calorie help

Hi guys, I'm new here and could use some advice, I've been keeping accurate track of my calories.
currently I'm burning in between 6k-7k calories a day, my fitness pal has me consuming roughly 2140 with my current weight, im losing just not very much some weeks it stays the same. my question is, with the calories I burn normally, plus my work out calories burnt. I don't hit my daily goal, should I eat more calories or just carry on the way I am?

Replies

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    Is one of your devices in kilo-joules instead of Calories?
    Are you super-heavy yet exercising multiple hours a day?
    A 6 to 7K burn is possible for a heavy and very active person... so.... what are your current height, weight, age, and goals?
    What is a day like in terms of activity and exercise?
  • skyjacker07
    skyjacker07 Posts: 6 Member
    I'm 36yrs old, 5'11 and currently weigh 225.8lbs, my goal is to get around 190ish that's a good healthy number for me. I use a Garmin watch that I wear all day every day to help me keep track of my numbers, I only eat the 2140 calories a day and don't go over. I work out 5 days a week, plus I'm a mechanic by trade, so im outside a lot, do a lot of heavy lifting, sweating and walking without working out. today's calories burned according to my Garmin was approximately 6560 calories. My daily work out is a bike ride, I currently ride 7-7.5 miles a day and I increase that number as I get adjusted to riding it, which is every couple of weeks.just going off my fitness pal on my calories when it includes my exercise calories which it automatically uploads im usually under close to 1k on calories. usually 755 to 950 sometimes it shows 1200 or so left over when it adds in those calories.
  • skyjacker07
    skyjacker07 Posts: 6 Member
    Here’s a screenshot of my fitness pal from today; this has been the normal for me with the 7miles of riding.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    I think something isn't quite right with your Garmin. I would double-check the settings as that calorie burn is way too high for the stats you have given.
  • skyjacker07
    skyjacker07 Posts: 6 Member
    There isn’t anything to change in there; it tracks my sleep, it monitors my heart rate, you can’t modify any of the calorie tracking it does at all. If you’re going off my exercise calories that is the combination of my step calories and my exercise calories, some days it removes my step calories and just uses my riding calories other days it adds them in as well. It uses my heart rate and I believe a form of pulse/ox to determine calories I’m burning.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    edited July 2019
    So let's dispense with Garmin might or might not be 100% accurate.

    You're a big guy and you're active.

    How much weight have you lost and in what span of time?

    And how long have you been this active? (You said "as I adjust to riding" your bike, which makes me suspect this is new)

    For reference to you I am way less tall, way older, and started on mfp at only about 10lbs more than you. My first year I lost 72.5lbs and ate on average more than 2500Cal a day-- very accurately counted.

    So yes, if you're losing and losing fast you should be eating more before you start tanking from lack of energy.

    If you're not losing or losing very slowly there might be some troubleshooting necessary.
  • lg013
    lg013 Posts: 215 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    How in the world are you burning 6-7K/day? The math alone says something in your numbers is amiss. Are you eating exercise calories?

    Yeah—this deficit with the 2140 calories per day means losing over a pound a day...Do you live on an exercise bike forever?
  • skyjacker07
    skyjacker07 Posts: 6 Member
    Looking at yesterday’s calories today; it wasn’t 6-7k, it was actually 3600, I’ve had only a few days over the last month where it was that high, I apologize for that. I went back and doubled checked my daily.
    The bike riding I’ve been doing for about two months. Me adjusting is when I up the mileage; I’ve been raising how many miles I ride by about a mile to a mile and a half every two weeks, once I get use to that mileage which takes about 2 weeks sometimes less the. I add more miles. As to that burrito, that was definitely a guess, I don’t normally eat that, but felt hungry when I was traveling yesterday and grabbed it from a convenient store. Normally it’s some type of sandwich; or a granola bar or some grilled chicken. The calories are being accurately tracked aside from that burrito. I started at 238 on the weight about 2 months ago, and I’m down to the 224.8 I’m losing just really slow or not at all. The calorie intake in mfp is set for me two lose 2lbs a week, with somewhat active in the settings.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited July 2019
    . I started at 238 on the weight about 2 months ago, and I’m down to the 224.8 I’m losing just really slow or not at all. The calorie intake in mfp is set for me two lose 2lbs a week, with somewhat active in the settings.

    that's 13.2lb in about 8 weeks? so 1.65lb/week which is a good rate given you are getting close to goal. i'd even personally recommend going down to 1lb/week now that you are about 30lb from goal (or at least change soon).
    2lb/week is more reasonable for someone very obese.

    Overall your rate of loss indicates your tracking is close enough to keep your momentum. you may find you need to be more careful/accurate as you get to the last 15.
  • skyjacker07
    skyjacker07 Posts: 6 Member
    I figured I’d have to start paying more attention the closer I get, I assumed 2lbs would be good, as most BMI’s state I am obese for my height and weight. Actually according to BMI I should be around 175, which to me and others I look too skinny at that weight.