Having trouble understanding this math

GeckoSupervisor
GeckoSupervisor Posts: 12 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I am doing a little experiment with MFP's calorie and exercise tracking, but I have run into a strange math issue/discrepancy/something that I do not understand. Hopefully someone might be able to shed some light on this!

Basically, I entered my info (weight, height, goal weight) in the preferences, but then manually set my caloric requirement to my BMR (1430 cals). Then, I wear a pedometer all day, and enter the calories burned from that as my exercise for the day. This, I figure, is the total caloric consumption for my day, and I should not go over that limit if I want to lose weight.

So today, for instance, my BMR + cals burned = 1713 cals.
I consumed 1756 cals (oops), going over my limit by 43 cals.

So here is where I get confused - from my understanding (which might be wrong), since I ate more calories than I used today, I should be on a track to gain weight. However, when I press the "Complete This Entry" button for the day, MFP tells me that I will still lose weight (almost a pound a week). How can that possibly be correct? Is MFP not compatible with the logging method that I am trying to use?

(Also I am still ravenous, fml, why do I like bread so much)

Replies

  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    Not quite.

    BMR is the estimate of calories you burn merely breathing. No movement or anything. Like you were comatose. In general it is not a very useful number. Setting your calorie target to your BMR is not generally recommended (not necessarily dangerous, but you can be undereating for your activity needs)

    MFP uses the NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenisis) method, which estimates your daily activity in addition to the BMR, but not purposeful exercise. Logging exercise helps aproximate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

    So going over your BMR by ~40 calories is still low and in deficit because your daily moving around consumes much more than that.
  • GeckoSupervisor
    GeckoSupervisor Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks so much for explaining! I understand this a lot better now - I hadn't really understood the specifics of BMR compared to what MFP uses.
    I played with some of the default settings, and luckily my BMR + pedometer data was pretty close to what MFP calculated as the amount I should consume to lose a pound a week. So luckily, I wasn't doing any damage.
    Thanks again!
  • ManiacalLaugh
    ManiacalLaugh Posts: 1,048 Member
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    Not quite.

    BMR is the estimate of calories you burn merely breathing. No movement or anything. Like you were comatose. In general it is not a very useful number. Setting your calorie target to your BMR is not generally recommended (not necessarily dangerous, but you can be undereating for your activity needs)

    MFP uses the NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenisis) method, which estimates your daily activity in addition to the BMR, but not purposeful exercise. Logging exercise helps aproximate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

    So going over your BMR by ~40 calories is still low and in deficit because your daily moving around consumes much more than that.

    This is correct. Just to add though, that "Complete My Entry" number is notoriously fickle and inaccurate - and some people have been disheartened by not reaching that goal in the same "expected" time frame. I ignore it (especially since I tend to lose in big waves instead of steady trickles).
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