Calorie deficit and activity level setting question
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gunderw59
Posts: 45 Member
Hello all, here is how I am currently using these figures in my daily routine, I welcome your thoughts on the subject, thanks
1. Calorie deficit - I have my settings to lose 1 lb. per week. My thinking is that using this info MFP will adjust my calorie requirements to meet this goal, therefore placing me in a calorie deficit in comparison to maintaining my current weight. So I am eating all allotted calories while measuring and weighing everything I take in.
2. Activity level setting - I have mine on sedentary even though I exercise 5 days a week at the gym on a regular basis. I also eat back my exercise calories. My understanding is that my activity other than workout sessions dictate true activity level. My job is 50% desk work and 50% driving with very little walking and nothing physically strenuous. I have been using the app for a good while and am currently using this approach. Thanks for reading
1. Calorie deficit - I have my settings to lose 1 lb. per week. My thinking is that using this info MFP will adjust my calorie requirements to meet this goal, therefore placing me in a calorie deficit in comparison to maintaining my current weight. So I am eating all allotted calories while measuring and weighing everything I take in.
2. Activity level setting - I have mine on sedentary even though I exercise 5 days a week at the gym on a regular basis. I also eat back my exercise calories. My understanding is that my activity other than workout sessions dictate true activity level. My job is 50% desk work and 50% driving with very little walking and nothing physically strenuous. I have been using the app for a good while and am currently using this approach. Thanks for reading
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Replies
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Sounds good.
Two questions though. Is one pound per week okay for you? How much weight do you want to lose? And the other question is, how do you calculate your exercise calories?1 -
Agree with the above...
Few questions...
How many pounds do you have left to lose?
Do you use a scale to measure your food?
How do you calculate your exercise cals?1 -
L1zardQueen wrote: »Sounds good.
Two questions though. Is one pound per week okay for you? How much weight do you want to lose? And the other question is, how do you calculate your exercise calories?
Thanks for responding, I think one pound is the max per week for me, I'm going for slow and steady. I started in May 2019 at weight of 285 and as of this morning 228.2, it came off pretty easy at first just due to being inactive for a long time. My goal as of right now is 180 with no time constraint just steady progress.
I calculate my calories a little less than mfp. I go to google and find what I hope is a more accurate calorie burn estimate. Example : I stared out at walking moderate pace then up to fast pace, slow jogging and am currently at moderate jog level, so I was able to slowly increase my calories as I advanced.
This morning I incorporated elliptical machine in my workout so I googled that particular item and researched that machines calorie calculator at moderate pace, since I'm just getting used to it.
I used this approach on my bodyweight stuff and lifting exercises as well.3 -
L1zardQueen wrote: »Sounds good.
Two questions though. Is one pound per week okay for you? How much weight do you want to lose? And the other question is, how do you calculate your exercise calories?
Thanks for responding, I think one pound is the max per week for me, I'm going for slow and steady. I started in May 2019 at weight of 285 and as of this morning 228.2, it came off pretty easy at first just due to being inactive for a long time. My goal as of right now is 180 with no time constraint just steady progress.
I calculate my calories a little less than mfp. I go to google and find what I hope is a more accurate calorie burn estimate. Example : I stared out at walking moderate pace then up to fast pace, slow jogging and am currently at moderate jog level, so I was able to slowly increase my calories as I advanced.
This morning I incorporated elliptical machine in my workout so I googled that particular item and researched that machines calorie calculator at moderate pace, since I'm just getting used to it.
I used this approach on my bodyweight stuff and lifting exercises as well.
Seems like you have it well under control! Fabulous work so far!2 -
Great job so far! As long as your weight is decreasing as expected, then you’re good to go.
As you get closer to your goal weight you may think about changing it to a half pound per week which will make it a nice soft bounce into your maintenance calorie intake.4 -
KickassAmazon76 wrote: »Agree with the above...
Few questions...
How many pounds do you have left to lose?
Do you use a scale to measure your food?
How do you calculate your exercise cals?
Yes ma'am I use a food scale, not when I started out though, I about fell over first time I weighed peanut butter
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Sounds like you have everything well thought through.
As it is a new exercise, monitor your estimated elliptical burn and adjust as needed.
Just want to check, as you have lost quite a bit of weight already, that you have been adjusting your calorie goal as your weight decreases.
Cheers, h.2 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Sounds like you have everything well thought through.
As it is a new exercise, monitor your estimated elliptical burn and adjust as needed.
Just want to check, as you have lost quite a bit of weight already, that you have been adjusting your calorie goal as your weight decreases.
Cheers, h.
I second this. If your calorie goal is still the same as when you started losing weight, you should go through your settings again (switch them and then switch them back) to update your calorie goal to your lower weight.
My calorie goal dropped 140 calories in one go when I realized the issue, having lost quite a bit of weight already. But now I update my settings regularly to have an updated calorie goal and it decreases in 10 calorie increments.1 -
As long as you're losing as expected, then you're doing everything right. I'm all for eating exercise calories back, but I feel that my fitbit drastically overestimates. I'm already at "lightly active" and depending on how I got the steps that day, I sometimes get over a 400 calorie positive adjustment just for getting my 10,000 steps in. I've found that eating back around 100-150 calories works okay for me. If you're losing 1 pound per week as expected with eating back all of yours, then it sounds like your estimates are pretty accurate.
It is also important that you make sure your calorie goal is changing with your weight, like the other posters suggested. I'm also at 1 pound per week and used to get over 1700 calories daily. Now I'm at 1500 something based on my current weight.1 -
Thanks guys!! I will definitely make sure my weight numbers are updated. I have been in a funk with weight fluctuation lately. My 30 day graph looks like the rolling hills I do weigh each morning and update my weight in check in option. 0
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You are not alone. I guarantee you that weight loss does not go down in a straight neat line.0
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