Please help. Confused horribly.
ToriJ1987
Posts: 12 Member
ok so I am extremely confused here. My current weight is 114 pounds. I want to get down to 100. MFP says I need 1,200 calories a day but if I burn lets say 500 of those, I am only consuming 700 calories which is NOT healthy. So, what is the issue here. What do I do to get the correct amount of calories for the day. Should I just change my goals to 2,000 calories a day that way if I burn 500 I am still consuming 1,500?
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MFP is set up on the NEAT method. You should be eating your exercise calories. So you burn 500, you eat 1700 for the day, netting you 12000
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so MFP was correct for setting the calories that way? Ok, So my goal is to consume 1,200 calories. Got it. Thank you so much!
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ok so I am extremely confused here. My current weight is 114 pounds. I want to get down to 100. MFP says I need 1,200 calories a day but if I burn lets say 500 of those, I am only consuming 700 calories which is NOT healthy. So, what is the issue here. What do I do to get the correct amount of calories for the day. Should I just change my goals to 2,000 calories a day that way if I burn 500 I am still consuming 1,500?
1200 is a default minimum BEFORE exercise. This is based on "I want to lose xx pounds per week." If it seems low, it's because your weekly weight loss goal was high.
If you do zero exercise, you eat 1200. If you exercise for 500 calories, you eat 1200+500 = 1700 calories. To get this "correct" number of calories, you log exercise in MFP. The reason for "correct"........ calorie burns are estimates. Some forms or exercise are harder to estimate than others.
Now, if exercise is part of your regular routine and you don't want to log it in everyday, then look up your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) this maintenance and includes exercise you plan to do. Then take 250 calories away. That's 250 calories for 1/2 pound a week loss. A 1 pound a week loss (500 calories) is pretty aggressive when you are this close to goal.0 -
When you log your exercise, MFP will add those calories to your daily calorie needs (which are based on your weight goals), so you can eat more. But, from what I've read on this forum, the exercise calories are often over-estimated so some people only eat back half. Your mileage may vary. Example:
MFP daily cals: 1200
Exercised: 500
New daily cals: 1700
Daily cals if eating half back: 1450
If you're not logging exercise, you can do the math mentally. An alternative, find a TDEE calculator and set the MFP calories to that number of calories. The TDEE already accounts for your exercise. I do this one because I'm not crazy about using the MFP exercise database.0 -
I wonder why it gives me net calories when I want total calories for the day then to know how many to burn to lose 1 pound a week.0
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I wonder why it gives me net calories when I want total calories for the day then to know how many to burn to lose 1 pound a week.
That is the way MFP is designed. that way your deficit for the day is the same everyday, regardless if you workout or not. If you want total cal that takes into account your exercise, Google TDEE calculator, and override the calorie goal in MFP with that number.0 -
I wonder why it gives me net calories when I want total calories for the day then to know how many to burn to lose 1 pound a week.
This is how MFP is designed. MFP does not assume that everyone will exercise (it's not mandatory afterall). This model is great for people just starting out, people whose exercise records are spotty or for people with medical issues that prevent them from exercising.
If you trust that you will do the exercise.....just look up your TDEE and take away 500 if you want to lose 1 pound a week.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/1 -
That site didn't help at all. It was Nan for everything.0
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Very helpful information is provided above in those posts. Read them1
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I wonder why it gives me net calories when I want total calories for the day then to know how many to burn to lose 1 pound a week.
The number that mfp gives you includes the deficit. Your body burns more calories than just the exercise you do. If you don't do any exercise then you eat 1200 calories which will be less calories than your body will burn just being alive and moving around at your typical activity level. For example: I have a sedentary job. My body will burn 1580 calories per day if all I do is get up and go to work and then spend the evening sitting on the couch watching tv. If I want to lose .5 pound per week then I tell that to mfp and they give me a goal of 1330 calories per day to eat. If I then go out and exercise and burn 300 calories I will need to eat 1630 calories on that day. That gives me a net of 1330 calories which is still 250 calories less than what my body will burn that day.1 -
sunnybeaches105 wrote: »Very helpful information is provided above in those posts. Read them
I kinda am.0 -
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OP - here's a Scooby's example
Female - 114 pounds - 60 inches tall - 29 years old - moderate exercise:
BMR = 1290 (these are calories burned if you sleep 24/7)
TDEE = 1,999......maintenance calories for person above.
1,999 - 500 = eat 1,499 calories to lose 1 pound a week
It's really not that hard..........0 -
ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »
Oy! I did it wrong lol. I got it now. 1,899 calories for the day and if I burn 500 of those I will still be eating 1,399 calories.0 -
OP - here's a Scooby's example
Female - 114 pounds - 60 inches tall - 29 years old - moderate exercise:
BMR = 1342 (these are calories burned if you sleep 24/7)
TDEE = 1,999......maintenance calories for person above.
1,999 - 500 = eat 1,499 calories to lose 1 pound a week
It's really not that hard.......OP - here's a Scooby's example
Female - 114 pounds - 60 inches tall - 29 years old - moderate exercise:
BMR = 1290 (these are calories burned if you sleep 24/7)
TDEE = 1,999......maintenance calories for person above.
1,999 - 500 = eat 1,499 calories to lose 1 pound a week
It's really not that hard..........
Apparently it is for someone who has a learning disability. 1,499 calories is still a lot when the net on here is 1,200.0 -
ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »
Oy! I did it wrong lol. I got it now. 1,899 calories for the day and if I burn 500 of those I will still be eating 1,399 calories.
