Net calories

FullofTrixie
FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
ok I am set at 1200 I work at a desk job I picked 2 lb a week and after reading a bit here I know people say that is to aggressive but my real question is I eat 1200-1300 per day but my "net" calories are closer to 400-600 because of my Fitbit. I hardly would count going to the bathroom and copy machine as exercise so is the Net calories accurate? I do walk for 1/2 hour at lunch and 45 minutes before work those should count as extra but I have a hard time believing the other steps would warrant me eating additional. Everyone moves around a bit. Should I just ignore the "exercise" calories or am I actually starving myself? Maybe disconnect and log the 2 walks seperate? I really do not know what to do?
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Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    About 2000 steps on a Fitbit usually get you a zero adjustment, more and you get more calories.
  • SlimBride2Be
    SlimBride2Be Posts: 315 Member
    You shouldn't be burning that much I don't think. That would be 1800 a day over your TDEE which is only what an elite athlete would do. I walk 2 hours a day and get about 600 extra to eat of which I have about 400.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    If you've set your activity level to sedentary on MFP, then log your walks separately only. Then only eat at MOST half of those calories back. Your Fitbit isn't really accurate and unless you get a heart rate monitor, at most you are burning on those walks is half of what MFP says you did. To be the most conservative, you can cut that 50% lower, but see how your scale reacts and see how you feel. Then reevaluate.
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    I get about 15000 steps
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    You should be netting 1,200 at the end of the day. Anything below that is too low. 1,200 has your deficit built in already.


    I would count the 1/2 hour walk at lunch and before work, since that is mindful exercise. Walking to the copy machine is a part of your daily routine, so I would not log that as exercise.
  • SlimBride2Be
    SlimBride2Be Posts: 315 Member
    15000 steps a day in sedentary gets me an extra 600 of which I eat 400. So if you eat only 1200 and burn an extra 600 through exercise you are okay. I eat a bit more than that through - that's the point of the exercise I feel!
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    So, in other words, it is telling you that you burn 800 additional calories. That seems unlikely, given what you say you do. As for what you should do. Watch the weight on the bathroom scale over a 2-3 week period. If you are losing too quickly, eat more. If you are losing too slowly, eat less.
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    SlimBride2Be wrote: »
    15000 steps a day in sedentary gets me an extra 600 of which I eat 400. So if you eat only 1200 and burn an extra 600 through exercise you are okay. I eat a bit more than that through - that's the point of the exercise I feel!

    Ok I just wanted to be sure I was doing it right. The whole calorie thing seems to be a bit high for walking. No will just eat my 1200 and use the Fitbit to just count the steps.
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    FullofTrixie wrote: »
    I get about 15000 steps

    Sedentary is like <5000 steps. So that's why you're getting a big adjustment... you're moving triple the amount you told MFP you would.

    If you have a connected Fitbit, ONLY log non-walks. Your Fitbit is counting your steps, and yes, they all count. There aren't, like, calories you burn that are worth eating back because they're hardcore or more real or something, and calories you burn that are like, uncool because they were just burned while you went to the copier.

    If you didn't have a Fitbit, you just estimate how much you move in a day, and log deliberate exercise. But since you have a Fitbit, you don't need to *estimate* daily movement, as the Fitbit is counting that. But both groups of people are counting that in their own way -- it's in all our calorie targets. Yours shows up as an adjustment because you told MFP you were sedentary when you're not.

    Many people do find their Fitbit to be accurate, so give it a try as-is. If after a few weeks, maybe a month, you feel it's been misleading you in some way, re-evaluate.

    You might also try popping into the Fitbit group... they have some really helpful, knowledgeable users who will help make sure you've got it all set up right and have a solid plan.

    1200 is probably too aggressive based on your activity level, but I don't know any of your other stats or goals.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    FullofTrixie wrote: »
    I get about 15000 steps

    Depending on stride that might be 6.5 miles, http://www.livestrong.com/article/322554-how-many-calories-do-i-burn-walking-six-miles/ suggests a few hundred calorie burn.

    We can't see your diary, mine says

    1320 GOAL 1715 FOOD - 1001 EXERCISE =714 NET
  • SlimBride2Be
    SlimBride2Be Posts: 315 Member
    I didn't trust my iPhone step tracker. Until I lost 25lb. Now I think it's pretty accurate. I say keep doing what you're doing but feel free to eat over 1200 if you want as you are actually a very active person.
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    futuremanda wrote: »
    FullofTrixie wrote: »
    I get about 15000 steps

    Sedentary is like <5000 steps. So that's why you're getting a big adjustment... you're moving triple the amount you told MFP you would.

    If you have a connected Fitbit, ONLY log non-walks. Your Fitbit is counting your steps, and yes, they all count. There aren't, like, calories you burn that are worth eating back because they're hardcore or more real or something, and calories you burn that are like, uncool because they were just burned while you went to the copier.

    If you didn't have a Fitbit, you just estimate how much you move in a day, and log deliberate exercise. But since you have a Fitbit, you don't need to *estimate* daily movement, as the Fitbit is counting that. But both groups of people are counting that in their own way -- it's in all our calorie targets. Yours shows up as an adjustment because you told MFP you were sedentary when you're not.

    Many people do find their Fitbit to be accurate, so give it a try as-is. If after a few weeks, maybe a month, you feel it's been misleading you in some way, re-evaluate.

