I need some help understanding the dashboard.

Amanda4change
Amanda4change Posts: 620 Member
in Getting Started
I've been using the app for a few months now, but haven't been great about using it daily. The main reason for this is a lack of understanding the calorie part on the dash board. I'll use today as an example (this includes breakfast, lunch and my gym time so far) It gives me a goal of 1,510 calories, +777 (food) -1960 (exercise) -1,183 (net) and at the top is says calories remaining 2,693. Here's my question, What am I suppose to be aiming for here? For my net to be 0, the remaining calories to be 0? Or for my net to equal to 1.510? My goal is to lose 1-2 lbs per week. I want to make sure that I am not over or under eating. Yes I know that my workouts are insane, today was a high day, but I average between 1,200 and 1,600 calories burned per day on cardio (I have never figured out if the weight training actually burns calories that I need to worry about or account for (if it matters I do weights 3-4 days a week, alternating days with weight/ milder cardio, and cardio only days). If someone could clear this up for me that would be great! Thank you in advance.

Replies

  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
    .
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
    Settings
    Diary settings
    Diary sharing - public
    Save
  • Amanda4change
    Amanda4change Posts: 620 Member
    I set it to public
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    If I understand your question, you should be eating 1510 calories PLUS your exercise calories. In your example, 1510 + 1960 = 3470. Your calorie allowance for today because of exercise is 3470.
    Your app is telling you that you've eaten 777 calories of food for breakfast and lunch. 3470 - 777 = 2693 calories left to eat today.

    How are you getting your exercise calories? 1960 sounds quite high. If you're using MFP's exercise database, maybe only eat about half of these calories back. MFP rates exercise quite high.
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
    Totals 777
    Daily Goal 3,470
    Remaining 2,693

    You have consumed a total of 777 calories and you have 2,693 calories still to consume. Your goal should be to stay as close to 0 as possible.

    You have your calories set to a good amout, around 1500 but you are not burning 2,000 calories a day in exercise even if they are insane. I don't have your height and weight but I would suggest sticking to 1500 and not trying to calculate eating back your calories. We are never sure how many calories we burn with exercise and as long as you have enough energy during the day do not make this complicated.

    Insane workouts probably burn around 300 calories but I would not even go as far as adding that. I'm 5'7", 125 lbs and I eat 1800/day for maintenance.

    Hope this helps
  • nonacgp
    nonacgp Posts: 132
    If I understand your question, you should be eating 1510 calories PLUS your exercise calories. In your example, 1510 + 1960 = 3470. Your calorie allowance for today because of exercise is 3470.
    Your app is telling you that you've eaten 777 calories of food for breakfast and lunch. 3470 - 777 = 2693 calories left to eat today.

    How are you getting your exercise calories? 1960 sounds quite high. If you're using MFP's exercise database, maybe only eat about half of these calories back. MFP rates exercise quite high.

    I totally agree with you. I am shocked sometimes at the numbers that people post for "calories burned." MFP is definitely way over in their estimation. In fact, most gadgets over estimate. I never eat more than half of my exercise cals. and usually none at all.
  • Amanda4change
    Amanda4change Posts: 620 Member
    So I should be going for a calories left of 0 and a net of 1510? I don't use the Calorie burn calculators on the MFP, I have a Todays calorie burn came from doing 2 hours 20 minutes of cardio ( I have a monitor that is supposed to be pretty accurate to measure calories burned).
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    I totally agree with you. I am shocked sometimes at the numbers that people post for "calories burned." MFP is definitely way over in their estimation. In fact, most gadgets over estimate. I never eat more than half of my exercise cals. and usually none at all.

    I agree. Unless I'm hungry, I try not to eat back many (or any) of my exercise calories. I am currently entering "1 calorie burned" for all exercise and not worrying if/when I go over by a few calories for a day or two. It's all balancing out nicely.
  • aleggett321
    aleggett321 Posts: 186 Member
    Yes...net of 1510, remaining calories 0
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    So I should be going for a calories left of 0 and a net of 1510? I don't use the Calorie burn calculators on the MFP, I have a Todays calorie burn came from doing 2 hours 20 minutes of cardio ( I have a monitor that is supposed to be pretty accurate to measure calories burned.

    Yes, you should net 1510.
    I just put 2 hrs 20 minutes into MFP for "running" (cardio) and it gave me 1451 calories burned. If MFP is high (and its always higher than my GPS watch), then your monitor may be high as well. I realize that everyone burns calories at a different rate, due to age, weight, intensity. It's just something to carefully monitor. If you net your calories and are gaining weight, then your exercise calories are higher than you're burning. It's all about experimenting and adjusting.
  • Amanda4change
    Amanda4change Posts: 620 Member
    If I use the MFP for 120 minutes of running (at a 8.5 minute mile (my average is just over 9 minute mile) I get a calorie burn of 2,462) using it at a 10 minute mile I get 2140 from MFP. (the other 20 minutes were on a row machine). This is of course higher than the monitor that I use gave me.
    Thank you for helping me understand how it works.

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