automatic negative calorie adjustment

NessJKay
NessJKay Posts: 57 Member
edited November 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I really do not get what this is - read up on it on FAQ - lost the will to live and glazed over - in speak easy laymen terms what is it please?

Replies

  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    Assuming you mean negative calorie adjustments when it comes to activity trackers like Fitbits, basically...

    When you sign up to MFP it asks you your activity level, and from that it estimates how many calories you burn in an average day. If you sync it up to something like a Fitbit the Fitbit will then tell MFP how many calories you've burnt that day. If the Fitbit tells MFP that you've burnt more than it thinks you should have burnt, it'll give you extra calories to eat. Enabling negative adjustments means that if the Fitbit tells MFP that you've burnt less than it thinks you should have burnt that day, it'll take calories away. It's a way to make sure you're always eating the correct deficit for each day. Hope that makes sense!

    That's my understanding anyway, someone please say if I've got that wrong.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    ^^^ Basically this. MFP assumes I will walk about 5000 steps per day with my activity set as sedentary. I wear an activity/fitness tracker (Vivofit) and if I don't make my 5000 steps it takes a few calories away from my daily goal as I haven't burned as many calories as my activity level assumes I have. As my level is sedentary I don't get a lot taken from me on those days, maybe max 50 calories but I still have negative adjustments turned on, lets me know where I'm at and how lazy I've been!
  • NessJKay
    NessJKay Posts: 57 Member
    aaah eureka - thanks all x
  • vgnfarmer
    vgnfarmer Posts: 108 Member
    The only problem I have is that earlier in the day it may be a few hundred negative and then as I am active throughout the day it will adjust..
  • alt5057
    alt5057 Posts: 62 Member
    Personally, I don't like the negative adjustments. I have my level set to sedentary, and most days I do move more than that so I earn some extra calories. When I did the negative adjustments, I found it too hard to plan for (at least while I am still starting out). I didn't like how if I had a day where I was at my desk more and didn't move around as much, I would go to log dinner and be down calories. It was too disheartening for me starting out so I keep negative turned off. Some days I am under my calorie goal anyway with the days I earn the extra calories so I figure it all evens out in the end. As of week 3 it hasn't affected my weight loss :)
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  • NessJKay
    NessJKay Posts: 57 Member
    I have turned it off and will see how I go x
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    vanessawoodkay wrote: »
    I have turned it off and will see how I go x

    Are you using a fitness tracker? If so, it should be enabled with your activity level set to sedentary.
  • jdleanna
    jdleanna Posts: 141 Member
    I have it enabled because I don't want to inadvertently eat into my calorie deficit! I'm set to lose .5 pound a week, so if I have a lazy day I could actually wipe out that day's entire calorie deficit without realizing it, if I didn't have the negative adjustment enabled. It's a handy tool to make sure you're really eating at a deficit.
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  • Chasity6
    Chasity6 Posts: 183 Member
    I have a question for all of you fit bit users. I just got mine last weekend and I have it linked and negative calorie adj. on set to sed. So do you eat the calories MFP adds? Fit bit says I have extra 500 calories to eat MFP slightly lower but significantly higher than average daily calories. I just don't want to eat these calories and stall loss. I have been on slightly over 1month and lost 14lbs. But that was using MFP calories before starting Fitbit. Thanks.
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  • catt952
    catt952 Posts: 190 Member
    Would it still make the negeative calorie adjustment if one's goal is set at 1200 calories a day?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    catt952 wrote: »
    Would it still make the negeative calorie adjustment if one's goal is set at 1200 calories a day?
    No, but it would take awhile to get a positive. MFP won't let activity trackers drop you below 1200.
  • TexasJade
    TexasJade Posts: 68 Member
    edited September 2015
    shell1005 wrote: »
    jdleanna wrote: »

    ^^^^^ This. And as someone who lost weight with the FitBit on my wrist and is not maintaining with the FitBit on my wrist....it really helped me to feel comfortable with my level of activity and how they translated to the amount of food I got to eat. I could decide it is disheartening to see those negative calories when I wake up and haven't gotten to stepping yet, but instead it just shows me what I need to do in order to meet my goals. It's inspiring, not frustrating. I also think that knowledge is power though.

