Help! Need help calorie counting!

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amdemps14
amdemps14 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am supposed to eat 1200 calories a day and today I logged 785 exercise calories and I've eaten a total 1400 and still have 510 left. Is it bad that I have eaten over the amount of calories and still have some left? I feel like I shouldn't of still stayed under 1200. Can anyone help me or give me advice?

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    If you have 500 left you're not over. MFP doesn't give you those calories to sabotage you - you're supposed to eat them or at least a portion.
  • chulipa
    chulipa Posts: 650 Member
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    You are supposed to eat your calories MFP tells you to eat and some to all of your excercise calories half is a good place to start because excercise calories are not always right
  • Blitzia
    Blitzia Posts: 205 Member
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    You definitely didn't need to stay at 1200. You can safely eat back your exercise calories - your 1200 calorie goal is chosen with the intent that you will eat back your exercise calories.

    What did you do to burn 785 calories? That is the only issue I see - 785 calories may be an overestimate of how many calories you burn. Other than that, if you can confident in how many calories you burned with exercise, you can eat all of them back and still achieve your weight loss goals.
  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
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    @amdemps14
    welcome to MFP
    I recommend you read the "Most Helpful Post" at the beginning of "Getting Started" message board.
    Here is a link
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest
    I have one question for you: How are you measuring the calories you eat ? Are you using a food scale ?
    You may be eating more than you think.
    Also, how are you measuring the calories you have burned ? MFP calculations are not accurate and Gym machines are no better to give you calorie burned numbers
    Good luck in your healthy journey
  • amdemps14
    amdemps14 Posts: 6 Member
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    To get 785 exercise points I walked over 15000 steps today and I did an interval workout for 30 mins.
    I can't even come close to eating all the calories even with the extra from exercise!
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
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    Was the 15,000 steps deliberate exercise or just part of your daily routine?
  • sophie7591
    sophie7591 Posts: 78 Member
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    Wait a minute so if the MFP extra calories aren't accurate why are we supposed to eat them ? I never do anyway but just wondering.
  • beanz744
    beanz744 Posts: 221 Member
    edited May 2017
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    the exercise calorie in MFP is NOT correct. In fact, they r usually too optimistic. it is only recommended to eat back HALF at most. if u r wearing a HR or fitbit, then it is a diff story because i think its 90% accurate.

    OP, the 1200 is an upper limit that MFP set for u so u shouldnt go over it too many times but u could eat back (on top of the 1200) half of the calories burned IF u like or need to. if ur body doesnt need to, then u will lose more weight.

    also, it is not advisible to eat less than 1000 a day since it is unhealthy. OP, i m hoping that u r using a food scale religiously n logs EVERYTHING (including oil, condiments, sauce, drinks etc) so ur not hitting 1200 is not a fantasy.
  • Tried30UserNames
    Tried30UserNames Posts: 561 Member
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    sophie7591 wrote: »
    Wait a minute so if the MFP extra calories aren't accurate why are we supposed to eat them ? I never do anyway but just wondering.

    Some are accurate. Some overestimate. And some people log a lot of stuff as extra exercise that is already included in the calorie count that MFP calculated for them initially.

    If you're putting in scrubbing the shower or walking out to get the mail as exercise, that's already included when you filled out the profile. If I go for an exercise walk of 3 miles and MFP gives me, for example 250 calories, that's probably fairly accurate taking into consideration my age, weight, sex and pace. If I wear my pedometer (or the modern equivalent) all day and it says I walked 5000 steps today, that was already included when I filled out the profile and chose the sedentary option that says it's for people who have desk jobs.

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