Calories

Yakker04
Yakker04 Posts: 75 Member
edited December 20 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi I need help please I've been told by 2 nutritionist not to count the calories the app gives me for excercise as it's inaccurate is this correct

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I have always found exercise cals from MFP to be spot on, but not everyone does.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    The one value that is definitely wrong for your exercise calories is 0.

    Enter your exercise. Start by eating back half or three quarters of the extra calories. See how that goes for about a month, and then adjust if necessary.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    The only absolutely inaccurate figure is 0.

    Do these "nutritionists" not feel you should fuel exercise at all?
  • This content has been removed.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Ok thanks guys so I should eat them back. E.g. I'm on 2100 calories it gives me 900 calories for excercise so I should be eating 3000 calories?

    What are your stats?

    What exercise did you do to burn 900 calories?
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Ok thanks guys so I should eat them back. E.g. I'm on 2100 calories it gives me 900 calories for excercise so I should be eating 3000 calories?

    You say in your other thread that you're maintaining, though. Which says that you're at 3000 already.

    How do you weigh and track your food? That could be giving you more than you're eating, in which case it wouldn't make sense to eat those extra calories *unless* you are willing to tighten up your logging, *and* be careful that you're counting your exercise correctly.
  • This content has been removed.
  • This content has been removed.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    I'm accurate with my food posting etc

    If you're maintaining your weight, while supposedly undereating, no, you aren't.

    Do you weigh everything you eat?
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    your goal is to maintain. since you have been doing what you have been doing...has your weight remained stable? how long have you been tracking?

    so are they saying that because 900 is too high an estimated (according to them) to eat... ZERO? there is a HUGE range between 0 and 900. if 900 is too high and estimate, in no way does that mean eat 0. if after tracking and eating back the 900 your weight creeps up then you know that indeed, 900 is too much and eat back maybe 75% of that. or if you are super concerned, eat 75% now and track and see if your weight remain stable.

    but if you have been eating the 900 for awhile now and your weight is stable, then keep doing what you are doing, it works.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Hi I need help please I've been told by 2 nutritionist not to count the calories the app gives me for excercise as it's inaccurate is this correct

    I agree with what others have said above, generally.

    I just want to add this: Sometimes nutritionists/trainers say not to eat back exercise calories because they're used to thinking in terms of TDEE-based calorie estimates as a goal. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) includes all exercise, just averaged over all your days. Many calorie-counting sites use TDEE as a starting point for calorie goals.

    MFP, on the other hand, gives you a calorie goal that is based on NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). NEAT includes your daily life (job, etc.) and general calorie burn just from being alive, but doesn't include intentional exercise. So, you log exercise, and eat it back on top of the basic daily calorie goal, because it wasn't included in MFP's basic daily calorie goal.

    Sometimes trainers/nutritionists (and others) who don't use MFP don't realize this.
  • This content has been removed.
  • This content has been removed.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Some people are saying yes others are saying no. I don't know what to do. Maybe I won't log my excercise and just eat 2100 calories or under

    So you want to choose the one number you know is wrong, without answering any of these other questions which can help clarify the answers you’ve gotten above?

    What is your height and current weight?
    What is your goal weight?
    What activity level did you choose?
    What rate of loss did you choose?
    Do you log everything you eat, using a food scale for accuracy?
    Would you be willing to open your diary?
  • This content has been removed.
  • strebor337
    strebor337 Posts: 168 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Hi I need help please I've been told by 2 nutritionist not to count the calories the app gives me for excercise as it's inaccurate is this correct

    I agree with what others have said above, generally.

    I just want to add this: Sometimes nutritionists/trainers say not to eat back exercise calories because they're used to thinking in terms of TDEE-based calorie estimates as a goal. TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) includes all exercise, just averaged over all your days. Many calorie-counting sites use TDEE as a starting point for calorie goals.

    MFP, on the other hand, gives you a calorie goal that is based on NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). NEAT includes your daily life (job, etc.) and general calorie burn just from being alive, but doesn't include intentional exercise. So, you log exercise, and eat it back on top of the basic daily calorie goal, because it wasn't included in MFP's basic daily calorie goal.

    Sometimes trainers/nutritionists (and others) who don't use MFP don't realize this.

