Maintaining Weight - Should I Eat Kcal Burnt?

Wayne1990
Wayne1990 Posts: 3
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Good afternoon

I have come across a slight dilemma, as noted below. I have always had an issue with counting calories and I can't really stop myself from counting calories as I have a phobia of gaining weight, since I used to weigh a lot more than I do now.

Anyway, MyFitnessPal has calculated that due to my measurements I need to be consuming 2410kcal a day to maintain my weight.

I am 23 years old and am 6 foot tall and weigh 151lbs.

My daily activity I would class as lightly active, however I would like to know if the 2410kcal I should be eating includes calories burnt through out the day?

The reason I ask is because I am confused as 7 days ago, I weighed 151lbs and burnt roughly 300-400kcal a day over the past few days and this morning I weighed 151lbs still. (The calories burnt was calculated via a pedometer on my phone)

Please could somebody tell me, in the following scenario, if I should eat the calories burnt or not?

Today I plan to eat 2410kcal, but I have so far totalled 420kcal as I've been walking around Derbyshire.

Should I eat 2830kcal to maintain, or just stick to 2410kcal, as MyFitnessPal has already calculated that I am active, therefore should eat 2410kcal to maintain?

Sorry if this is confusing, thanks in advance to all advice.

Replies

  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    If you have your settings on MFP as "lightly active" or "active" some activity is already in your daily calorie limit and, in this case, you should not eat back your exercise calories. They are already included.
    If you want to eat back your exercise calories, set your activity level to "sedentary". This will lower your daily calorie allowance but not take into account any exercise, which means that you should eat back your exercise calories.

    It sounds as if you've found your maintenance level, though. If you're eating about 2400 calories and not gaining, you're at maintenance. There will be fluctuations in the future where you'll "gain" one week and "lose" another week but this is normal and not weight gain or loss; just normal fluctuations.
  • Wayne1990
    Wayne1990 Posts: 3
    If you have your settings on MFP as "lightly active" or "active" some activity is already in your daily calorie limit and, in this case, you should not eat back your exercise calories. They are already included.
    If you want to eat back your exercise calories, set your activity level to "sedentary". This will lower your daily calorie allowance but not take into account any exercise, which means that you should eat back your exercise calories.

    It sounds as if you've found your maintenance level, though. If you're eating about 2400 calories and not gaining, you're at maintenance. There will be fluctuations in the future where you'll "gain" one week and "lose" another week but this is normal and not weight gain or loss; just normal fluctuations.

    Thank you Plexgut for your helpful response.

    I have changed my activity level to sedentary and I am allowed to consume 2150kcal, therefore if I have burnt 420kcal today, would that mean if I ate 2570kcal today, I wouldn't gain any weight?

    Thank you in advance.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    The calorie goal MFP sets is plus exercise, that why the numbers change as you add exercise.
    Your activity setting includes lifestyle activities such as your job and regular daily activities. It does not account for exercise.

    If your walking around Derbyshire was as exercise (i.e. in addition to usual activities) then yes you should be logging it which increases your calorie goal for the day.
    If for example you are a postman and your walking is part of your job and already factored into your activity setting ("active" perhaps) then you have already gained an amount of calories in your allowance so you would not log it as exercise.

    As Plexgut says it's still just an estimate and fine tuning is often required to find your particular amount that lets your maintain within an acceptable range. Try and hit your goal for a few weeks, be consistent with your logging and you will get a good idea how close the estimate is to reality.
  • Wayne1990
    Wayne1990 Posts: 3
    The calorie goal MFP sets is plus exercise, that why the numbers change as you add exercise.
    Your activity setting includes lifestyle activities such as your job and regular daily activities. It does not account for exercise.

    If your walking around Derbyshire was as exercise (i.e. in addition to usual activities) then yes you should be logging it which increases your calorie goal for the day.
    If for example you are a postman and your walking is part of your job and already factored into your activity setting ("active" perhaps) then you have already gained an amount of calories in your allowance so you would not log it as exercise.

    As Plexgut says it's still just an estimate and fine tuning is often required to find your particular amount that lets your maintain within an acceptable range. Try and hit your goal for a few weeks, be consistent with your logging and you will get a good idea how close the estimate is to reality.

    Thank you sijomial for your help, I now understand this a lot more.

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