Am I the only one that doesn't log exercise/activity routines?

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Replies

  • mburgess458
    mburgess458 Posts: 480 Member
    The number of calories you burn on those machines is going to really depend on how hard you're working. I see people every day at the gym who put so little effort into those machines they never sweat a drop or even breathe heavier... I doubt they burn anywhere near the calories you're estimating. The ones who work like their life depends on it burn a little more than you're estimating.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I don't log exercise very often but my "workouts" are not your typical day at the gym. I get most of my exercise from just every day life and use my Fitbit to track calorie expenditures.
  • dickie150692
    dickie150692 Posts: 15 Member
    The number of calories you burn on those machines is going to really depend on how hard you're working. I see people every day at the gym who put so little effort into those machines they never sweat a drop or even breathe heavier... I doubt they burn anywhere near the calories you're estimating. The ones who work like their life depends on it burn a little more than you're estimating.

    Yeah I agree with you. I only use the calories as a guide when I'm working out though. My HR tends to fly between 130-170 most of the time to. But the bike and the stepper is usually when I break a sweat.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Unless you are following the TDEE method, you should be eating back at least some of your exercise calories depending on how accurate all the numbers are. If you don't want to log them, look into the TDEE method that was posted above.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I TDEE, so I don't log exercise.
  • dickie150692
    dickie150692 Posts: 15 Member
    https://tdeecalculator.net/

    ^^^ Is this the calculator what everybody keeps talking about? ^^^

    I just tested it out and it's told me my maintenance calories are
    2,946 but are having 1,800 from MFP. I'm 5ft 10" by the way at 15st 7lbs.
  • dustedwithsugar
    dustedwithsugar Posts: 179 Member
    I don't log them, as I don't plan to eat excercise calories back and I find frustrating how innacurate MFP is with calories burned.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,631 Member
    As a rough rule of thumb, you probably don't want to be losing more than about 1% of your body weight weekly, if your objective is to lose weight in a healthy way, and stay strong. (And granny sez: That should be your objective.) You can probably ignore the 1st week in thinking about that, because most people see a bigger water-weight drop right at first.

    So, yes, seems like a good idea to eat more, and reduce your loss rate. You could:
    • change your activity level in MFP to "active", and see how that goes, or
    • stay at your current MFP activity level, but log your exercise and eat at least 50% of it back (increasing that if you still lose too fast), or
    • figure your TDEE and cut maybe 20% off that as a goal, or
    • figure your TDEE and cut 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week, or 1000 to lose two pounds a week for a while (remember the 1% idea).

    Whatever course you choose, watch your actual loss rate, and adjust eating to keep it healthy. You want to stay strong, I'm sure!
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    https://tdeecalculator.net/

    ^^^ Is this the calculator what everybody keeps talking about? ^^^

    I just tested it out and it's told me my maintenance calories are
    2,946 but are having 1,800 from MFP. I'm 5ft 10" by the way at 15st 7lbs.

    MFP uses the NEAT method and you are supposed to eat back your calories. TDEE has your exercise figured in so the number is higher. Eat around 2400 for a few weeks and see what happens.
  • dickie150692
    dickie150692 Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks everybody for your feedback.

    I've decided after today I think I'm going to change my MFP settings from "lightly active" to "Active" because I don't just do the gym 5days a week, I'm a Packer/Industrial Cleaner working 4 nights a week also, working approximately 27hrs on my feet non stop.

    Would you guys agree?
  • CricketClover
    CricketClover Posts: 388 Member
    I don't get very specific. If I do 10 minutes of rowing for a warm up, 20 minutes of leg-centered weight-lifting, and then a 45 minute HIIT jog, I just select "jogging" in MFP and group all calories burned under that one entry. I don't have the time or interest to get very specific. (I wear a heart rate monitor to get my calorie estimate.)
    hear rate monitors are only mostly accurate(they are still an estimation) for steady state cardio such as running/jogging,bicycling,etc. they wont be accurate for weight lifting,walking,etc

    How does walking not fall under steady state cardio and lumped with weight lifting, etc?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    This is comparing two different things but you can see what a huge deficit you have been creating.

    "I just tested it out and it's told me my maintenance calories are
    2,946 but are having 1,800 from MFP. I'm 5ft 10" by the way at 15st 7lbs. "


    Remember MFP goal is + exercise calories.

    Also remember MFP activity setting is nothing to do with your exercise routine - it's your day to day life/job.

    Both MFP and TDEE methods work but please don't mix them up. Pick one method and follow it.

  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    I highly recommend the Eat Train Progress Group here on this site. Run by very informative moderators. This group is right up your alley and I bet ya you would gain a wealth of information. Read thru their sticky posts they have. Make minor adjustments in your intake and workouts. And you'll be well on your way to a fit young man.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/10118-eat-train-progress
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