It Makes No Sense! Please Explain!
SlenderClassyElegant
Posts: 62 Member
I am so frustrated. Can somebody explain this: I'm still trying to figure out how you can lose weight with My Fitness Pal if every time you exercise, you are awarded the chance to consume more calories (it gives you more calories in your "Remaining" column.) All I do then is eat more calories because I think I am allowed to consume more. 
Obviously I'm missing something here. 0
Replies
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Yep
MFP gives you calories based on your BMR + activity level (called NEAT)
Activity level does not include purposeful exercise
This level of calories means you will lose weight if you do nothing
If you exercise you burn more calories so you eat more BUT only eat back half the MFP database or machines as they both outrageously overestimate burns for both0 -
BMR = calories needed to keep you alive and doing nothing ("coma calories")
NEAT = non-exercise activity thermogenesis calories (calories it takes to live a normal life such as making dinner, washing dishes, opening mail,etc.)
Your MFP goal is equal to BMR + NEAT - the number of calories needed to create a deficit that gives you the weekly weight loss goal of your choosing.
That means that you can do absolutely no exercise and if you've filled out your MFP profile correctly, you'll lose weight.
It also means that if you do exercise, you can eat the exercise calories and still lose weight because the deficit is still in there.0 -
SlenderClassyElegant wrote: » I am so frustrated. Can somebody explain this: I'm still trying to figure out how you can lose weight with My Fitness Pal if every time you exercise, you are awarded the chance to consume more calories (it gives you more calories in your "Remaining" column.) All I do then is eat more calories because I think I am allowed to consume more. Obviously I'm missing something here.
Thats why i dont log exercise. Because it's not accurate and should be negligable while calorie counting0 -
ChuckeeCheezit wrote: »SlenderClassyElegant wrote: » I am so frustrated. Can somebody explain this: I'm still trying to figure out how you can lose weight with My Fitness Pal if every time you exercise, you are awarded the chance to consume more calories (it gives you more calories in your "Remaining" column.) All I do then is eat more calories because I think I am allowed to consume more. Obviously I'm missing something here.
Thats why i dont log exercise. Because it's not accurate and should be negligable while calorie counting
That's bollocks ...I eat 300-600 calories from exercise dependent on what I've burned (fitbit / HRM and self knowledge over time) lost over 50lbs and in maintenance0 -
rabbitjb said it well, but just to give you another explanation, because it can be hard to grasp - Your basic intake is based on the activity level you entered when you set up your profile. That activity is just for your ordinary life at home and work, not counting exercise. The energy (calories) you need to fuel exercise is not counted in that basic number.
So if you're going to exercise, you need more fuel, so that your body has the energy it needs for everything you do. You "earn" more calories by doing exercise. That total number will still be at a level that will have you losing weight, according to the number of pounds per week you said you wanted to lose.0 -
ChuckeeCheezit wrote: »SlenderClassyElegant wrote: » I am so frustrated. Can somebody explain this: I'm still trying to figure out how you can lose weight with My Fitness Pal if every time you exercise, you are awarded the chance to consume more calories (it gives you more calories in your "Remaining" column.) All I do then is eat more calories because I think I am allowed to consume more. Obviously I'm missing something here.
Thats why i dont log exercise. Because it's not accurate and should be negligable while calorie counting
I don't follow your logic. A negligible amount of exercise calories indicates low levels of exercise. Why should a person perform only low levels of exercise while calorie counting?0 -
Based on your height, weight, gender and age, MFP determined an average calorie amount you need to maintain your current weight. Then you picked a weight loss goal for each week (.5 to 2 pounds). MFP then uses that goal to subtract the proper amount of calories (250 - 1000) from your maintenance calorie goal and determine your weight loss calorie goal. It takes 3500 calories to lose or gain 1 pound so if you divide that by 7 days, it's a 500 calorie per day deficit (to lose) or surplus (to gain) each pound.
For example: if your maintenance calorie goal is 2000 calories, and you tell MFP you want to lose 1 pound per week, MFP is going to give you a daily calorie goal of 1500 calories (2000 - 500 = 1500).
