Please explain how this MFP is supposed to work..

easy2putt
easy2putt Posts: 36 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, I plugged my numbers in and it says I need to maintain 1,500 cal./day to lose 1.5 lbs per week. So far today I'm at:

1,500 (GOAL) | 1100 (FOOD) - 300 (EXERCISE) = 800 NET

I plugged in my breakfast, lunch and did a cardio workout (Insanity). I will not be exercising again and will be eating dinner in a couple of hours.

So, if I'm reading this right..does this mean I'm supposed to eat 800 calories for the rest of the day to be on track with the MFP program?

Hopefully someone can answer this before I eat so I can plan what to eat...

Thanks,

Andrew aka Easy2Putt

Replies

  • dynamitegalxo
    dynamitegalxo Posts: 299 Member
    Your goal is what you want to eat, net not gross. So on days you don't exercise, eat 1500 calories. On days you do exercise, eat enough to bring your total to (FOOD) - (EXERCISE) = 1500.

    Today, you need to eat another 700 calories.

    1100 eaten so far
    -300 exercise
    ______________
    800 net calories
    + 700 more food calories
    ______________
    1500 total net calories for the day

    Basically, you want your NET and your GOAL to match at the end of the day. No exercise means you just eat your GOAL, adding exercise means you need to eat more to bring your total back up to your GOAL. Hope that helps!
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    No, if you need to eat 1500 cals a day to lose 1.5 lbs a week, and you exercised and burned 300 cals today, that means you can eat a total of 1800 cals today and still lose the projected 1.5 lbs a week. Theoretically. Keep in mind this is only an estimate. So if I understand correctly, you've already eaten 1100, so you can still have 700 more before you go to bed.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    MFP build your deficit in to lose so 1500 calories is your goal each day, if you exercise those calories are suppose to be eaten back to prevent you from creating to large of a deficit. So on non exercise days you would eat to 1500 but on days you exercise those calories are added to your overall goal so if your goal is 1500 and you exercised and burned 300 then your goal for the day is 1800 calories.. You have consumed 1100 for the day so far so you have a remaining calorie balance of 700 calories to consume.. How are you tracking your exercise calories?? MFP's estimator tends to overestimate burns... I use a Polar FT60 for my constant state cardio to get a better idea of calories burned... Best of Luck....
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    MFP build your deficit in to lose so 1500 calories is your goal each day, if you exercise those calories are suppose to be eaten back to prevent you from creating to large of a deficit. So on non exercise days you would eat to 1500 but on days you exercise those calories are added to your overall goal so if your goal is 1500 and you exercised and burned 300 then your goal for the day is 1800 calories.. You have consumed 1100 for the day so far so you have a remaining calorie balance of 700 calories to consume.. How are you tracking your exercise calories?? MFP's estimator tends to overestimate burns... I use a Polar FT60 for my constant state cardio to get a better idea of calories burned... Best of Luck....

    ^^^ Voice of Experience there. Listen to him
  • easy2putt
    easy2putt Posts: 36 Member
    MFP build your deficit in to lose so 1500 calories is your goal each day, if you exercise those calories are suppose to be eaten back to prevent you from creating to large of a deficit. So on non exercise days you would eat to 1500 but on days you exercise those calories are added to your overall goal so if your goal is 1500 and you exercised and burned 300 then your goal for the day is 1800 calories.. You have consumed 1100 for the day so far so you have a remaining calorie balance of 700 calories to consume.. How are you tracking your exercise calories?? MFP's estimator tends to overestimate burns... I use a Polar FT60 for my constant state cardio to get a better idea of calories burned... Best of Luck....

    Got it!

    Thanks for the great replies (and timely!!). Yes, I plan on getting a HRM soon (Polar FT7). I've just been estimating calorie burned by an estimate I read somewhere of intense cardiovascular exercise (Insanity) is 10 cal./minute..I know this may not be accurate..and I'm sure I'm off here..but for now (until I get my HRM), I was just estimating.

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