Apple Watch "Move" goal met but no exercise - do I eat more?

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GetMiShit2gethr
GetMiShit2gethr Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all -
first post here....
I'm curious if I should eat more if I meet the move goal on my apple watch. Currently, my calories for the day are set at 1540 based on a sedentary lifestyle. I am a medical student and my days are often 12 hours of studying/sitting. I exercise when I can and I eat appropriately when I do BUT I'm curious about the days that I don't. I walk around school, up and down stairs, out to the parking lot, etc. and will often meet my move goal (600 cal) but that move goal is not due to exercise; just due to daily life movement. Should I be eating more on these days too or keep to the 1540 recommended?
Any input is helpful. Super new to this and trying to lose some lbs safely and effectively

Replies

  • Paiger816
    Paiger816 Posts: 129 Member
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    I only eat back (part of) my actual exercise calories. Your move goal is just daily movement and not actual exercise. Your day to day movement is factored into your MFP calorie goal when you answer the questions about lifestyle and weight loss goals.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    Is your Apple Watch synced with MFP?
  • GetMiShit2gethr
    GetMiShit2gethr Posts: 5 Member
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    It isn’t, no. I keep it separate as not to overestimate
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    edited April 2019
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    A calorie burned is a calorie burned regardless of how you do it.

    How you do the math is important though, because of the difference in what AW and MFP numbers are representing. I take my BMR and add my Move cals to that each day.
  • Ajocal18
    Ajocal18 Posts: 167 Member
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    I put my MFP as sedentary and connect my Fitbit, if I burn more than 1,700 calories (the calories mfp estimates I burn while being sedentary) MFP will update my excercise calories to give me more to eat.

    Let the apps/ gadgets do all the thinking and math that’s what they’re here for 😃
  • Fitgirllife72
    Fitgirllife72 Posts: 500 Member
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    shadow2soul wrote: »
    On the Activity app, if you swipe left on the move goal it will show you your estimated TDEE.
    Look at the difference between that and what you are eating. If it’s a really large gap you can adjust your activity level on MFP to close it.

    Oh my gosh I had no clue that was there. Thank you!

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    Ajocal18 wrote: »
    I put my MFP as sedentary and connect my Fitbit, if I burn more than 1,700 calories (the calories mfp estimates I burn while being sedentary) MFP will update my excercise calories to give me more to eat.

    Let the apps/ gadgets do all the thinking and math that’s what they’re here for 😃
    @Ajocal18

    Sadly Apple Watch doesn’t work like the other fitness trackers when connected. For whatever reason MFP does NOT get sent the total calorie burn from Apple. It was a huge shocker when I switched from Fitbit to Apple. While both devices give me similar TDEE estimates, my adjustments were drastically lower. Sometimes the difference between what MFP says I should eat and Apples Calorie Burn estimate are over 1000 calories apart.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    Some trackers think a step is worth X, Apple doesn't, really.
  • GetMiShit2gethr
    GetMiShit2gethr Posts: 5 Member
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    thank you so much everyone - all this info was super helpful. the move calories I'm accumulating while wearing the watch, to me at least, aren't enough to be considered not sedentary. im so immobile most of the day except for when im walking to my car or going to class (which happens to be up 3 flights of stairs). I think im going to keep doing what im doing and listen to my body in terms of whether or not to eat back (all or some of) the calories on days that i dont exercise but hit the move goal. thanks again. you guys are great :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    GetMiShit2gethr wrote: »
    thank you so much everyone - all this info was super helpful. the move calories I'm accumulating while wearing the watch, to me at least, aren't enough to be considered not sedentary. im so immobile most of the day except for when im walking to my car or going to class (which happens to be up 3 flights of stairs). I think im going to keep doing what im doing and listen to my body in terms of whether or not to eat back (all or some of) the calories on days that i dont exercise but hit the move goal. thanks again. you guys are great :)

    Also listen to your scale - if, after a month or more, you are losing faster than expected, you are definitely not sedentary and should adjust accordingly.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
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    In the Apple Health app, I look at my previous weekly resting energy average and my previous weekly active energy average, add the two together and then subtract 500 and that’s what I put as my weekly calorie goal for the current week.

    It might feel like extra work but it’s been working for me.
  • GetMiShit2gethr
    GetMiShit2gethr Posts: 5 Member
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    jdhcm2006 wrote: »
    In the Apple Health app, I look at my previous weekly resting energy average and my previous weekly active energy average, add the two together and then subtract 500 and that’s what I put as my weekly calorie goal for the current week.

    It might feel like extra work but it’s been working for me.


    Also a really good idea
    I’ll take a look at that
  • GetMiShit2gethr
    GetMiShit2gethr Posts: 5 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    GetMiShit2gethr wrote: »
    thank you so much everyone - all this info was super helpful. the move calories I'm accumulating while wearing the watch, to me at least, aren't enough to be considered not sedentary. im so immobile most of the day except for when im walking to my car or going to class (which happens to be up 3 flights of stairs). I think im going to keep doing what im doing and listen to my body in terms of whether or not to eat back (all or some of) the calories on days that i dont exercise but hit the move goal. thanks again. you guys are great :)

    Also listen to your scale - if, after a month or more, you are losing faster than expected, you are definitely not sedentary and should adjust accordingly.

    That’s a really good point and a great reminder to be mindful of how quickly / not quickly the weight is changing

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