Exercise and step calories - help!

hollynatalie
hollynatalie Posts: 6 Member
edited December 2024 in Getting Started
Hello, I hope someone can help me as I’m very confused about eating back calories from exercise/ steps etc. I am 168cm, 65kg and want to lose 25lbs. I selected ‘lightly active’ as I walk to work occasionally, gym 3 times a week (half hour swim) and walk during my lunch break for about 20 mins. I work in an office so am otherwise sedentary. MFP suggests 1430 cals. I can see that if I select ‘not very active’, it recommends 1270 cals so clearly it is factoring in my exercise already when recommending 1430 calories. However, it then automatically tracks all my steps and adds whatever steps I do so that I can eat more calories per day (eg if I walk 10,000 steps It gives me another 100 calories). Plus I can then add in calories for going to the gym. Am I just consuming extra calories by doing this if my activity is already factored in by selecting lightly active, and it is then being added as well? Hope that makes sense, pleads can someone help me clear it up! Should I ignore the additional calories it allows me for my steps etc?

Replies

  • hollynatalie
    hollynatalie Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you, this is super helpful, and thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! I hadn’t realised that it only factored in steps that were more than it had assumed I would do! In this case then, would you suggest sticking to the 1430 it recommends? I was just concerned that that was possibly too high? Thanks so much again for your help
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    hollynatalie wrote: »
    Thank you, this is super helpful, and thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! I hadn’t realised that it only factored in steps that were more than it had assumed I would do! In this case then, would you suggest sticking to the 1430 it recommends? I was just concerned that that was possibly too high? Thanks so much again for your help

    The 1,430 is an estimate of what will create a deficit for a lightly active woman of your weight (assuming you told MFP your goal was to lose weight). If you're moving more than MFP estimated, you get more calories so that your deficit will stay the same size as MFP estimated it would be.

    Example: You told MFP you want to lose 1 pound a week. That requires a deficit of 500 calories a day and you get a goal of 1,430 (all these numbers are just to illustrate). But you actually move more than MFP estimated on this day and you burned an additional 200 calories. That means you can eat 1,630 and still have your deficit of 500 calories and be right on track for your weight loss.

    I would not stick to the 1,430 it recommends if you're actually more active than MFP estimated when they gave you that goal. First, it's easier to feel energetic and satisfied when you're eating enough. Second, it makes it easier to meet all your nutritional needs when you're eating a bit more. 1,430 isn't a lot of calories for most people. It would be too high for very few of us, especially people who are regularly exercising.

    The key is making sure that you're paying attention to your results over time. Many people find their calories estimated through exercise to be very accurate (I have a synced Fitbit and I know from my results that it's accurately estimating). If you are eating back your exercise adjustments and you find you're not seeing the results that you expect, cut back on how many of them you're eating. Or some people start by eating back just a portion of them (50-75%ish) and then adjust based on that. If you're eating back a portion and losing faster than you expect, then just start eating back more of them.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,648 Member
    OP, losing 25 lbs would put you at the bottom of the healthy BMI range. Is there a reason you're aiming so low?

    To answer your last post though, eat the 1430 plus any additional calories added from your activity tracker.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,864 Member
    hollynatalie wrote: »
    Hello, I hope someone can help me as I’m very confused about eating back calories from exercise/ steps etc. I am 168cm, 65kg and want to lose 25lbs. I selected ‘lightly active’ as I walk to work occasionally, gym 3 times a week (half hour swim) and walk during my lunch break for about 20 mins. I work in an office so am otherwise sedentary. MFP suggests 1430 cals. I can see that if I select ‘not very active’, it recommends 1270 cals so clearly it is factoring in my exercise already when recommending 1430 calories. However, it then automatically tracks all my steps and adds whatever steps I do so that I can eat more calories per day (eg if I walk 10,000 steps It gives me another 100 calories). Plus I can then add in calories for going to the gym. Am I just consuming extra calories by doing this if my activity is already factored in by selecting lightly active, and it is then being added as well? Hope that makes sense, pleads can someone help me clear it up! Should I ignore the additional calories it allows me for my steps etc?

    You're getting additional calories because your actual activity level is higher than what you selected in MFP...10,000 steps is active, not lightly active.
  • hollynatalie
    hollynatalie Posts: 6 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    hollynatalie wrote: »
    Thank you, this is super helpful, and thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! I hadn’t realised that it only factored in steps that were more than it had assumed I would do! In this case then, would you suggest sticking to the 1430 it recommends? I was just concerned that that was possibly too high? Thanks so much again for your help

    The 1,430 is an estimate of what will create a deficit for a lightly active woman of your weight (assuming you told MFP your goal was to lose weight). If you're moving more than MFP estimated, you get more calories so that your deficit will stay the same size as MFP estimated it would be.

