Exercise calories in the negative?

retracs1
retracs1 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
When I first log in of a morning, my ticker shows 1400 - 0 - 267 = 1133

Why are my exercise calories in the negative before I've even started my day? My 1400 calories and precious and I want to be able to eat to that limit and have all my exercise calories added so I can see exactly what I'm doing. There must be a logical explanation that I'm missing!

Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,165 Member
    Do you have a fitness tracker connected to MFP?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    Do you have a fitness tracker connected to MFP?

    This. And do you have negative calorie adjustment enabled? My days always start at around -170, but i make that up pretty soon once I start my daily walking routine.
  • Docbanana2002
    Docbanana2002 Posts: 357 Member
    edited May 2015
    Yeah, sounds like you have a fitness tracker with negative calorie adjustments enabled. It's doing this to adjust for the fact that you haven't been as active as you have MFP set to be. For example, your 1400 calories is based off an assumption that you are active to a certain level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.). Fitbit is seeing that you actually are less active than you set MFP on (ie. you really are sedentary when MFP says lightly active or you really are LESS than sedentary when you have it on sedentary) and correcting your calories downward to keep you at the caloric deficit that you are trying to achieve. Once you move throughout the day, it will add back the calories.
  • retracs1
    retracs1 Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you 3dogsrunning, christinev297 and docbanana2! Now I understand. I do have a Fitbit Charge HR connected. So:
    - Myfitnesspal looks at my profile and makes an assumption about the number of calories I will burn each day
    - at the time I wake up, MFP sees I haven't done any exercise ('cause I was asleep!) and so correctly assumes I was sedentary
    - MFP then adjusts my calorie target downwards, so that I can still meet my calorie burn goal
    - as I become more active during the day, MFP adjusts the calories in line with my exercise so I'm still in line with my goals.

    It's really very clever!!!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Yes correct.

    And on the rare occasion that I sleep in, the negative adjustment is even scarier lol :open_mouth:
  • nativegirl1028
    nativegirl1028 Posts: 1 Member
    I have kind of the same issue. But mine won't even consider my exercise. It just leaves it blank. I don't have any device connected and I was wondering what is going on?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    nativegirl1028 wrote: »
    I have kind of the same issue. But mine won't even consider my exercise. It just leaves it blank. I don't have any device connected and I was wondering what is going on?

    You have to log your exercise and the calories burned (halve those given by MFP database) manually in the exercise tab
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