED

The whole "eat your exercise calories" subject has been bugging me for way too long.

Let me use myself as a simple example, based on MFP calculations. Let's say that I am a very active person who exercises 5 times a week for over an hour (I wish, but let's say). I also walk to work every day 2X1 hour.

I do my MFP analysis and put my lifestyle as "active". Anyone disagreeing?

With all other details (weight, height, etc) constant, wanting to lose 1 pound a week calculation, it gives me 1750 cals/day . Wooo hoo yippe!!

Then I go on to day one. I eat 1600 calories. I have one hour runnign session (400 cals), then swim for half an hour (200), then I add 2 hours brisk walking to and from work (let's undercalculate and say it's only 200. Then I go onto MFP and add all the nice 800 extra cals as exercise. And then I have a 850 cal dinner. Because I am supposed to eat my exercise calories.

End result on MFP? I am still 100 cals under... wow, how lucky am I? I am eating 2500 calories and I am supposed to lose a pound a week - have i died and just got to heaven?

Wrong.

You are ONLY allowed to eat your exercise calories if you haven't already included exercise in your lifestyle definition! if I had put sedentary lifestyle, for a 1 pound week weight loss MFO would have given me the minimum of 1200. Then, IF I do indeed exercise and walk ads much as I said, I may, MAY be allowed to eat 1200+800 and MAY possibly still lose the weekly one pound MFP promises me.

You either add your exercise (walking included!) into your activity, OR you record your exercise on the "sedentary lifestyle" base. If you do both, you are double counting your exercise.

Sorry, had to get it off my chest. Please people stop sabotaging other people's efforts by telling them they need to eat their exercise cals.

(For background info, I am 67cm and 54 kg, my ideal weight, after MFP helped me to lose 15 kilos. I did it by sticking to 1200/day most days. No heavy exercise, no no carbs, no forbidden foods, just eating a comfortable 1200. Now I am on 1500 to maintain weight and been maintaining for 3 months now. )

Totally agree and well explained. I've had friends struggling with this for ages and the bit about double counting is exactly my words to them. When they changed, things started to shift again.

Personally I think it's better to put a lower amount of daily activity and then put each individual exercise down separately. I think it's more accurate than the generalisation of "having a more active lifestyle".

Anyway, good post :-)

MouthyMatthewCHANGED

Calorie count is useless as some will eat rubbish aslong as they are under calorie goal.

nutrients is where its at.

Calorie count is useless? really? you're on the MFP website, in case you didnt notice. This iste is ALL about calorie counting. You got lost? :D:D

I agree that nutrients are important for health, but I disagree that calorie counting alone won't result in weight loss. I've lost 4 stone before now purely through counting calories and did so purely through calories and not nutrition. I'm not saying it's the healthy way to do it - but it does work, and I think it's down to each individual to find a way which works best for them.

rfsatar

The whole "eat your exercise calories" subject has been bugging me for way too long.

Let me use myself as a simple example, based on MFP calculations. Let's say that I am a very active person who exercises 5 times a week for over an hour (I wish, but let's say). I also walk to work every day 2X1 hour.

I do my MFP analysis and put my lifestyle as "active". Anyone disagreeing?

With all other details (weight, height, etc) constant, wanting to lose 1 pound a week calculation, it gives me 1750 cals/day . Wooo hoo yippe!!

Then I go on to day one. I eat 1600 calories. I have one hour runnign session (400 cals), then swim for half an hour (200), then I add 2 hours brisk walking to and from work (let's undercalculate and say it's only 200. Then I go onto MFP and add all the nice 800 extra cals as exercise. And then I have a 850 cal dinner. Because I am supposed to eat my exercise calories.

End result on MFP? I am still 100 cals under... wow, how lucky am I? I am eating 2500 calories and I am supposed to lose a pound a week - have i died and just got to heaven?

Wrong.

You are ONLY allowed to eat your exercise calories if you haven't already included exercise in your lifestyle definition! if I had put sedentary lifestyle, for a 1 pound week weight loss MFO would have given me the minimum of 1200. Then, IF I do indeed exercise and walk ads much as I said, I may, MAY be allowed to eat 1200+800 and MAY possibly still lose the weekly one pound MFP promises me.

You either add your exercise (walking included!) into your activity, OR you record your exercise on the "sedentary lifestyle" base. If you do both, you are double counting your exercise.

Sorry, had to get it off my chest. Please people stop sabotaging other people's efforts by telling them they need to eat their exercise cals.

(For background info, I am 67cm and 54 kg, my ideal weight, after MFP helped me to lose 15 kilos. I did it by sticking to 1200/day most days. No heavy exercise, no no carbs, no forbidden foods, just eating a comfortable 1200. Now I am on 1500 to maintain weight and been maintaining for 3 months now. )

Totally agree and well explained. I've had friends struggling with this for ages and the bit about double counting is exactly my words to them. When they changed, things started to shift again.

Personally I think it's better to put a lower amount of daily activity and then put each individual exercise down separately. I think it's more accurate than the generalisation of "having a more active lifestyle".

Anyway, good post :-)

Amen sister and brother...

I have to admit I opted for the Sedentary option, and I put down my specific exercise (and currently battle with the whole FitBit adjustment debacle at the moment)... but because when I started on this site, I was only JUST starting to get back to exercise ... it seemed to work. Now after a recurring knee injury... back at the beginning of the exercise regime [/pauses to howl in anguish and all round grumpiness] ... but the cal awareness (that has resulted in better balanced counting) HAS resulted in loss for me... so Iza Happz.

Aviva92

Not to mention that work style is not at all indicative of "lifestyle". I see what MFP is trying to do, but its just not a perfect system.

For example,ignore weekends, and take person A.), has an active work (say, walking tour guide, walks 6/7 working hours a day, then she goes home on the tbus (2X1 hr), then spends 5 hours in front of the television , then has 8 hour sleep. Then take person B.), sitting in an office for 7 hours, then cycles to and from work (2x1hr), then after work she walks the dog for an hour, collects kids and plays with them in the playground for one hour, then cleans the house (i know, superwoman, but hear me out) for an hour then has one hour nice long heartrate-pumping sex, then sleeps for 8 hours.

according to MFP, Person A.) would be active, person B (office work) would be Sedentary. In fact, their activity level is similar. You cannot measure lifestyle activity purey on work activity. Just need to be careful, as everyone is saying here, not to double count. Be honest with yourself. This isnt about cheating.

common sense comes into the picture when choosing which lifestyle you fit into on myfitnesspal for both scenarios. i'm not really sure why this is even a thread to be honest.