    Example: You told MFP you want to lose 1 pound a week. That requires a deficit of 500 calories a day and you get a goal of 1,430 (all these numbers are just to illustrate). But you actually move more than MFP estimated on this day and you burned an additional 200 calories. That means you can eat 1,630 and still have your deficit of 500 calories and be right on track for your weight loss.

    I would not stick to the 1,430 it recommends if you're actually more active than MFP estimated when they gave you that goal. First, it's easier to feel energetic and satisfied when you're eating enough. Second, it makes it easier to meet all your nutritional needs when you're eating a bit more. 1,430 isn't a lot of calories for most people. It would be too high for very few of us, especially people who are regularly exercising.

    The key is making sure that you're paying attention to your results over time. Many people find their calories estimated through exercise to be very accurate (I have a synced Fitbit and I know from my results that it's accurately estimating). If you are eating back your exercise adjustments and you find you're not seeing the results that you expect, cut back on how many of them you're eating. Or some people start by eating back just a portion of them (50-75%ish) and then adjust based on that. If you're eating back a portion and losing faster than you expect, then just start eating back more of them.


    Thank you, this is so insightful - I’m very new to this and wasn’t sure how accurate the app was so it’s reassuring that you say it’s as accurate as your Fitbit! I’ll do as you’ve recommended and only eat back a portion of the exercise calories and then gauge it from there. Thanks so much for taking the time to help me on this! I hadn’t really appreciated that 1430 was so low - maybe I need to raise them slightly, I was only aware that I’ve been eating significantly more than I should have been in the last few years and just assumed that MFP would have recommended the correct amount for me, so if I find Im still hungry and not getting enough nutrition in I’ll raise them for sure
  • hollynatalie
    hollynatalie Posts: 6 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    OP, losing 25 lbs would put you at the bottom of the healthy BMI range. Is there a reason you're aiming so low?

    To answer your last post though, eat the 1430 plus any additional calories added from your activity tracker.

    I hadn’t realised that this would put me at the bottom - it would just take me back to the weight I was comfortable at for a few years, but in the last two years I’ve put on a lot of weight quite quickly. I’m realistically not actually expecting to lose that much, but I thought if I aimed for that much I’d be happy once I got half way there. I definitely appreciate that this isn’t healthy tho - thanks for putting it in perspective for me, I think I’ll adjust my goals! Because this is all new to me, I find it hard to quantify how much weight loss that actually would be, realistically I’ll probably be happy losing only 5-10lbs!
  • hollynatalie
    hollynatalie Posts: 6 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    hollynatalie wrote: »
    Hello, I hope someone can help me as I’m very confused about eating back calories from exercise/ steps etc. I am 168cm, 65kg and want to lose 25lbs. I selected ‘lightly active’ as I walk to work occasionally, gym 3 times a week (half hour swim) and walk during my lunch break for about 20 mins. I work in an office so am otherwise sedentary. MFP suggests 1430 cals. I can see that if I select ‘not very active’, it recommends 1270 cals so clearly it is factoring in my exercise already when recommending 1430 calories. However, it then automatically tracks all my steps and adds whatever steps I do so that I can eat more calories per day (eg if I walk 10,000 steps It gives me another 100 calories). Plus I can then add in calories for going to the gym. Am I just consuming extra calories by doing this if my activity is already factored in by selecting lightly active, and it is then being added as well? Hope that makes sense, pleads can someone help me clear it up! Should I ignore the additional calories it allows me for my steps etc?

    You're getting additional calories because your actual activity level is higher than what you selected in MFP...10,000 steps is active, not lightly active.

    I don’t walk to work every day and assumed because I sit in an office for 8 hours a day it would be inaccurate to say ‘active’ based on the definitions I found online for the different activity levels, but I’ll definitely factor this in. I’m glad it compensates for when I do more than it expected, but if I’m losing too quickly I might change the activity level to ‘active’ in that case to allow me to eat back more. Thanks everyone for being so helpful!
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    hollynatalie wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    hollynatalie wrote: »
    Hello, I hope someone can help me as I’m very confused about eating back calories from exercise/ steps etc. I am 168cm, 65kg and want to lose 25lbs. I selected ‘lightly active’ as I walk to work occasionally, gym 3 times a week (half hour swim) and walk during my lunch break for about 20 mins. I work in an office so am otherwise sedentary. MFP suggests 1430 cals. I can see that if I select ‘not very active’, it recommends 1270 cals so clearly it is factoring in my exercise already when recommending 1430 calories. However, it then automatically tracks all my steps and adds whatever steps I do so that I can eat more calories per day (eg if I walk 10,000 steps It gives me another 100 calories). Plus I can then add in calories for going to the gym. Am I just consuming extra calories by doing this if my activity is already factored in by selecting lightly active, and it is then being added as well? Hope that makes sense, pleads can someone help me clear it up! Should I ignore the additional calories it allows me for my steps etc?

