MFP Giving too many exercise cals?

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Gee_24
Gee_24 Posts: 359 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
After week 2 of following MFP lose 2lbs a week goal (and often being under) and losing some watwr weight, I just stopped losing altogether. Its been 2 months of this with the occasional over eating then undereating to counteract. I just didnt know where I was going wrong. I lost 45lbs last time following MFP!

I followed this (alongside my fitbit cals) last time and lost 2lbs most weeks till the end as expected. I finally discovered this week that MFP is taking me to maintenance instead!

The other day I was given 600 exercise cals from a mere 10k steps. This took around 20k steps in 2013, but I assumed my higher weight was the reason. When I checked my fitbit, my daily burn was only 1800. So I had been given every calorie back!! Im so annoyed. Its definitely set to lose 2lbs.

I obviously know what to do...ignore exercise cals and make my own judgement. But has anyone experienced this aswell?

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    Yes I should only eat back half of exercise calories as the burn estimates are severely overstated
  • Floatingpencil
    Floatingpencil Posts: 25 Member
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    I know when I go for a walk and use my Apple Watch, then see what calories MFP would have given me for the same walk, it's always at least 2x what the Apple Watch does. Starting to suspect the MFP estimates may have been partially to blame for why I couldn't lose much last time I tried this!
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
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    I use the charge 2 I have mfp set on sedentary so that I can see how my cals I get back after my days activity. I've been eating most of them back, I mostly been maintaining. I just adjusted cals and weight loss goals on Fitbit let's see where that goes
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    I think most of us have had problems with estimates somewhere along the line. It takes some tracking, some consistency, and some trial and error to find you logging sweet spot.
  • Gee_24
    Gee_24 Posts: 359 Member
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    I remember working 5 days a week as a maid, walking 3 miles to and from, walking my entire 1 hour break and walking around 2 hours after work. That would grab me 35k-40k steps and maybe 1300-1700 exercise. It was an entire day of activity. I am now in an office job and have a car and get 1000 regularly and haven't hit 30k more than twice in 2 years due to disability.

    Thanks for all the replies. I feel so peeved I hadnt noticed. I think 1200 is the magic number once again!
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    YES! MFP does overestimate exercise profusely. The past several years I try not to eat back my exercise calories - and for me that's only about several hundred. Also I have learned the less I have to lose to simply set my weight loss goal less aggressive. I have about 10-15 lbs to lose and have my calories set to a little under half a pound a week. I don't mind losing the weight slower. Keep up the good work
  • RAxB
    RAxB Posts: 120 Member
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    I tend to do the same exercises and have found that eating back about half, or for me 150 calories, is my sweet spot. In doing so I keep myself fueled for future workouts while also still losing.

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