Where does MFP get this number???

CariS001
CariS001 Posts: 169 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Where does it get the number of calories burned from "normal daily activity"? Mine seems way low, and thus the "exercise calories" it keeps deducting daily are huge (it looks at my fitbit calories burned and docks them all from my MFP).

Does anyone know if there is a way to change the settings on the calories burned from normal daily activity? Or where that calculation comes from?

Replies

  • lap1970
    lap1970 Posts: 32 Member
    Well...I could be way of off on this...and I am interested in seeing how others respond. This is my understanding. The calories burned from normal activity is your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)...the calories you would burn just doing nothing in a day. MFP uses that number and then subtracts the exercise you stated you would be doing...giving you your net calorie goal based on how many pounds a week you stated you wanted to lose.

    I have my exercise within MFP to zero...that way they do not deduct exercise calories burned from the equation. They subtract from my Normal Activity Calories burned the number of calories it would take to form the deficit needed to lose one pound (that is what I stated for my goal). I then log my exercise calories and eat them back...if I don't....I would be in a really big deficit....because what MFP says I should eat each day already has a deduction to lose a pound. So if I don't eat all my calories that is a double deduction and could slow weight loss if it is too big of a deficit.

    Hmmmm....don't know if that made sense....it can be hard to explain...but I tried :-)
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    It doesn't matter what you set your exercise goal to, this doesn't effect calories. OP, what do you have your activity level to? Try setting it to sedentary, I found that this included my first 5000 steps and then added extra calories on after that. If its still taking calories away, then you should think about trying to increase your activity.

    Double check you age, height and weight which you set.
  • scapps1980
    scapps1980 Posts: 1
    I have added my own exercises and don't use MFP calculations unless I check them on http://www.caloriescount.com - this is pretty accurate and not sure where MFP gets their info, so want to make sure I have an accurate reflection. Same with logging my food, I don't like to choose any foods I haven't verified or cannot verify - I just add my own:)
  • ICOZA7
    ICOZA7 Posts: 33 Member
    Okay, So OP, i think what you're asking is when MFP sets your "goals" and give the number it estimates based on what you set your activity level at "sedentary", "light", etc. Try changing that up and see if it helps?

    ETA: I just messed around with mine and it worked for what you're looking for (increasing that "calories burned from nomal activity" section.) This will also increase your calorie goal.. which you can of course manually change if you want.
  • getfitforlife
    getfitforlife Posts: 8 Member
    Where does it get the number of calories burned from "normal daily activity"? Mine seems way low, and thus the "exercise calories" it keeps deducting daily are huge (it looks at my fitbit calories burned and docks them all from my MFP).

    Does anyone know if there is a way to change the settings on the calories burned from normal daily activity? Or where that calculation comes from?

    The Calories "From Normal Daily Activity" is your TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure, which is derived from BMR times your daily activity. So if your BMR was 2000 and you reported your daily activity to MFP as Sedentary (1.25) than your TDEE or Calories "From Normal Daily Activity" would be 2500 (ie. 2000 x 1.25).

Categories