Not everyone can or wants to exercise, so MFP is set up so a person can lose weight without it. But you can so you run 3 miles and burn 300 calories. MFP then gives you back those 300 calories so that you maintain the 500 calorie daily deficit you need to lose 1 pound per week.0 -
SideSteel does a great job of breaking it all down in this post:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p10 -
Thanks everyone. Your responses helped.
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SideSteel does a great job of breaking it all down in this post:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
True0 -
BMR = calories needed to keep you alive and doing nothing ("coma calories")
NEAT = non-exercise activity thermogenesis calories (calories it takes to live a normal life such as making dinner, washing dishes, opening mail,etc.)
Your MFP goal is equal to BMR + NEAT - the number of calories needed to create a deficit that gives you the weekly weight loss goal of your choosing.
That means that you can do absolutely no exercise and if you've filled out your MFP profile correctly, you'll lose weight.
It also means that if you do exercise, you can eat the exercise calories and still lose weight because the deficit is still in there.
So what's the difference between neat and tdee? Same thing right?0 -
Losingthedamnweight wrote: »So what's the difference between neat and tdee? Same thing right?
No. TDEE INCLUDES your exercise while NEAT does not.0 -
I always extremely underestimate my exercise calories, if I go for a run I put it in as a walk... HRM in Zumba class says I burned 500 calories I put it in as 300, and anytime I weight train I put it in as low moderate effort calisthenics, I'm still losing more than predicted so it's working for me.0
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ChuckeeCheezit wrote: »SlenderClassyElegant wrote: » I am so frustrated. Can somebody explain this: I'm still trying to figure out how you can lose weight with My Fitness Pal if every time you exercise, you are awarded the chance to consume more calories (it gives you more calories in your "Remaining" column.) All I do then is eat more calories because I think I am allowed to consume more. Obviously I'm missing something here.
Thats why i dont log exercise. Because it's not accurate and should be negligable while calorie counting
That sounds so wrong. Say exercise is over estimated. Say you exercise for an hour and burn 600 calories according to the machine or calculators.
But in reality it's only 300 calories that's a fair chunk of extra food.
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ChuckeeCheezit wrote: »SlenderClassyElegant wrote: » I am so frustrated. Can somebody explain this: I'm still trying to figure out how you can lose weight with My Fitness Pal if every time you exercise, you are awarded the chance to consume more calories (it gives you more calories in your "Remaining" column.) All I do then is eat more calories because I think I am allowed to consume more. Obviously I'm missing something here.
Thats why i dont log exercise. Because it's not accurate and should be negligable while calorie counting
That's bollocks ...I eat 300-600 calories from exercise dependent on what I've burned (fitbit / HRM and self knowledge over time) lost over 50lbs and in maintenance
Ha that's ridiculous I burnt 800 cals at the gym on Sunday, via hrm I ate back half my cals giving me still a net total of only 1000 cals in that day!! Which is super low but I couldn't eat anymore, so yesterday no exercise and 200 over my allowance, which I'm OK with as had some to play with, I've lost 5lbs in 2 weeks doing this, exercise cals should be eaten0 -
Ask five people about this and you'll get five different answers.
If you don't lose when you eat extra from the exercise, then try eating maybe half of those back. Different people have different experiences, so you have to play around with it and see what works for you.
If I'm hungry, I eat more. If I'm not, I don't. I started that because I didn't want to have my life ruled by numbers, but I now try really hard to focus on what I'll do when I'm done losing weight. I don't plan to be weighing out raisins for the rest of my life, so I focus on eating when hungry more than "I must eat this percentage of the exercise calories."
But everyone has their own way and they're all the correct way. 0 -
Ask five people about this and you'll get five different answers.
If you don't lose when you eat extra from the exercise, then try eating maybe half of those back. Different people have different experiences, so you have to play around with it and see what works for you.
If I'm hungry, I eat more. If I'm not, I don't. I started that because I didn't want to have my life ruled by numbers, but I now try really hard to focus on what I'll do when I'm done losing weight. I don't plan to be weighing out raisins for the rest of my life, so I focus on eating when hungry more than "I must eat this percentage of the exercise calories."