    You're getting additional calories because your actual activity level is higher than what you selected in MFP...10,000 steps is active, not lightly active.

    I don’t walk to work every day and assumed because I sit in an office for 8 hours a day it would be inaccurate to say ‘active’ based on the definitions I found online for the different activity levels, but I’ll definitely factor this in. I’m glad it compensates for when I do more than it expected, but if I’m losing too quickly I might change the activity level to ‘active’ in that case to allow me to eat back more. Thanks everyone for being so helpful!

    If you have your FitBit synced then make sure also to enable negative calorie adjustments. This ensures on days when you are less active, it gives you less calories, sometimes even less than the original target if you don’t meet the expectation. That usually is pretty rare to finish the day in the negative, unless really ill or on a very long flight or car ride.

    Otherwise, you can adjust the setting to active and start with more calories if you want but the size of the adjustments will be smaller. All of this is basically a reconciliation of what FitBit says you actually burn in total , compared to what MFP thought you’d burn based on the stats and activity level.

    So basically pick one that seems representative of the majority of your days, enable negative adjustments, log your food as accurately as possible ideally using a food scale, eat back a portion of those FitBit calories (I’m another where they were accurate and I eat them all), monitor and adjust over time.

    You have little to lose so you should be aiming for about 0.5 lb/week


    Good luck
  • hollynatalie
    hollynatalie Posts: 6 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    hollynatalie wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    hollynatalie wrote: »
    Hello, I hope someone can help me as I’m very confused about eating back calories from exercise/ steps etc. I am 168cm, 65kg and want to lose 25lbs. I selected ‘lightly active’ as I walk to work occasionally, gym 3 times a week (half hour swim) and walk during my lunch break for about 20 mins. I work in an office so am otherwise sedentary. MFP suggests 1430 cals. I can see that if I select ‘not very active’, it recommends 1270 cals so clearly it is factoring in my exercise already when recommending 1430 calories. However, it then automatically tracks all my steps and adds whatever steps I do so that I can eat more calories per day (eg if I walk 10,000 steps It gives me another 100 calories). Plus I can then add in calories for going to the gym. Am I just consuming extra calories by doing this if my activity is already factored in by selecting lightly active, and it is then being added as well? Hope that makes sense, pleads can someone help me clear it up! Should I ignore the additional calories it allows me for my steps etc?

    You're getting additional calories because your actual activity level is higher than what you selected in MFP...10,000 steps is active, not lightly active.

    I don’t walk to work every day and assumed because I sit in an office for 8 hours a day it would be inaccurate to say ‘active’ based on the definitions I found online for the different activity levels, but I’ll definitely factor this in. I’m glad it compensates for when I do more than it expected, but if I’m losing too quickly I might change the activity level to ‘active’ in that case to allow me to eat back more. Thanks everyone for being so helpful!

    If you have your FitBit synced then make sure also to enable negative calorie adjustments. This ensures on days when you are less active, it gives you less calories, sometimes even less than the original target if you don’t meet the expectation. That usually is pretty rare to finish the day in the negative, unless really ill or on a very long flight or car ride.

    Otherwise, you can adjust the setting to active and start with more calories if you want but the size of the adjustments will be smaller. All of this is basically a reconciliation of what FitBit says you actually burn in total , compared to what MFP thought you’d burn based on the stats and activity level.

    So basically pick one that seems representative of the majority of your days, enable negative adjustments, log your food as accurately as possible ideally using a food scale, eat back a portion of those FitBit calories (I’m another where they were accurate and I eat them all), monitor and adjust over time.

    You have little to lose so you should be aiming for about 0.5 lb/week


    Good luck


    Thanks so much, again this is very insightful, I don’t have a Fitbit but might have to invest after everyone’s comments! I’ll keep my activity level to lightly active as well in this case and keep an eye on it :) thanks for the reassurance, in my head it feels like a huge goal but hopefully it’s not unachievable with all of your tips) :)
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