Can't get my heat around calorie in vs out....

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Kayakingtim
Kayakingtim Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I have been using the app for a while with my FitBit and all was working well - I lost 13kgs. After a period of ill health, in which I gave my wife my FitBt, I have started using an Amiigo (I am told that the development team at Amiigo are working with MFP to integrate the data at some point in the future). During this period I have put 10kgs back on - I want to loose it and some more on top.

Anyway, I used the MFP to create my goals in order to loose weight. When on the web version of MFP it suggests that my normal daily burn will be 1,970 (I stated that I am mostly sedentary within the app). It therefore suggests that my daily intake be 1,200.

On another part of MFP I calculated my BMR as 1,622 - which is different to the suggested normal daily burn on the goal settings.

In contrast, the Amiigo works out BMR and slowly updates the calories burned during the day, so it is real time (unlike how I believe FitBit projects calorie burn). This includes any workouts and walking during the day. Yesterday, it said I burnt 2,010 calories (421 of which were walking - I'm still not well enough to workout yet).

In order to input the correct extra calories burned, what do I use? Do I wait until the end of the day and add in just the walking calories, or do I calculate the difference between the total burn on my Amiigo and the either the 1,990 projected in my goals - or the 1,622 BMR? I am really confused - have been looking at it all and feel that I can't see the wood for the trees.

Any help in getting my head around the right approach would be very very much appreciated.

Replies

  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    Can you figure out an average burn based on past Amigo data? Then eat 80% - 90% of that.
  • Chrisparadise579
    Chrisparadise579 Posts: 411 Member
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    What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~2200 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for a week. If you lose 1-2 lbs, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few weeks, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Kayakingtim wrote: »
    When on the web version of MFP it suggests that my normal daily burn will be 1,970 (I stated that I am mostly sedentary within the app). It therefore suggests that my daily intake be 1,200.

    Just as a note, I assume you said you wanted to lose 2 lbs/week and the projection gives you about 1.5 lbs/week based on what's possible at 1200 with your current estimated maintenance. If you wanted to eat more you could recalculate for 1 lb/week and then add exercise when you can do it. 1200 is really low for a guy.
    On another part of MFP I calculated my BMR as 1,622 - which is different to the suggested normal daily burn on the goal settings.

    This makes sense. If you tell it you are sedentary then your maintenance will be about 1.2x your BMR, as 1970 is.
    In contrast, the Amiigo works out BMR and slowly updates the calories burned during the day, so it is real time (unlike how I believe FitBit projects calorie burn). This includes any workouts and walking during the day. Yesterday, it said I burnt 2,010 calories (421 of which were walking - I'm still not well enough to workout yet).

    This is actually really close to the 1970, given that it's all estimates. I probably wouldn't adjust when it's so close.
    In order to input the correct extra calories burned, what do I use? Do I wait until the end of the day and add in just the walking calories, or do I calculate the difference between the total burn on my Amiigo and the either the 1,990 projected in my goals - or the 1,622 BMR? I am really confused - have been looking at it all and feel that I can't see the wood for the trees.

    I think what you'd do is add in some walking calories to MFP if you wanted to eat back the difference. At various points add in walking and set the calories (you can change the calories that MFP gives you for any particular activity) at the difference between Amiigo and MFP's estimates for the day. You can edit the entry and the calories all day long, so as you get more you can add more or you can just do it when you are done with any significant activity for the day (say, before dinner) to see your calories.

    Does that make sense?
  • BellaGowrie
    BellaGowrie Posts: 45 Member
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    Just to clarify, BMR is different to TDEE. BMR is the calories you'd need to just carry out basic bodily processes if you were asleep or in a coma. TDEE is your BMR plus the calories you burn walking, eating, working out etc. :]
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
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    Do you log what you eat?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Set you MFP goal to an appropriate weekly goal. with the amount you are looking at losing that would be 1lb/week, which would give you 1471, so eat that plus what you burn from exercise. Alternatively eat 500 cals/day less than your Amiigo says you burned
  • Kayakingtim
    Kayakingtim Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks all,
    From what you have all said, I think I have decided that I am setting my intake goal at 1,500 (before I started playing it was much higher and I've lost only 1/2 a kg in a little over a month) and then just adding into MFP my calories burned walking and any other exercise as, as when my body will allow (taken from Amiigo).

    I will keep an ongoing daily tally of my BMR (will keep recalculating as I loose weight as I assume it will change), added to my Amiigo calorie burn figure. I can then keep an eye and try to keep the difference at between 500 and 700 calories, which should then allow me to loose weight. Hopefully I will still feel like I have eaten, but will also loose weight. If you think I'm massively wide of the mark, please feel free to tell me.

    What a great resource MFP is, the added community offering help and adive adds huge value. Thanks all for your advice.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    BellaGowrie wrote: »
    Just to clarify, BMR is different to TDEE. BMR is the calories you'd need to just carry out basic bodily processes if you were asleep or in a coma. TDEE is your BMR plus the calories you burn walking, eating, working out etc. :]

    Clearest and best explanation I've seen so far!

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