Negative calories driving me crazy!

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HypnoticHayleeLynn
HypnoticHayleeLynn Posts: 15 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi everyone, thanks for reading. A few years ago I lost 130 pounds using mfp. I always had it at sedentary and lose 0.5 or 1 pound a week.

Now I have been trying out the enable negative calorie adjustment option and using a smart watch with jawbone up to count steps. I step anywhere from 4 to 8 k steps a day and I burn 350-500 cals doing cardio or weight lifting.

While doing this I always have negative calories and it wants me to eat around 1800 a day. I feel like I need more. When I take it off I get way more just keeping it on the mfp goals and not the negative adjustment.

Do you think I should suck it up and keep going by it or turn it off so I have more cals? I lost a lot doing it this way before but I feel like. I'm missing out not using it.

Thanks!

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Do not use it if it is getting in the way of what you want to accomplish. :)
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
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    The way it works is by making some determination of how many calories you'll typically burn throughout the day. You get negative calories if you're not keeping up with that. For example, in the morning you may have negative if you haven't moved much yet. If you get up and take a walk, it'll adjust to positive.

    It's a tool to help you know how you're keeping up throughout the day. What it's not is something that magically gives or takes away how many calories you can eat. Your body doesn't know or care if you're tracking, it only cares what you're eating and how much you're burning.

    If seeing the negative number bothers you, you can 1) stop using it, or 2) use it as motivation to move more and get it to positive.
  • HypnoticHayleeLynn
    HypnoticHayleeLynn Posts: 15 Member
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    Mine adjusted so low though. Even with a burn of 500 cals plus 6 to 7 k steps it still wanted me eating only 1800 cals. Does that sound right?
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
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    HypnoticHayleeLynn wrote: »
    Mine adjusted so low though. Even with a burn of 500 cals plus 6 to 7 k steps it still wanted me eating only 1800 cals. Does that sound right?

    Have you checked that all of your stats (height, weight, etc.) are correct and checked that the time zones are also the same?
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    If you are set at sedentary and walking 4-8k steps a day you should not be getting negative adjustments. You should go through and check all of you settings and stats. It sounds like something is off.
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I'm confused, you're getting *negative* adjustments with 6-7000 steps and another 500 cal burn? Below is how mine reads, is yours similar? Perhaps you're seeing the subtraction symbol and think it means negative calories?

    Here's what mine looks like on MFP:
    Calories remaining: 1134
    Starting calorie goal: 1440
    Food I've eaten/logged so far today: 1138
    Exercise: 832
    Net: 306

    It's shown as 1138 - 832 = 306

    It LOOKS LIKE a negative adjustment, but it's not. It just means that so far I've eaten 1138, and exercised 832, so I've burned 306 fewer calories than I've eaten. This is a very confusing way for it to be shown, IMO. But the numbers that really matter (to me) are my starting goal and my calories remaining.

    *****==== Edited to add - the above is the way it is on the website. Below is (close to) the way it's shown on the app. The app doesn't show the "net", which is irrelevant anyway, IMO =====*****

    IMO it would make more sense if MFP showed it as:

    1440 + 832 = 2272 (total calories allowed for the day including exercise) - 1138 (calories already eaten) = 1134 calories remaining.

    If this isn't what's going on, and you're getting 1800 calories WITH a negative adjustment, what's your starting calories??
  • HypnoticHayleeLynn
    HypnoticHayleeLynn Posts: 15 Member
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    Here's a photo. Am I just looking at something wrong? All info is correct http://imgur.com/YngLrNK
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    edited January 2016
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    HypnoticHayleeLynn wrote: »
    Here's a photo. Am I just looking at something wrong? All info is correct http://imgur.com/YngLrNK

    Which app are you logging the Elliptical Trainer exercise? If you are logging it in MFP, are you logging the Start Time correctly so that the Jawbone UP syncs it correctly?

    Edited to Add: Did you verify time zones match on both apps?
  • BikeTourer
    BikeTourer Posts: 191 Member
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    Sedentary for me is 1570 for me, I have negative calories till I get going, how many steps it takes to overcome the negative depends how vigorous the steps are. All steps are not equal. I get at least 10K steps a day, strength train 3 times a week and do cardio most days. Depend how hard I hit these things 1800-2200 calories. 50, 5' 6", 133. Want to eat more do more, muscle burns more calories getting older slows your metabolism, exercise slows that process...
  • nharrison2672
    nharrison2672 Posts: 4 Member
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    Granted I've only been on here a few days, but I have yet to meet the goals I set up. My doctors keep telling me it's going to take time, but it's still frustrating. We'll get there.
  • HypnoticHayleeLynn
    HypnoticHayleeLynn Posts: 15 Member
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    Understandable! I feel better with negative calories off I guess! Something seems off to me. So I'll try it the regular way for now. Thanks everyone!
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
    edited January 2016
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    There's a glitch in how UP is counting your calories. YOU are not crazy!

    Check to make sure your settings are correct. If you need help doing that, I can give you step-by-step directions.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    Also, not completely sure this will be helpful in your case, but check to to see if deficit is too aggressive in your settings.
  • HypnoticHayleeLynn
    HypnoticHayleeLynn Posts: 15 Member
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    Gonna check my up settings

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