New to MFP and healthy lifestyle - trying to understand calories in vs. calories out (deficit)

brand851
brand851 Posts: 3 Member
in Getting Started
Hi everyone,

I am new to MFP which I have connected to my Fitbit HR and need some help.

After putting all my information into the Fitbit and MFP (254.6 lbs to start looking to loose 1lbs per week and sedentary) gives me an allowance of 1200 calories per day - Food Eaten + Exercise = Remaining.

Since I am completely new to all things weight loss and healthy eating I am not clear on how many calories I should actually be eating and how many calories I should be burning per day to create the "deficit" people are talking about to make sure I am doing things the healthy way but also loosing weight.

An example would be I had 1,200 calories to be eaten - 1,460 calories (over my daily limit but pretty darn close) that were eaten but I burned 1,077 through out the day (naturally and by going to the gym) and according to MFP still had 817 remaining (this was in green writing) does this mean that I still have to burn more than the 817 to be in a deficit. Please see the picture attached.

Any help would greatly appreciated but if you could please use simple terms for the fitness challenged would be amazing.

Thanks :)

mevyv3r7mahk.jpg

Replies

  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
    No. The table above tells you that you still have 817 calories TO EAT and still in your deficit. Most here, however, will tell/advise you to eat only half your exercise calories, as they are often overstated. therefore, you are still in a deficit and can, with reasonable safety, have another 300, or so, calories. Enjoy.

    Rule of thumb, calories remaining should be half of exercise calories.

    At least, that's how I think it goes.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,160 Member
    My understanding is that the 1200 that mfp gives you is the number of calories you need to eat at a deficit with no exercise. When you exercise you can eat more calories. Most people on here say to eat back about 50% of your exercise calories. As long as the remaining number of calories is green then you are under your calorie goal for that day. I'm not sure how accurate the fitbit is, apparently the mfp exercise calories burned is exaggerated which is why people say only eat back part of them not all of them. Fitbit calories may be more accurate in which case you can eat back more of them. I mostly just look at my food calories but if I exercise then I don't feel bad if I go over some. If this was my diary I would feel really good about this day, and if I was hungry then I wouldn't feel bad about having an extra snack since you did a lot of exercise that day.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Have yo set your fitbit up with the same goals

    For the moment eat half the exercise calories as it will extrapolate your activity based on what you've done to the point of synching but it should learn you and will get more accurate over time when you can start to eat more

    I have a zip (a basic pedometer style) and I eat them all
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,324 Member
    The 1200 includes you deficit. When you exercise you make that deficit bigger, generally too big where you lose things other than fat. That is why you are directed to eat the calories you burn with exercise. Basically you are shooting to have the calories remaining number as close to zero as you can. Doing that you should be in your deficit assuming you measure the food you are eating carefully.
  • ridge4mfp
    ridge4mfp Posts: 301 Member
    edited January 2016
    Make sure you are logging food in one place and exercise in one place if your Fitbit is synced. Log all your food in MFP. Your step counts and calories will automatically come in from your Fitbit. If you do exercise that the Fitbit does not track, such as elliptical or swimming or water aerobics, log that manually into Fitbit. Do not double log. It's also good to enable "negative calorie adjustments" on MFP. If you have a sick or lazy day, Fitbit will subtract calories available to help you not overeat.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    when you put your stats and goals into MFP, it calculates a calorie target that includes your deficit...you don't have to burn anything. your calorie target is your deficit, not a maintenance level of calories.
  • brand851
    brand851 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks so much everyone, it is making total sense now.

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