But everyone has their own way and they're all the correct way.
I like this. Most reasonable, reassuring comment so far.0 -
Losingthedamnweight wrote: »BMR = calories needed to keep you alive and doing nothing ("coma calories")
NEAT = non-exercise activity thermogenesis calories (calories it takes to live a normal life such as making dinner, washing dishes, opening mail,etc.)
Your MFP goal is equal to BMR + NEAT - the number of calories needed to create a deficit that gives you the weekly weight loss goal of your choosing.
That means that you can do absolutely no exercise and if you've filled out your MFP profile correctly, you'll lose weight.
It also means that if you do exercise, you can eat the exercise calories and still lose weight because the deficit is still in there.
So what's the difference between neat and tdee? Same thing right?
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is the amount your body burns to keep you alive - your heart pumping, your lungs moving, your cells fed.
NEAT = Non exercise Activity Thermogenesis. That's what you burn moving around in your ordinary life - washing dishes, parking your car, sitting and watching a movie. It doesn't include exercise.
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure. That includes your BMR, your NEAT, plus your exercise. It's the total amount you burn in the whole day.0 -
initialsdeebee wrote: »Ask five people about this and you'll get five different answers.
If you don't lose when you eat extra from the exercise, then try eating maybe half of those back. Different people have different experiences, so you have to play around with it and see what works for you.
If I'm hungry, I eat more. If I'm not, I don't. I started that because I didn't want to have my life ruled by numbers, but I now try really hard to focus on what I'll do when I'm done losing weight. I don't plan to be weighing out raisins for the rest of my life, so I focus on eating when hungry more than "I must eat this percentage of the exercise calories."
But everyone has their own way and they're all the correct way.
I like this. Most reasonable, reassuring comment so far.
it's just a rewording of the eat 50% and judge over time though0 -
If you are trying to lose weight through exercise, then don't eat the additional calories. In fact, if that is what you are trying to do, you should set your calorie goal to maintenance and just not eat above that. But MFP is designed to give you a constant calorie deficit, not for you to lose weight from exercising.0
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I do log my exercise and eat those calories, fwiw. I find it keeps me mindful about the whole process to input both food and exercise.0
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ChuckeeCheezit wrote: »SlenderClassyElegant wrote: » I am so frustrated. Can somebody explain this: I'm still trying to figure out how you can lose weight with My Fitness Pal if every time you exercise, you are awarded the chance to consume more calories (it gives you more calories in your "Remaining" column.) All I do then is eat more calories because I think I am allowed to consume more. Obviously I'm missing something here.
Thats why i dont log exercise. Because it's not accurate and should be negligable while calorie counting
No.
I run 5-15 miles 5 days a week. If I didn't add back in at least some of the calories burned through exercise I would be classified as having an eating disorder.
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I generally don't eat back most of my exercise calories for two reasons. One, I have my loss goals set to .5lb per week as more of a psychological thing as I tend to panic-binge when I have it set to lower calories. Two, I don't trust all my measurements and history has taught me that I tend to round down so I figure the 250-500/day I get in exercise helps make up for errors in the food log. It's taken me many attempts to fine tune my usage of MFP and my mentality but I feel at ease with it now, for the first time.0
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I generally don't eat back most of my exercise calories for two reasons. One, I have my loss goals set to .5lb per week as more of a psychological thing as I tend to panic-binge when I have it set to lower calories. Two, I don't trust all my measurements and history has taught me that I tend to round down so I figure the 250-500/day I get in exercise helps make up for errors in the food log. It's taken me many attempts to fine tune my usage of MFP and my mentality but I feel at ease with it now, for the first time.
This actually makes perfect sense to me (as I do the same thing, hah!). When I read where people burned 800 calories in an hour, and eat all those calories back, I don't wonder why they aren't losing weight. Lately I've been slacking and not logging - have to stop that!!!0 -
so long as it still creates a deficit it doesn't matter how many of the calories they eat back.
be it awarded calories or exercise calories. esepecially those who burn a lot of calories. their body needs the nutrition0
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