is mfp wrong??

corazo23

This is also not correct. The activity level determines your metabolism, you still need to NET a certain amount no matter what level you are at. Even if you put extremely active, you need to have a NET intake to stay healthy.

SideSteel

By and large, MFP's calories are correct.

I have a real issue with counting exercise calories, though - especially with how they are "added back in" to your daily target. When you create your MFP profile and tell it your stats AND your exercise level (sedentary, active, etc), you have already "built in" your exercise calories to your daily target. To go and then do what you said you were going to do anyway, and earn bonus calories for it seems particularly stupid. It negates the entire point of MFP, which is fat loss because if you follow that logic you will only maintain.

My advice: NEVER EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES.

Happy New Year.

Please ignore the quoted text, it is incorrect.

Please ignore IronSmasher if you want to succeed. Results speak for themselves.

Except in this particular case, he is correct. MFP does not include exercise associated thermogenesis in its intake recommendation.

NCchar130

I've lost 211 pounds in 11 months on MFP without exercising more then my normal routine. The nutrition side of MFP is great and it works. Everybodies weight and metabolism is different. If you walk 30 minutes a day and you're losing the weight you want to lose keep it up, If you want to lose more weight add additional exercise regimin. Being consistent is the answer to getting fit. The MFP tools are as good as anybody elses, and nobody is going to be able to nail it !00%. In the end being consistent is the only way to gauge your success.
I stopped eating refined charbohydrates, sugar, and most saturated fats. The weight has just melted off of me at a very fast pace. I got up to 440 pounds, and I'm at 206 pounds now. Using any weight loss tool like MFP helps you stay focussed. It's primarily mental not physical. Get the mind right and the body will follow.

I just wanted to go off-topic for a sec and congratulate you! That is just amazing!

corazo23

1200 is a bare minimum to basically survive.. Unless you are extremely petite you really should not go under this for the day. Im actually having trouble staying above this myself because the healthier food you eat, the more there is for the same calories. If you go too far under, your body will store fat.

corazo23

The calories are wrong on some food items, others folks just enter calories and not micronutrients.
If I am eating a new food, or making a recipe for the first time I usually scan the ingredients from the food label. That way I know they are correct. And, it only takes a few seconds, probably faster than entering a new food and trying to confirm it is correct.

Just so you know, I have scanned some items and they came up a different version or slightly off from what I had. Just FYI.

corazo23

By and large, MFP's calories are correct.

I have a real issue with counting exercise calories, though - especially with how they are "added back in" to your daily target. When you create your MFP profile and tell it your stats AND your exercise level (sedentary, active, etc), you have already "built in" your exercise calories to your daily target. To go and then do what you said you were going to do anyway, and earn bonus calories for it seems particularly stupid. It negates the entire point of MFP, which is fat loss because if you follow that logic you will only maintain.

My advice: NEVER EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES.

Happy New Year.

This is not the way this tool was designed.. hence why it gives you back the calories. It will slow your progress or make you gain weight if you under eat. The tool simply keeps you at your NET goal. So if you eat 2000 cals and burn 700 extra you only took in 1300 cals.

elisa123gal

I Just looked at my goal and profile..this guy is right..they do ask about how many times you will workout a week and for how long and that impacts the calorie goal. So the exercise calories are added into your calorie total..unless you fill those out with zeros..and many of us have not done that.

By and large, MFP's calories are correct.

I have a real issue with counting exercise calories, though - especially with how they are "added back in" to your daily target. When you create your MFP profile and tell it your stats AND your exercise level (sedentary, active, etc), you have already "built in" your exercise calories to your daily target. To go and then do what you said you were going to do anyway, and earn bonus calories for it seems particularly stupid. It negates the entire point of MFP, which is fat loss because if you follow that logic you will only maintain.

My advice: NEVER EAT BACK YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES.

Happy New Year.

SideSteel

I Just looked at my goal and profile..this guy is right..they do ask about how many times you will workout a week and for how long and that impacts the calorie goal. So the exercise calories are added into your calorie total..unless you fill those out with zeros..and many of us have not done that.

It does not add calories for the additional workouts you tell it in the goals section. It asks you, but it does not increase your intake based on this. It only increases it based on the goal loss per week and the general activity setting you tell it.

nxd10

I don't know. For walking it's about what I get from every other source. Plus I eat back my exercise calories and have lost the pound a week I'm supposed to for 29 weeks. So it's close enough for me.

Your mileage may vary.

elisa123gal

Thanks..you are correct. Thanks for pointing this out. appreciate it.

I Just looked at my goal and profile..this guy is right..they do ask about how many times you will workout a week and for how long and that impacts the calorie goal. So the exercise calories are added into your calorie total..unless you fill those out with zeros..and many of us have not done that.

It does not add calories for the additional workouts you tell it in the goals section. It asks you, but it does not increase your intake based on this. It only increases it based on the goal loss per week and the general activity setting you tell it.

nxd10

I Just looked at my goal and profile..this guy is right..they do ask about how many times you will workout a week and for how long and that impacts the calorie goal. So the exercise calories are added into your calorie total..unless you fill those out with zeros..and many of us have not done that.

It does not add calories for the additional workouts you tell it in the goals section. It asks you, but it does not increase your intake based on this. It only increases it based on the goal loss per week and the general activity setting you tell it.

He is correct. It asks that so it can tell you you exercised enough minutes but it does not take that into account for counting calories. How can it? It doesn't know what the exercise is.