Calorie defecit help

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KDB1845
KDB1845 Posts: 3 Member
I am beyond confused right now. Can come one please tell me if the calorie defecit is supposed to be a positive or negative number? I have been tracking everything that I eat and I am walking about 3 miles a day, yet I keep gaining weight and I can't figure out why. The calories on my dashboard keep jumping everywhere and when I click on the online dashboard, not the app, sometimes the meter gage is yellow then not even an hour later it is red and I haven't eaten or drank anything with calories in it. Any help would be appreciated. I'm beginning to lose my drive because the scale is going the wrong way.

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Deficit means eating fewer calories than you burn.

    Set your deficit to .5 lb. per week (250 calories per day) for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

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

    Ignore your Fitbit calorie goal & follow MFP's, eating back your adjustments.

    Please read the Sexypants post. So much good "how-to" information: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • NancyN795
    NancyN795 Posts: 1,134 Member
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    I'd ignore that Fitbit Dashboard tile with the gauge for whether you're under or over calories at the moment. It changes too much and too unpredictably. I go by how many calories MFP says I have left to eat. As long as Fitbit and MFP are syncing well, MFP's info is better (IMO).
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I ignore fitbits calories. 9 times out of 10 it says I'm over, when I'm 300 or more under on mfp. Much confusion was had with this :huh:
  • cyronius
    cyronius Posts: 157 Member
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    The fitbit under/over dial is looking at how much food you've eaten up until that point, vs how much energy you've burned up until that point. It's a good rough guide, but not terribly useful, given that you eat your last meal in the early evening and continue to burn energy for the rest of the day.

    The only fitbit value you should be worrying about is the "left to eat" value. But better still, ignore that and look at the MFP one.
  • Liftin4food
    Liftin4food Posts: 175 Member
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    I removed the over / under tile from my dashboard - it wasn't helping me at all. I pre log food if I know I'm going to be eating it later - so I was almost always in the red!

    Now I just sync and check what MFP says I have left to eat. Simple!
  • sarahmichelef
    sarahmichelef Posts: 127 Member
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    Yeah, that gas gauge tile is approximately the least helpful thing in the history of unhelpful things.
  • riderfangal
    riderfangal Posts: 1,965 Member
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    I just got the Flex last week and I am still not sure. Maybe you guys can help me. I have the negative calories adjusted enabled.

    I am 5'4" 206 lbs starting weight was 243
    I have MFP set to lose 1lb a week which gives me 1460 calories per day
    On average I walk 120000 steps a day. My fitbit is telling me on average my TDEE is 2509 calories a day. How many calories should I be eating
  • NancyN795
    NancyN795 Posts: 1,134 Member
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    I just got the Flex last week and I am still not sure. Maybe you guys can help me. I have the negative calories adjusted enabled.

    I am 5'4" 206 lbs starting weight was 243
    I have MFP set to lose 1lb a week which gives me 1460 calories per day
    On average I walk 120000 steps a day. My fitbit is telling me on average my TDEE is 2509 calories a day. How many calories should I be eating

    2509 - 500 = 2009
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I just got the Flex last week and I am still not sure. Maybe you guys can help me. I have the negative calories adjusted enabled.

    I am 5'4" 206 lbs starting weight was 243
    I have MFP set to lose 1lb a week which gives me 1460 calories per day
    On average I walk 120000 steps a day. My fitbit is telling me on average my TDEE is 2509 calories a day. How many calories should I be eating

    MFP does all the math for you. Your default calorie goal (1.460) is activity level minus deficit. (Your deficit is currently set to 500 calories per day, or 1 lb. per week.) Adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn and your activity level. (Click on any adjustment to see the math MFP used to calculate it.)

    If you follow your MFP calorie goal, eating back your adjustments, you'll be eating TDEE minus deficit. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
  • riderfangal
    riderfangal Posts: 1,965 Member
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    Thanks for the help. I am wating about 1500 right now so I may up a bit and see if I still lose
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Thanks for the help. I am wating about 1500 right now so I may up a bit and see if I still lose

    Set your goal to .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight, and be patient!
  • jensweller
    jensweller Posts: 3 Member
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    I make sure that I hit 10k per day but average 11-12k. I have MFP set to 1200 cal a day (1 pound a week) however with my fitbit syned to MPF I have way more calories then that. My friend is skeptical of the calorie adjustment. We want to know if the adjustment is only calories burned by activity not calories burned all together such as when your at rest ? The body burns calories when you sleep. Please help explain
  • PopeyeCT
    PopeyeCT Posts: 249 Member
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    jensweller wrote: »
    I make sure that I hit 10k per day but average 11-12k. I have MFP set to 1200 cal a day (1 pound a week) however with my fitbit syned to MPF I have way more calories then that. My friend is skeptical of the calorie adjustment. We want to know if the adjustment is only calories burned by activity not calories burned all together such as when your at rest ? The body burns calories when you sleep. Please help explain

    MFP makes an estimate of how many calories you burn during the day based on what activity level you selected (sedentary, active, etc).

    Fitbit measures your real activity level. Not an estimate.

    Fitbit tells MFP what your real activity level is, and MFP enters a "Fitbit calorie adjustment" based on the difference in these. That's why you need to enable negative adjustments....because sometimes on a lazy day your real activity level is less than you told MFP to estimate. On days that you are very active, even just doing a lot of housework or walking your dog more than usual, Fitbit tells MFP you burned extra calories. This cause MFP to increase the number you can eat within the same deficit.


    Oh, yes, it gives you some credit for doing nothing. You are still breathing and pumping blood as you watch television or take a nap.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    jensweller wrote: »
    I have MFP set to 1200 cal a day (1 pound a week) however with my fitbit syned to MPF I have way more calories then that. My friend is skeptical of the calorie adjustment.

    Your Fitbit burn is the number of calories necessary just to maintain your current weight (TDEE).

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

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

    Trust your Fitbit for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress.