Logging Exercise

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Rae9911
Rae9911 Posts: 200 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just need a little help really. I have my activity level set at sedentary, I have my fitbit logging all my walking and when I work out I log my exercise. Am I doing this correctly?

I have only been exercising regularly (workouts) for the last two weeks as I had foot surgery 1yr ago and doctor has only just cleared me to work out. I log all my food and weigh everything I eat and drink but this week I have had 1lb weight gain?
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Replies

  • MommaBear1977
    MommaBear1977 Posts: 29 Member
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    My understanding is that you don't need to log your exercise if fitbit is already tracking for you.
    Also remember that the calorie expanded greatly varies from site to site for the same activity, I normally use exercise as a bonus weight loss round.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    Set your goal to .5 lb. 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 and follow MFP's, eating back your adjustments. No need to log any step-based activity—your Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit or in MFP—never both.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    Don't log any step based exercise, like walking or running. Your fitbit already records those.

    For anything else, log the exercise in MFP with the start time and duration. It should sync with your fitbit and override the calories burned during that time frame.

    At least that's how it worked when I used to have my linked.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    MommaBear1977 wrote: »
    My understanding is that you don't need to log your exercise if fitbit is already tracking for you.
    Also remember that the calorie expanded greatly varies from site to site for the same activity, I normally use exercise as a bonus weight loss round.

    Fitbit only tracks step-based exercise (walking and running), so everything else should be logged.

    OP, weight loss isn't linear; there will always be weeks where you lose less/maintain/gain. Since you just began exercising, you're most likely retaining water to repair your muscles. It will come off. Sounds like you have it all down now!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Exercise syncs both ways, so it can be logged either in Fitbit or in MFP—never both. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time, so I log in Fitbit. (Your Fitbit burn is TDEE.)

    If you want your Fitbit exercise to appear in your newsfeed, post a status update. That way you get the best of both worlds—an accurate burn + likes.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    You log non step based activities into your fitbit.
  • Rae9911
    Rae9911 Posts: 200 Member
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    My fitbit is synced to MFP so it is automatically logged in MFP and adjusted as I have read from other threads. The issue I have had is do I eat all of the calories or just some of them? I try to leave at least 500 calories each day, sometimes it can be more. Did I gain the 1lb because of not eating enough?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Rae9911 wrote: »
    Do I eat all of the calories or just some of them? I try to leave at least 500 calories each day, sometimes it can be more.

    Did I gain the 1lb because of not eating enough?

    Your default MFP calorie goal is activity level minus deficit. If (and only if) you enable negative calorie adjustments in your diary settings, eating back 100% of your Fitbit adjustments means you're eating TDEE minus deficit.

    No, you did not gain weight because you're not eating enough. Open your diary for personal advice, but you lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn. Learn to log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Logging works.

    Weight loss is not linear. Some weeks you do everything right but maintain—or even gain. Others you lose a whole lot in a "whoosh." Just look for a downward trend.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    Rae9911 wrote: »
    My fitbit is synced to MFP so it is automatically logged in MFP and adjusted as I have read from other threads. The issue I have had is do I eat all of the calories or just some of them? I try to leave at least 500 calories each day, sometimes it can be more. Did I gain the 1lb because of not eating enough?

    I'm curious, how would you gain weight from not eating enough?

    I would start with eating all back, then after a few weeks (not days, weeks) assess. If you're losing at the proper rate, continue on eat all back. If not, then cut to 75%. Continue until you find what works for you. Just make sure you give it enough time in between.
  • Rae9911
    Rae9911 Posts: 200 Member
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    I was wondering if gaining weight was because of this starvation mode if you do not eat enough, as I log everything that goes into my mouth. I may just put it down to exercising more and see what happens at next weeks weigh in.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
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    Rae9911 wrote: »
    I was wondering if gaining weight was because of this starvation mode if you do not eat enough, as I log everything that goes into my mouth. I may just put it down to exercising more and see what happens at next weeks weigh in.

    There is no such thing.

    If starvation mode were real, there would be no underweight people.
  • Rae9911
    Rae9911 Posts: 200 Member
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    I will not argue with you but there are enough articles on this. I was asking for advice to help my weight loss and not sarcasm, I was led to believe this was a helpful and caring community. How wrong was I, sorry to have bothered you all will not asking on here again.
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    SingRunTing wrote: »
    Rae9911 wrote: »
    I was wondering if gaining weight was because of this starvation mode if you do not eat enough, as I log everything that goes into my mouth. I may just put it down to exercising more and see what happens at next weeks weigh in.

    There is no such thing.

    If starvation mode were real, there would be no underweight people.

    Why was this flagged?

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Rae9911 wrote: »
    I will not argue with you but there are enough articles on this. I was asking for advice to help my weight loss and not sarcasm, I was led to believe this was a helpful and caring community. How wrong was I, sorry to have bothered you all will not asking on here again.

    Why are you disregarding the people who have provided you with specific and helpful information on how to log exercise?

    Yes, it was stated bluntly -- but it's the truth. You will not gain weight from eating too little. If you are gaining weight it's because you aren't in a calorie deficit.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Rae9911 wrote: »
    I will not argue with you but there are enough articles on this. I was asking for advice to help my weight loss and not sarcasm, I was led to believe this was a helpful and caring community. How wrong was I, sorry to have bothered you all will not asking on here again.

    Starvation mode is a myth as people believe it.

    Adaptive Themogenesis is real however but it takes quite a while for our bodies to enter into it. Chronic starvation or under eating can slow your metabolism but again it takes a while not a couple weeks...

    As for your response that was rude...fyi.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Rae9911 wrote: »
    I will not argue with you but there are enough articles on this. I was asking for advice to help my weight loss and not sarcasm, I was led to believe this was a helpful and caring community. How wrong was I, sorry to have bothered you all will not asking on here again.

    If you don't eat enough, you'll still lose weight. Your body won't save fat because of that. Her response was in no way sarcastic.

    As I stated in my earlier reply, weight loss isn't linear. You started exercising two weeks ago, which creates tears in muscles. They end up holding on to water while they repair, which can mask fat loss. Sodium, hormones, stress, and low water intake will also cause water weight to go up.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    Rae9911 wrote: »
    I will not argue with you but there are enough articles on this. I was asking for advice to help my weight loss and not sarcasm, I was led to believe this was a helpful and caring community. How wrong was I, sorry to have bothered you all will not asking on here again.
    Correcting your mistaken beliefs is helpful and caring. Flying off the handle when presented with the facts is neither.

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    strong_curves wrote: »
    SingRunTing wrote: »
    Rae9911 wrote: »
    I was wondering if gaining weight was because of this starvation mode if you do not eat enough, as I log everything that goes into my mouth. I may just put it down to exercising more and see what happens at next weeks weigh in.

    There is no such thing.

    If starvation mode were real, there would be no underweight people.

    Why was this flagged?
    OP didn't like it.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    Rae9911 wrote: »
    I will not argue with you but there are enough articles on this. I was asking for advice to help my weight loss and not sarcasm, I was led to believe this was a helpful and caring community. How wrong was I, sorry to have bothered you all will not asking on here again.

    And there are plenty of articles debunking it, too. Starvation mode, as you're thinking of it, is not actually something you need to worry about. Long term (over a year) deficits can impact your metabolism, but it's not something that will happen in a matter of days, or even weeks.

    You just started working out, which is what I'd guess is causing you to "gain" a pound. It's highly likely that weight is water, and not fat. Water retention is very common when you introduce a new activity to your body.

    You need to be eating the calories that MFP gives you - your deficit is already built in. Your calorie goal is target that you should be meeting, not going under. It's important to properly fuel your body.

    Log any exercise that's not step based and eat about half of those calories back.

    Good luck.

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