Just to make sure im understanding the numbers

JustANumber85

background: SW 165 CW 161 5'4 and workout 5 days a week (3 being cardio and strength 2 being pilates). Im a SAHM otherwise. I have my MFP set at 1lbs a week. GW is 130.

MFP has me at 1340 cals a day. (which is fine no issues with not eating enough or too much). I know theres debate on eating back exercise cals or not.... Thats kind of what im asking along with NET cals. If I eat back 1/2 my cals (ex: today would be 93 (186/2=93)) that puts my TOTAL at 1433. I get that part BUT do i still try to NET 1200? Does it go hand in hand somehow?

I know to eat if i feel like it and I know if i eat right ill lose weight, im just trying to understand how it all works number wise and get the calculations some what understood.

spoons81

1200 isn't the magic number for losing weight. You should be netting 1340 plus the calories burned during exercise.

So if food consumed equals 1340 and exercise for that day equals 200, then you should be eating 1540 for the day.

omma_to_3

What do you have your activity settings set to? Those aren't sedentary numbers (I'm also 5'4") so you need to make sure your activity estimation didn't include your exercise. If it did, eating back your exercise calories would be double counting them.

But, the intention is that you should be netting the 1340. I am set to sedentary and a 1.2 loss per week and am told to net 1200 calories (if I change it to a 1 lb loss it says 1280 calories to net).

itgeekwoman

eat! It really does make a difference. Eat back your exercise cals!

spoons81

What do you have your activity settings set to? Those aren't sedentary numbers (I'm also 5'4") so you need to make sure your activity estimation didn't include your exercise. If it did, eating back your exercise calories would be double counting them.

But, the intention is that you should be netting the 1340. I am set to sedentary and a 1.2 loss per week and am told to net 1200 calories (if I change it to a 1 lb loss it says 1280 calories to net).

Yeah, my comment is based on you having your activity to sedentary!

JustANumber85

What do you have your activity settings set to? Those aren't sedentary numbers (I'm also 5'4") so you need to make sure your activity estimation didn't include your exercise. If it did, eating back your exercise calories would be double counting them.

But, the intention is that you should be netting the 1340. I am set to sedentary and a 1.2 loss per week and am told to net 1200 calories (if I change it to a 1 lb loss it says 1280 calories to net).

I have it at Sedentary. I basically do sit all day (no babies to pick up or toddlers to chase).

JustANumber85

1200 isn't the magic number for losing weight. You should be netting 1340 plus the calories burned during exercise.

So if food consumed equals 1340 and exercise for that day equals 200, then you should be eating 1540 for the day.

using what you said: My total for the day with exercise is 1526. I have 1459 total with 67 cals LEFT and Im at 1273 NET. So i want to eat those 67cals to total 1526? (or close to it)

omma_to_3

What do you have your activity settings set to? Those aren't sedentary numbers (I'm also 5'4") so you need to make sure your activity estimation didn't include your exercise. If it did, eating back your exercise calories would be double counting them.

But, the intention is that you should be netting the 1340. I am set to sedentary and a 1.2 loss per week and am told to net 1200 calories (if I change it to a 1 lb loss it says 1280 calories to net).

I have it at Sedentary. I basically do sit all day (no babies to pick up or toddlers to chase).

I was just going to say this doesn't make sense to me since I weight more and am the same height. But then I see you're 11 years younger than me LOL. Drat, those 11 years make a significant difference!

Since you're set to sedentary, yes, eat back your exercise calories. However, you need to be aware of how accurate your calorie burn estimations are. For my cardio, I use an HRM so they're as accurate as they can be and I eat them all back. But if you're using MFP values, they could be over or under estimating your burns. I would suspect overestimating for you - I've found MFP overestimates for smaller/more fit people and underestimates for larger/less fit people. If you're using MFP values, you probably shouldn't eat them all back because they're less likely to be accurate. It also depends on what activity. MFP is much more accurate for walking/running than for cycling and elliptical.

cmriverside

1200 isn't the magic number for losing weight. You should be netting 1340 plus the calories burned during exercise.

So if food consumed equals 1340 and exercise for that day equals 200, then you should be eating 1540 for the day.

using what you said: My total for the day with exercise is 1526. I have 1459 total with 67 cals LEFT and Im at 1273 NET. So i want to eat those 67cals to total 1526? (or close to it)

Well, you want to NET whatever MFP has you set at....1340 was the number? So you eat 1340 plus Exercise calories - total. ..eat that....

spoons81

If you don't have a HRM (heart rate monitor) another option is to set your activity level to lightly active and then eat the recommended amount without logging exercise calories. The exercise will already be factored in to your goal. You may have to tweak the number a bit over the course of a few weeks if you're not losing or losing too much, but it's a little easier for those of us who can't be bothered by tracking exercise!

Try another website for calculating your TDEE, like fitnessfrog.com

You should be eating 15-20% less than your TDEE and not below your BMR (the energy your body needs to basically breath and run your organs)

JustANumber85

If you don't have a HRM (heart rate monitor) another option is to set your activity level to lightly active and then eat the recommended amount without logging exercise calories. The exercise will already be factored in to your goal. You may have to tweak the number a bit over the course of a few weeks if you're not losing or losing too much, but it's a little easier for those of us who can't be bothered by tracking exercise!

Try another website for calculating your TDEE, like fitnessfrog.com

You should be eating 15-20% less than your TDEE and not below your BMR (the energy your body needs to basically breath and run your organs)

using that- i am on target at 1340- maybe a tad under but not by much.

JustANumber85

nvm- figured it out.