Calorie Goal on Food Tracker ???

HollyMac20
HollyMac20 Posts: 259 Member
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
I am new to My Fitness Pal and having a hard time grasping the total calorie goal on my food tracker. I have generally done 1600-1800 calories for a goal, then workout for about an hour a day. I am currently doing P90X 3-4 times a week, running 1-2 days and maybe adding a Turbo Fire HIIT or Insanity workout. Basically a 600-1000 calories burn a day from workouts. On this tracker, I add my workout and it bumps up my calorie intake.....I am so confused!

Any help on getting this right would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Replies

  • nimil
    nimil Posts: 9 Member
    from what i've noticed, when you do exercise it allows you more calories because you burned some. other posts i've read have said to stick to what you're used to eating/burning and just eat the extra calories if you feel you need them, like if you're hungry or something. it is kinda confusing..
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Are you trying to lose or gain weight?
    MFP gives you a daily caloric goal based on your goals without taking into account exercise.
    If your goal is 1600 calories and you eat all of them then burn 600, it as is you ate only 1000 cals (1600-600) and to reach your goal of 1600 MFP adds back those calories.

    Many users set themselves up to lose 2 lbs/week and get 1200 cals, in order to lose 2 lbs/week (not more) than they would have to eat 1200 net calories (goal calories plus exercise) as MFP already sets you up to lose your goal amount of weight before taking into account exercise.
  • mkcole
    mkcole Posts: 46
    For instance your goal is 1600 and then burn 1000, you have technically only ate 600 calories that day. MFP's tracker lets you know that you need to eat back those 1000 calories you burned to get to your 1600 goal. You should never eat less than 1200 so you don't have to eat them all back but you would need to eat back at least 600 calories.
  • HollyMac20
    HollyMac20 Posts: 259 Member
    OK, second question: I where a heart rate monitor when I exercise. It tells me the calories burned during a workout. This is rarely the same as what the data base says. Can I enter an activity and the calories burned without catagorizing it?

    Thanks!!!
  • Msdewey
    Msdewey Posts: 1
    If I eat 1200 calories I don't lose weight. I stay about the same. I have to eat fewer, about 1000, to lose weight.
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