Really confused. New at this!! HELP

Tammy22274
Tammy22274 Posts: 23 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok I have a quick question. When I originally started MFP I put in the Sedentary. I just changed it to Lightly Active. The reason I put in Sedentary was because before I started my diet change I was not very active besides your basic house cleaning and everyday activities of shopping. Is it a bad idea to change it or should it be alright because now I am working out and doing 5-6 days of some kind of exercise. The calorie difference from changing it was

Sedentary - 1340 calories - 184g Carbs - 45g Fat - 50g Protein
Lightly Active - 1530 calories - 210g carbs - 51g fat - 57g protein

Now the weight loss projection is still the same of 2.0lbs a week - 10.0 lbs by March 2nd. Should I be worried?

Replies

  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    I'm pretty sure you're doing it right. Your calorie estimation stayed the same because you changed two things...you changed your activity level and your calorie intake goal. By having an higher activity level, you need a higher calorie intake to reach the same goal. The goal didn't change, the timing of that goal didn't change...how you get there is what changed.

    I think! I'm sort of new at this too.
  • DepauvilleKid
    DepauvilleKid Posts: 15
    The activity level only matters if you plan on eating back the calories you burn off. For example, if I burn 200 calories on the treadmill that day, then I can eat 200 more calories. Me personally, when I started on this journey, I didn't eat back the calories. If I I set a food calorie goal and stuck to it. If I burned a lot of calories that day, rather than eating them back, I saw that as a weight loss bonus.

    If you want to be more accurate in your calorie goals, you can get a Fitbit pedometer and link it to your MyFitnessPal account. It will automatically adjust your calories based on the amount of steps you took that day. Nothing is 100% accurate, but I think it's great. Again, this only even matters if you're planning on adjusting your eating based on each days activity level.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    If you include your exercise into your activity level make sure you DO NOT log your exercise calories. If you do, you'll be counting your workout twice and if you eat those calories back you'll be eating twice what you're burning through exercise. You can either change you activity level to sedentary and you can log your exercise calories, or you can keep it at lightly active and not log exercise.
  • just4nessa
    just4nessa Posts: 459 Member
    ^^This, exactly.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    If you are using MFP default settings:

    99% of people are not sedentary. If you have any kind of job, kids, do house work, cooking or anything else, you're at least up and moving.

    Then, the 1530 is what you should eat every day. With no exercise, you'll lose because the deficit is built in. For this reason you also have to eat your exercise calories.
  • Tammy22274
    Tammy22274 Posts: 23 Member
    I am going to do the Fitbit pedometer. Where can I find one. I tried looking at my local Walmart but didn't see it. Does it have to be Fitbit pedometer or can it be another one that I can link to MFP ?

    So I want to make sure I understand what you stated. I can go by the 1530 calories and what ever I burn from exercise DO NOT eat those calories I gained back and I will see the weight loss? I was always under the understanding that if you eat 1500 calories and burn the calories that you have eaten that day that you will loss the weight. Basically what you eat you have to burn to loss weight is the way it was told to me, but I could be wrong. Appreciate all the help!!!

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