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Is the Calorie-- Calculator wrong?

gettinghealthy777
gettinghealthy777 Posts: 223
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I am trying to figure out how many calories I need a day. I went to the calculator on this site and it said to lose 1 pound a week, I should consume 2,020 calories a day. I added the weight at 280 with no exercise.

Then when I put the exercise at 60 minutes a day, the calculator still stayed at 2,020 calories a day, it did the same when I put that I wanted to lose 2 pounds a week. It said I should eat 1,520 calories a day. With or without exercise. I thought if you exercised you earned more calories.?

Replies

  • jpeebs88
    jpeebs88 Posts: 81
    It only changes your calorie goal after you add the exercise on a day to day basis. The estimate is still right.
  • lilybug13
    lilybug13 Posts: 154
    You can plan to exercise and then not do it, so exercise is only counted if you log it for a particular day.
  • CountryDevil
    CountryDevil Posts: 819 Member
    It only changes your calorie goal after you add the exercise on a day to day basis. The estimate is still right.

    This is the right answer.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    MFP assumes you eat back your exercise calories so your calories dont change when you add exercise
  • gettinghealthy777
    gettinghealthy777 Posts: 223
    So, if I exercise, I can eat more calories, that the 1,520?
  • squidgely
    squidgely Posts: 29 Member
    Thats right. My calorie counter says I need to eat 1290 calories a day to lose a pound a week. I exercise so I can eat more! I do for example 45 minutes of zumba and that allows me an extra 360 calories to eat. Its working so far and I have 9 pounds left to lose.
    Sarah xxx
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