Help me understand!

samiyan05
samiyan05 Posts: 115 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing the calorie counting thing and tons of cardio buy I'm kinda confused about the amount of calories that the calculatortell us we should eat... Here's why..

You put in your height, age and current weight

Then how active you are daily (if u sit on your butt, move a little or work out daily)

And it tells you how much you should eat.

Then you eat that and if u work out you're supposed to eat back what u burned off in the work out.

My issue is if the calculator has already factored in your daily work out... Shouldn't u not be eating back the calories u burned? Otherwise you're eating double Bc you're counting the work out twice?

That's been my thought this entire time so here's what I've been doing


I set my daily calorie number to sedentary (as if I do nothing all day long lol)

Then I eat that and if I work out I eat back my caloroes that I burned ( if I'm hungry)

That way the work out is only counted once...

That makes more sense to me but maybe I'm confused lol..

I don't think I'll change it Bc I've lost 50lbs doing it but I would like some thought on the subject :)

Replies

  • rebamay87
    rebamay87 Posts: 103 Member
    I think you've got confused, the fitness level on the job/daily life setting is just what you do naturally. For example, I'm a teacher, obviously I don't do as much lifting/twisting/standing on my feet as my Husband who works at as a manager at a liquor retail chain. So he needed more calories to function on a daily basis. I don't log the walking and standing I do during the day, I just exercise and then eat that back (or various levels of it depending on how hungry I am). So you're doing the right thing regardless, but just your reasoning on it that is a bit off.

    Anyone else correct me if I'm wrong here :)
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    My issue is if the calculator has already factored in your daily work out


    Mfp actually doesn't factor it in. It just asks for activity level and uses that. The part that says you work out X number of days a week doesn't do anything.

    So if your set to active, don't log a workout if its a normal part of your day.

    If you want to use TDEE, calculate it on another site and manually set your goals here.
  • delicious_cocktail
    delicious_cocktail Posts: 5,797 Member
    Rebamay has got it. If you were a waitress, hustling all night, your daily burn before exercise would be greater than mine as an office potato.

    But! When either of us go out to exercise, it's on top of our lifestyle.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    I think you've got confused, the fitness level on the job/daily life setting is just what you do naturally. For example, I'm a teacher, obviously I don't do as much lifting/twisting/standing on my feet as my Husband who works at as a manager at a liquor retail chain. So he needed more calories to function on a daily basis. I don't log the walking and standing I do during the day, I just exercise and then eat that back (or various levels of it depending on how hungry I am). So you're doing the right thing regardless, but just your reasoning on it that is a bit off.

    Anyone else correct me if I'm wrong here :)

    You are right.

    Your calculations do not include work outs. If you have a desk job you are not going to burn as many calories for your Totally Daily Energy Expenditure as you would if you dug ditches or were a landscaper or something like that.

    The first 50 to 100 lbs is typically easier to lose, it will be the last 10 to 20 that it will be necessary to eat to lose and fuel your body.

    Good luck.
  • bhardy516
    bhardy516 Posts: 22
    CONGRATULATIONS on your 50lb weight loss. That is fabulous. If it is working for you right now, don't change it. You only lose weight if you do NOT eat back the calories; if you do, you would simply be maintaining your current weight.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    OP, MFP sets your calorie goal without taking your workout calorie burns into consideration. Yes, it asks you how often you plan to work out and for how long, but those data aren't factored it. The goal it gives you is just based on your non-workout activity level. So when you add your exercise in, it adjusts your daily goal to compensate for the extra caloric deficit so that the deficit doesn't become too great (as this can be counter-productive).

    Either way, the "base" goal that's set for you is simply an estimate. You can set your activity level as sedentary or slightly active or whatever you like, but then monitor your weight change over time (and also your energy level, mood, hunger level etc.). If you find that you're losing weight too quickly (and are starving and hangry) or too slowly, simply adjust your activity level up or down accordingly, OR, perhaps even better, set your goal manually to a number of your own choosing (you can do this under the Goals section). Any intake estimator will only give you a best-guess - it's up to you to adjust the numbers based on how your body actually responds in real life.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    CONGRATULATIONS on your 50lb weight loss. That is fabulous. If it is working for you right now, don't change it. You only lose weight if you do NOT eat back the calories; if you do, you would simply be maintaining your current weight.

    No. If you're using MFP's system as it is designed, it has incorporated a caloric deficit into your goal whether you exercise or not. It is not giving you a maintenance level of intake; unless, of course, you have set up your goal to maintenance (i.e., 0 lbs lost/week). I doubt this is the case.
  • samiyan05
    samiyan05 Posts: 115 Member
    Okay! Thanks everyone! I get it now. I think since I saw the place for how many workouts u plan to do and how long I assumed it calculated that as well but I see what it's for now.
    That part is just to help estimate your weight loss goals.
    I was doing it right just confused as to why lol

    Thanks again everyone!

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