calculating calorie intake wrong?

dward843
dward843 Posts: 25
edited September 21 in Motivation and Support
OK, when I first signed up for MFP I wasn't doing any aerobics so it said that I should take in 1200 calories to lose weight.

Now, I am doing Zumba and it calculates about 600 calories used up during exercise.

Does this mean that I should be taking in 1800 calories now to get down to the 1200 calorie mark?

Replies

  • iambrandice
    iambrandice Posts: 157 Member
    Yes. You should eat your exercise calories, that's why they are added into your total calories for the day, in your food diary.
  • vkpmusic
    vkpmusic Posts: 343 Member
    According to everything I've read...yes. MFP is already calculating a deficit that will not cause your metabolism to decrease. If you do not eat the difference in calories repeatedly, your metabolism will slow down.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Yes, you should eat most of your exercise calories back. MFP calculates your deficit to lose weight without taking any exercise into consideration.

    Check out this post - more in-depth answers are given to the exact same question.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/117706-goals-calorie-target-versus-exercise
  • dward843
    dward843 Posts: 25
    Thanks. I was afraid that if I added the 600 calories I would be sabotaging myself.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Oops - I meant to put this link - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/117962-don-t-add-calories-earned-to-daily-goal

    Slightly better discussion, I think. But, same topic as the other link I posted.
  • jquintinjr
    jquintinjr Posts: 191
    google The Katch-McArdle Formula(BMR) this is one of the more accurate calculations as far as expenditure goes.
    the harris-benedict formula was based off of 20-30males in decent condition in a cold environment, thusly this equation/method overestimates tdee in most people.
  • dward843
    dward843 Posts: 25
    Thanks,.
  • digitalmelody
    digitalmelody Posts: 4
    you could eat them but then you wont lose as fast but be safe, there are times I get 2200 cals to eat after working out but I cant eat that much, the most I have eaten is right under 1500.
  • meanddamonkey
    meanddamonkey Posts: 16
    Its really important not to fall under 1200 calories net for the day. If you do, your body goes into "starvation mode" and you actually save everything you eat as fat because your body thinks you just got stranded in the Sierras with the rest of the Donner Party. That is NET calories, so if you eat 1500 calories and burn 500 at the gym, you are at 1000 net and you are actually working against your weight loss goals. At least from everything I've read. . .
  • dward843
    dward843 Posts: 25
    Yeah, thanks...I've been looking and seeing what people are posting and that looks like what everyone is saying. It's just real hard for me to think that I need to take in extra calories just to stay above the 1200 mark. I recently did the BMR test under the tools tab and it said that just laying around I would burn 1552 calories plus my 600+ for exercise. That would be 2100 calories..WHAT!!!!! I just don't understand.
  • dward843
    dward843 Posts: 25
    Don't you think that's crazy? I'm been under the 1200 mark with the exercise and thought I was doing great and should lose weight...but guess what...nothing...I stayed the same. I'm trying to eat more this week but still working out we'll see what happens when I weigh again on Monday. Cross your fingers!!!
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    Yeah, thanks...I've been looking and seeing what people are posting and that looks like what everyone is saying. It's just real hard for me to think that I need to take in extra calories just to stay above the 1200 mark. I recently did the BMR test under the tools tab and it said that just laying around I would burn 1552 calories plus my 600+ for exercise. That would be 2100 calories..WHAT!!!!! I just don't understand.

    Just an FYI - BMR is what you would burn staying in bed in a coma... you're going to burn MORE than that just by walking around, using the bathroom, etc. My BMR is estimated to be about 1600, but I typically burn about 2000-2300/day (depending on the day) as measured by my BodyBugg type device. That's before any exercise, and I've got a pretty sedentary lifestyle (a desk job) My device agree's with MFP's estimate of "calories burned from normal daily activites" - which you can find on your goals page (top right side of the page). This is how many calories MFP thinks you burn in a normal day before exercise (so BMR + daily functioning) - and this is what your calorie goals is based off of. ("Normal daily calories burned" minus the deficit to lose your goal weight/week)
  • dward843
    dward843 Posts: 25
    wow, this is alot of info. Thank you soooo much.
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