Eating Back Step Calories

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tristen_leigh
tristen_leigh Posts: 214 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Should I be eating the calories from my steps back? I rack up steps throughout the day just from walking around at work. Seems like that should be part of my regular activity level, not calories I can eat back from exercise. Just FYI - I'm currently trying to eat about half of my "real" exercise calories back to keep a deficit.

Also, the exercise calories from steps cuts in half when I reach 10,000... what gives?

Replies

  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    No, the steps you take from just walking around at work are already counted by MFP as part of your normal daily activity level. If you put anything other than sedentary, it's given you calories to eat there as part of your base calorie goal.

    Or, if you're using a tracker like Fitbit, you can sync it with MFP and it will do the math for you.
  • sarahthes
    sarahthes Posts: 3,252 Member
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    If using a tracker synced to MFP and with negative adjustments turned on, it will change your goals on a day to day basis based on that day's activity level. It will actually override your mfp activity level with your actual activity.
  • tristen_leigh
    tristen_leigh Posts: 214 Member
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    sarahthes wrote: »
    If using a tracker synced to MFP and with negative adjustments turned on, it will change your goals on a day to day basis based on that day's activity level. It will actually override your mfp activity level with your actual activity.

    I haven't tried connecting my fitbit to MFP. If I do that, does MFP still count my steps? I'm honestly just kind of confused about the point of turning my steps into calories burned if MFP takes it into account already with my activity level.
  • missblondi2u
    missblondi2u Posts: 851 Member
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    tristen_leigh wrote: »
    sarahthes wrote: »
    If using a tracker synced to MFP and with negative adjustments turned on, it will change your goals on a day to day basis based on that day's activity level. It will actually override your mfp activity level with your actual activity.

    I haven't tried connecting my fitbit to MFP. If I do that, does MFP still count my steps? I'm honestly just kind of confused about the point of turning my steps into calories burned if MFP takes it into account already with my activity level.

    If you sync the two, MFP will compare what your fitbit says you burned throughout the day with what it estimated based on your stats and the exercise you logged, and adjust up or down accordingly. So basically it corrects for inaccurate activity level estimates.
  • tristen_leigh
    tristen_leigh Posts: 214 Member
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    missblondi2u wrote: »
    tristen_leigh wrote: »
    sarahthes wrote: »
    If using a tracker synced to MFP and with negative adjustments turned on, it will change your goals on a day to day basis based on that day's activity level. It will actually override your mfp activity level with your actual activity.

    I haven't tried connecting my fitbit to MFP. If I do that, does MFP still count my steps? I'm honestly just kind of confused about the point of turning my steps into calories burned if MFP takes it into account already with my activity level.

    If you sync the two, MFP will compare what your fitbit says you burned throughout the day with what it estimated based on your stats and the exercise you logged, and adjust up or down accordingly. So basically it corrects for inaccurate activity level estimates.

    Ah! That makes sense. Thank you!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    tristen_leigh wrote: »
    sarahthes wrote: »
    If using a tracker synced to MFP and with negative adjustments turned on, it will change your goals on a day to day basis based on that day's activity level. It will actually override your mfp activity level with your actual activity.

    I haven't tried connecting my fitbit to MFP. If I do that, does MFP still count my steps? I'm honestly just kind of confused about the point of turning my steps into calories burned if MFP takes it into account already with my activity level.

    When you set up your account you gave a stated activity level. What syncing to FitBit does is keeps you honest with negative adjustments and rewards you for activity above & beyond your stated activity level.

    Let's say I signed up as lightly active, but then I had a really lazy day where I walked just 3,000 steps. Because 3,000 steps is less than lightly active, MFP negative adjustments would take calories away.

    This is really helpful when you get to maintenance. It helps you better estimate your TDEE.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • missblondi2u
    missblondi2u Posts: 851 Member
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    tristen_leigh wrote: »
    missblondi2u wrote: »
    tristen_leigh wrote: »
    sarahthes wrote: »
    If using a tracker synced to MFP and with negative adjustments turned on, it will change your goals on a day to day basis based on that day's activity level. It will actually override your mfp activity level with your actual activity.

    I haven't tried connecting my fitbit to MFP. If I do that, does MFP still count my steps? I'm honestly just kind of confused about the point of turning my steps into calories burned if MFP takes it into account already with my activity level.

    If you sync the two, MFP will compare what your fitbit says you burned throughout the day with what it estimated based on your stats and the exercise you logged, and adjust up or down accordingly. So basically it corrects for inaccurate activity level estimates.

    Ah! That makes sense. Thank you!

    You're welcome!

    And FYI, I have found that my fitbit flex's calorie burn has been pretty accurate for me. I eat almost all of my step calories back, and I'm hitting the pound/week mark pretty consistently while eating more food. Yay!
  • tristen_leigh
    tristen_leigh Posts: 214 Member
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    missblondi2u wrote: »
    tristen_leigh wrote: »
    missblondi2u wrote: »
    tristen_leigh wrote: »
    sarahthes wrote: »
    If using a tracker synced to MFP and with negative adjustments turned on, it will change your goals on a day to day basis based on that day's activity level. It will actually override your mfp activity level with your actual activity.

    I haven't tried connecting my fitbit to MFP. If I do that, does MFP still count my steps? I'm honestly just kind of confused about the point of turning my steps into calories burned if MFP takes it into account already with my activity level.

    If you sync the two, MFP will compare what your fitbit says you burned throughout the day with what it estimated based on your stats and the exercise you logged, and adjust up or down accordingly. So basically it corrects for inaccurate activity level estimates.

    Ah! That makes sense. Thank you!

    You're welcome!

    And FYI, I have found that my fitbit flex's calorie burn has been pretty accurate for me. I eat almost all of my step calories back, and I'm hitting the pound/week mark pretty consistently while eating more food. Yay!

    Oh that's really good to know!! Thank you!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Definitely sync your fitbit with MFP, it'll take all the guess work out of it for you. Make sure to turn on "negative adjustments"
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    Definitely sync your fitbit with MFP, it'll take all the guess work out of it for you. Make sure to turn on "negative adjustments"

    ^^ agree

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