    You might also try popping into the Fitbit group... they have some really helpful, knowledgeable users who will help make sure you've got it all set up right and have a solid plan.

    1200 is probably too aggressive based on your activity level, but I don't know any of your other stats or goals.

    Thank you I do only log non walking/ running things so I guess I am not as tied to my desk as I think. Your explanation was very helpful .
  • krazyforyou
    krazyforyou Posts: 1,428 Member
    I am a nurse and in a 2 day shift I walk around 38000 steps but mine also tells me calories burned which is around 650. Eat back 1/2 of those and move on.
  • milopacha
    milopacha Posts: 7 Member
    hello, may i ask which iphone step tracker you used? am curious to try one
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    About 2000 steps on a Fitbit usually get you a zero adjustment, more and you get more calories.

    ^I am so confused about why this was flagged! How could anyone construe this as abuse?
  • SlimBride2Be
    SlimBride2Be Posts: 315 Member
    I have the inbuilt iOS iPhone tracker which is in iPhone 5 and 6
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    yarwell wrote: »
    About 2000 steps on a Fitbit usually get you a zero adjustment, more and you get more calories.

    ^I am so confused about why this was flagged! How could anyone construe this as abuse?

    spam apparently, LOL. A Richard Cranium award awaits the flagger.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    FullofTrixie wrote: »
    I eat 1200-1300 per day but my "net" calories are closer to 400-600 because of my Fitbit.

    Your Fitbit burn is TDEE—the number of calories needed just to maintain your current weight.

    If (and only if) you enable negative calorie adjustments in your diary settings, then eating back 100% of your Fitbit adjustments means you're eating TDEE minus deficit.

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Set your goal to .5 lb. per week for 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    Food is fuel, and we should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose weight—never the minimum.
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    Ok now I am lost if someone that walks 38000 gets 600 extra and I think I am at 12000 and I have 600 extra how does that work? I just do not want to over or under eat. I am losing but I try not to go into the extra calories to much. Maybe I am over analyzing. Gadgets make things so difficult. I am set for negative adjustment so I guess I will just do as I am doing.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Leave your Fitbit connected to MFP and eat back your adjustments.

    Do not compare yourself to anybody else.
  • kaikea
    kaikea Posts: 27 Member
    I've had my best success picking a daily calorie goal and sticking to it despite my calories goals being adjusted by my connected BodyMedia device sending me extra calories (I am set at sedentary). The most accurate thing you can measure is the food going in and not the energy going out.

    I still use my activity tracker device to track my daily activity and steps and to try and increase my daily activity but I don't fluctuate my calories day to day. I don't know if my body and mind just likes a consistent calorie amount rather than feast or famine on high activity or low activity days but that's what has worked for me.

    I weigh myself almost everyday and get a weekly average to see how much weight I am losing week to week and then maybe make adjustment from there.
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    You have all been so kind. I guess I will continue I as is. No one said I was harming myself so I presume that is ok. I am not hungry so I guess all is good. Again thank u
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    [img]https://us.v-cdn.net/5021879/uploads/editor/uo/4pkq83c 89agx.jpg[/img]

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    FullofTrixie wrote: »
    You have all been so kind. I guess I will continue I as is. No one said I was harming myself so I presume that is ok. I am not hungry so I guess all is good. Again thank u

    Netting 400–600 calories is not ok. You are harming yourself.
  • jcurrie17
    jcurrie17 Posts: 36 Member
    FullofTrixie wrote: »
    Ok now I am lost if someone that walks 38000 gets 600 extra and I think I am at 12000 and I have 600 extra how does that work? I just do not want to over or under eat. I am losing but I try not to go into the extra calories to much. Maybe I am over analyzing. Gadgets make things so difficult. I am set for negative adjustment so I guess I will just do as I am doing.

    Difference in body weight could be a big reason for this difference.
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    Well if I should not be netting so low how much should I eat to lose 2lb a week
    5'7" female 170lb I sit at a desk for work but walk a minimum of 10000 steps per day?
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    To lose 2lbs a week, you would need to eat 1200 calories (never eat less than that) and go for a walk or do some other exercise five times or more a week without replacing the additional calories burned.
  • lalabrucey
    lalabrucey Posts: 244 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    yarwell wrote: »
    About 2000 steps on a Fitbit usually get you a zero adjustment, more and you get more calories.

    ^I am so confused about why this was flagged! How could anyone construe this as abuse?

    I am confused also... seems un-spam like to me!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    FullofTrixie wrote: »
    Well if I should not be netting so low how much should I eat to lose 2lb a week
    5'7" female 170lb I sit at a desk for work but walk a minimum of 10000 steps per day?

    The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works. A healthy, sustainable loss is .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight. The smaller deficit will also help you transition to maintenance.

    Eat back 100% of your Fitbit adjustments. That's how it works. Your default MFP calorie goal already has your deficit built in.

    Chronic undereating will not get you to goal any more quickly. In fact, it usually leads to bingeing. Trust your Fitbit!
  • FullofTrixie
    FullofTrixie Posts: 41 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    To lose 2lbs a week, you would need to eat 1200 calories (never eat less than that) and go for a walk or do some other exercise five times or more a week without replacing the additional calories burned.

    Ok so then I would net less then 1200 and this is basically what I do. I guess no one agrees on this
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