Understanding calories remaining

ancscott95
ancscott95 Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
Ok...I’m kinda new to this. I’ve tried it a few times, but eventually (and quickly) given up. I want to stick with it this time. I’m new to counting calories. I’ve done some research. I understand calories in and calories out the calorie deficit.
However, I don’t understand the math exactly on here? Meaning the subtraction of what I have eaten and addition of what I have excersized (maybe it’s the calorie in being food that is subtracted here that’s getting me...I feel like that should be the plus) and the remaining. Would someone be able to do a quick rundown of ‘Calories remaining on MyFitnessPal for dummies’ for me please?

Replies

  • JaimeJaimeM
    JaimeJaimeM Posts: 63 Member
    So the first number is your calorie allowance for the day. The second number is the calories you ate. If you hve 2000 calories a day and ate an egg (70cal)... 2000 - 70 = 1930 calories left for you to eat that day. Now if you exercise (third number) you are GIVING yourself the opportunity to eat extra calories. Say you burn 100 calories of yoga. You’ve basically earned back 100 calories of food if you wanted to. So your daily allowance would be 2000 - 70 + 100... 2030.
  • ancscott95
    ancscott95 Posts: 4 Member
    That helps a bit more. Thanks!
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    In order for me to completely ignore the MFP crazy moveable number targets which drive me bonkers (I like to know exactly how much I have to eat per day), I use the TDEE method instead ( www.tdeecalculator.net ) and I enter all exercise as 1 calorie burnt.

    The TDEE method takes into consideration your daily exercise so you get more calories alloted to you than MFP gives you because you don't have to "eat back" your exercise calories. So 2000 calories are 2000 calories. The goalposts do not move.

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,130 Member
    edited April 2019
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    That's how it calculates your calorie goal, the deduction is the food you ate.

    Calories remaining is the amount you have left after exercise has been added and food has been deducted.
  • kbmnurse1
    kbmnurse1 Posts: 316 Member
    I don't eat my calories back. Period.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    an explanation of exercise calories (and why they should be eaten back when using MFP numbers)
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,130 Member
    kbmnurse1 wrote: »
    I don't eat my calories back. Period.

    Well then you're not using the tool as it is intended and that doesn't really help the OP does it?

    Not eating exercise calories can put people in a larger deficit than is healthy. Whilst some methods of calculating exercise calories might be overestimated, they are still more accurate than 0.
  • ceiswyn
    ceiswyn Posts: 2,256 Member
    edited April 2019
    kbmnurse1 wrote: »
    I don't eat my calories back. Period.

    That's fine if you only do a small amount of exercise; if you don't eat back the hundred calories from a couple of miles of walking, nothing bad will happen.

    I regularly walk a mile and a half to do a BodyPump class followed by an aerobics class, and then walk back again. When I'm fully fit, I'm training for a charity hike by hiking 18 miles on alternate weekends. If I don't eat my calories back, I'm in major trouble. Period.

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