    What do you mean by "not maintaining"? Do you mean you are still loosing or that you are supposed to be in maintenance but it is not working with the fitbit? Just curious. I stopped eating back mine. I may resume eating some but I am not sure what I will do when I get to maintenance.
  • NessJKay
    NessJKay Posts: 57 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    vanessawoodkay wrote: »
    I have turned it off and will see how I go x

    Are you using a fitness tracker? If so, it should be enabled with your activity level set to sedentary.

    I am not using a fitness tracker - I use map my fitness and my garmin to synch in but don't count steps etc - just actual going to the gym and running
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  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    I think the negative adjustment should always be turned on is you are tracking steps and activity with a tracker or similar. It's a great way to easily see what your baseline activity level is and therefore if your calorie intake is appropriate to your goals.

    There's a danger that if you turn it off and set your activity level above sedentary you are way overeating and have no idea until a few weeks down the line and your expectations aren't meeting with reality. It's not about making you feel bad or guilty or demotivated, it's a tool to help you be as successful as possible.
  • NessJKay
    NessJKay Posts: 57 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I think the negative adjustment should always be turned on is you are tracking steps and activity with a tracker or similar. It's a great way to easily see what your baseline activity level is and therefore if your calorie intake is appropriate to your goals.

    There's a danger that if you turn it off and set your activity level above sedentary you are way overeating and have no idea until a few weeks down the line and your expectations aren't meeting with reality. It's not about making you feel bad or guilty or demotivated, it's a tool to help you be as successful as possible.

    So I have no pedometer and no fitbit linked and just stick to my calories and don't always use the extra calories that I earn from running and the gym - so if I have it turned off I should be ok?
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    vanessawoodkay wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I think the negative adjustment should always be turned on is you are tracking steps and activity with a tracker or similar. It's a great way to easily see what your baseline activity level is and therefore if your calorie intake is appropriate to your goals.

    There's a danger that if you turn it off and set your activity level above sedentary you are way overeating and have no idea until a few weeks down the line and your expectations aren't meeting with reality. It's not about making you feel bad or guilty or demotivated, it's a tool to help you be as successful as possible.

    So I have no pedometer and no fitbit linked and just stick to my calories and don't always use the extra calories that I earn from running and the gym - so if I have it turned off I should be ok?

    In your case, yes. Keep an eye on your losses over 4-6 weeks and make adjustments to intake from there (adding in or taking away calories as necessary). Don't be afraid to some exercise calories, that's the way MFP is designed, you want to properly fuel your workouts. Trackers are the lazy persons way of doing it!
  • NessJKay
    NessJKay Posts: 57 Member
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    vanessawoodkay wrote: »
    VintageFeline wrote: »
    I think the negative adjustment should always be turned on is you are tracking steps and activity with a tracker or similar. It's a great way to easily see what your baseline activity level is and therefore if your calorie intake is appropriate to your goals.

    There's a danger that if you turn it off and set your activity level above sedentary you are way overeating and have no idea until a few weeks down the line and your expectations aren't meeting with reality. It's not about making you feel bad or guilty or demotivated, it's a tool to help you be as successful as possible.

    So I have no pedometer and no fitbit linked and just stick to my calories and don't always use the extra calories that I earn from running and the gym - so if I have it turned off I should be ok?

    In your case, yes. Keep an eye on your losses over 4-6 weeks and make adjustments to intake from there (adding in or taking away calories as necessary). Don't be afraid to some exercise calories, that's the way MFP is designed, you want to properly fuel your workouts. Trackers are the lazy persons way of doing it!

    I don't use my exercise calories during the week to give me a bit of a buffer at the weekends :)
  • NessJKay
    NessJKay Posts: 57 Member
    i did have fitbit but to be honest I sit at a desk and exercise 3/4 times a week use a garmin and gave it to a friend as i did not have a use for it really
  • vgnfarmer
    vgnfarmer Posts: 108 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    vgnfarmer wrote: »
    The only problem I have is that earlier in the day it may be a few hundred negative and then as I am active throughout the day it will adjust..

    IMO, that's not a problem. That means it works.

    Yes, it just riles me up. It does keep me moving though, I don't calm down till I at least have a few exercise cals...
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