Still Confused About Calorie Counting...

raneylfrick
raneylfrick Posts: 380 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so I've been with MFP for a while, and I'm still confused about calorie counting....ie, calories vs net calories vs calories burned....

I have my Settings set to Active because I walk/run about 7 miles 7 days a week at my job. I also am quite active with my kids and their school as well as my own school and activities. I also try to get in exercise as much as possible (been in a slump this winter)....so with all that Active seemed like an okay choice. MFP has my calories marked at 1290, which can actually add up to quite a bit of food considering the odd hours I have during the day (I work nights).....

My question here (finally!) is, do I need to log all of my exercise during the day?? I am doing the 30DS right now, and that is the only form of exercise I log. Does MFP assume I am going to be burning quite a few calories already because I have an active job, or do I need to log those 7 miles every day and eat back those calories??

IT'S ALL SO CONFUSING!!!

Replies

  • LiftCore
    LiftCore Posts: 23 Member
    I wouldn't recommend using the MFP calculator, or any calculators really. The best way to go about it is eat as you would have normally and just count that, and that would be your maintenance (theoretically). From there, take out about 250 calories and see how that goes for 2 weeks or so. If no weight is lost, lower by 200 more calories and then see another 2 weeks until you're losing a reasonable amount of weight.
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
    I might be completely wrong & not know what I'm talking about - but I think I would set my activity level to sedentary & then just log all of my exercise manually everyday & eat back some of the exercise calories. Seems to me that would make it a lot less confusing & would be easier to see where everything was coming from when I was logging it all myself.
  • raneylfrick
    raneylfrick Posts: 380 Member
    I'll try them both.....
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    If your calories are that low it's due to the weekly weight loss goal...is it set to 2lbs a week?

    Try 1lb...you will get more calories.

    As for your activity level sounds good to me...but since I know you've been here a while ....try calculating your own TDEE instead of going to a site to do it.

    If you have the phone app it makes it really easy to get week calories in...

    Take those for 3 weeks add them together
    Take the weight lost for those 3 weeks and x by 3500

    Add the two numbers together...that gives you your TDEE...then subtract 15-20%...then you just eat those calories everyday and don't worry about exercise calories...

    And get more protien in...

Categories