    Good summary Ann. Thanks for the deep dive explanation of how that works.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    The exercise calories I've gotten from MFP have been pretty accurate. Accurate enough for me to have lost weight successfully and then to have continued to maintain for several years while eating most of them back...at least try eating half of them back. Then make adjustments if things aren't working.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    WinoGelato.
    184 cms height
    77 kg weight
    Maintain weight is goal weight
    Active is my activity level
    I log everything. I use scales everything is thorough very

    Your maintenance calories cannot be 2100 with those stats.
  • This content has been removed.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Why not it's been that way for weeks and have maintained my weight

    Then if you have a couple months of data, go by that. We don't have that, and I'm guessing neither does the nutritionist (?)

    This is your experiment to run. If you're maintaining over a period of 4-6 weeks on a certain number, then stick to it.

    I've always eaten all the exercise calories. It is what allows me to eat enough to be happy, YMMV.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Why not it's been that way for weeks and have maintained my weight

    You are eating more than you think as that's far too low for an average sized male who describes themselves as active and exercises a lot. Your BMR alone is in the order of 1800 cals - that's at complete rest, fasted, no activity, no exercise.

    Your TDEE is more likely to be around 2800, higher if your exercise is long duration cardio.
    I'm around 78kg and my TDEE is well over 3,000 and rises in summer when my cycling volume goes up.


    Option 1
    Keep logging the way you are if it's consistent despite being inaccurate, use your own bodyweight changes as your guide.

    Option 2
    Make your diary public if you want help on logging more accurately.

  • This content has been removed.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    If you use the quote function it's far easier to know what or who you are responding to.
  • This content has been removed.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    If you use the quote function it's far easier to know what or who you are responding to.
    sijomial wrote: »
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Why not it's been that way for weeks and have maintained my weight

    You are eating more than you think as that's far too low for an average sized male who describes themselves as active and exercises a lot. Your BMR alone is in the order of 1800 cals - that's at complete rest, fasted, no activity, no exercise.

    Your TDEE is more likely to be around 2800, higher if your exercise is long duration cardio.
    I'm around 78kg and my TDEE is well over 3,000 and rises in summer when my cycling volume goes up.


    Option 1
    Keep logging the way you are if it's consistent despite being inaccurate, use your own bodyweight changes as your guide.

    Option 2
    Make your diary public if you want help on logging more accurately.

    Yes I changed it to 2100

    But as pointed out - your stats and activity doesn’t indicate a maintenance level of 2100, even NEAT which is what MFP uses.

    MY TDEE as a petite female is around 2100 and I’m not as active as you.
  • mdreddie
    mdreddie Posts: 73 Member
    I've found the calorie calculator useful for determining maintenance calories. You can google "calorie calculator", type in your body stats, and get your maintenance calories that way. I also check my weight every 3 to 4 days to check, monitor, and adjust calorie intake to maintain my weight.
  • GreenValli
    GreenValli Posts: 1,054 Member
    I go to the gym 3-4 times a week and use the weight machines, bikes, and sometimes treadmills. I enter choose levels on the machines and enter my weight. The machines give me number of calories I have "burned" as I exercise. I do not think the number of calories burned is 100% accurate but I still enter those numbers into MFP food diary. I do not "eat back" all the calories the machines say I have "exercised off", but it does give me a guide to go by.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    If you use the quote function it's far easier to know what or who you are responding to.
    sijomial wrote: »
    Yakker04 wrote: »
    Why not it's been that way for weeks and have maintained my weight

    You are eating more than you think as that's far too low for an average sized male who describes themselves as active and exercises a lot. Your BMR alone is in the order of 1800 cals - that's at complete rest, fasted, no activity, no exercise.

    Your TDEE is more likely to be around 2800, higher if your exercise is long duration cardio.
    I'm around 78kg and my TDEE is well over 3,000 and rises in summer when my cycling volume goes up.


    Option 1
    Keep logging the way you are if it's consistent despite being inaccurate, use your own bodyweight changes as your guide.

    Option 2
    Make your diary public if you want help on logging more accurately.

    Yes I changed it to 2100

    And as said previously 2100 cannot be your actual maintenance calories.
  • This content has been removed.
This discussion has been closed.