Great! So now you can manually enter that for your goal. Click on "My Home" then, "Goals". Good luck!0 -
ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »
Oy! I did it wrong lol. I got it now. 1,899 calories for the day and if I burn 500 of those I will still be eating 1,399 calories.
Great! So now you can manually enter that for your goal. Click on "My Home" then, "Goals". Good luck!
Goal of 1,899 or 1,399? lol... I think it'd be 1,899 because of burning the 500.0 -
ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »
Oy! I did it wrong lol. I got it now. 1,899 calories for the day and if I burn 500 of those I will still be eating 1,399 calories.
Great! So now you can manually enter that for your goal. Click on "My Home" then, "Goals". Good luck!
Goal of 1,899 or 1,399? lol... I think it'd be 1,899 because of burning the 500.
Use the "Daily calories based on goal in step 6". If you don't want to lose then use the "Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE)".
Please read the TDEE entire page, it's rather self-explanatory (no snark intended).0 -
ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »
Oy! I did it wrong lol. I got it now. 1,899 calories for the day and if I burn 500 of those I will still be eating 1,399 calories.
Great! So now you can manually enter that for your goal. Click on "My Home" then, "Goals". Good luck!
Goal of 1,899 or 1,399? lol... I think it'd be 1,899 because of burning the 500.
It would be 1,399 in MFP, then do not log workouts (or change the calorie burn estimate to 1). This is for each day (rest day or not). TDEE averages out the exercise you plan to do for the week. That's a nice feature, you don't have the up/down of exercise days vs. rest days.
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ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »
Oy! I did it wrong lol. I got it now. 1,899 calories for the day and if I burn 500 of those I will still be eating 1,399 calories.
Great! So now you can manually enter that for your goal. Click on "My Home" then, "Goals". Good luck!
Goal of 1,899 or 1,399? lol... I think it'd be 1,899 because of burning the 500.
It would be 1,399 in MFP, then do not log workouts (or change the calorie burn estimate to 1). This is for each day (rest day or not). TDEE averages out the exercise you plan to do for the week. That's a nice feature, you don't have the up/down of exercise days vs. rest days.
Then there really isn't a point in the MFP. I want to log the workouts. I want to see my progress. So I think if I log in the 1,899 calories then log in the exercises, it might be helpful to see the progress.1 -
ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »
Oy! I did it wrong lol. I got it now. 1,899 calories for the day and if I burn 500 of those I will still be eating 1,399 calories.
Great! So now you can manually enter that for your goal. Click on "My Home" then, "Goals". Good luck!
Goal of 1,899 or 1,399? lol... I think it'd be 1,899 because of burning the 500.
It would be 1,399 in MFP, then do not log workouts (or change the calorie burn estimate to 1). This is for each day (rest day or not). TDEE averages out the exercise you plan to do for the week. That's a nice feature, you don't have the up/down of exercise days vs. rest days.
Then there really isn't a point in the MFP. I want to log the workouts. I want to see my progress. So I think if I log in the 1,899 calories then log in the exercises, it might be helpful to see the progress.
Then just use MFP the way it was designed. Let it calculate your net calorie goal, log your exercise calories, and eat them or a percentage of them (to account for overestimation of calorie burns) back each day.
So for example, my net daily calorie goal is 1400 calories. On days I don't exercise, I eat 1400 calories. On days I do exercise I eat the 1400 calories + whatever I burned exercising. So today, I'm anticipating an approximate exercise burn of 600 calories, so I'll be actually eating 2,000 calories, which still is a net of 1400.0 -
KatieJane83 wrote: »ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »ItsyBitsy246 wrote: »
Oy! I did it wrong lol. I got it now. 1,899 calories for the day and if I burn 500 of those I will still be eating 1,399 calories.
Great! So now you can manually enter that for your goal. Click on "My Home" then, "Goals". Good luck!
Goal of 1,899 or 1,399? lol... I think it'd be 1,899 because of burning the 500.
It would be 1,399 in MFP, then do not log workouts (or change the calorie burn estimate to 1). This is for each day (rest day or not). TDEE averages out the exercise you plan to do for the week. That's a nice feature, you don't have the up/down of exercise days vs. rest days.
Then there really isn't a point in the MFP. I want to log the workouts. I want to see my progress. So I think if I log in the 1,899 calories then log in the exercises, it might be helpful to see the progress.
Then just use MFP the way it was designed. Let it calculate your net calorie goal, log your exercise calories, and eat them or a percentage of them (to account for overestimation of calorie burns) back each day.
So for example, my net daily calorie goal is 1400 calories. On days I don't exercise, I eat 1400 calories. On days I do exercise I eat the 1400 calories + whatever I burned exercising. So today, I'm anticipating an approximate exercise burn of 600 calories, so I'll be actually eating 2,000 calories, which still is a net of 1400.
You just explained it perfectly. That was my problem. I couldn't figure calories out vs calories in and then exercise on top of it. I know everyone was probably saying the same thing. But I heard it differently from you. Thank you so much! 0 -
Well, I'm very happy I was able to make it 'click' for you!
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KatieJane83 wrote: »Well, I'm very happy I was able to make it 'click' for you!
Thank you so much! And if anyone else reads this, I apologize if I was sounding really dingy. It's really difficult when you have a learning disability in math and other subjects.0
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