Women 200lb+, Let's Be Magnificent This March!!!

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Replies

  • speyerj
    speyerj Posts: 1,369 Member
    @ladychr0nic - there is certainly a debate over whether to eat back your exercise calories. This is my stance on it: after letting Fitbit track my calories for the last 18 months, I can say that it is pretty accurate at predicting my burn. I keep my weight up to date in Fitbit and it has a heart monitor, which improves accuracy a great deal. I don't ever add exercise to MFP, but let Fitbit adjust my calorie goals. And I do eat back my exercise calories. If I didn't have an accurate device, I'd be hesitant eating back 100% of MFP entered exercises. When I look at other people's entries on my feed and I can see that some of them are inflated. If you don't have a tracking device with a HR monitor, you might consider only eating back exercise calories that get your heartrate into the Cardio or Peak zone for 30 sustained minutes or more. I wouldn't add in dog walking, normal paced walking or weight lifting - there isn't that much of an increased calorie burn for those activities.

    You could also do an experiment and track your calorie intake and estimated calorie burn on a spreadsheet for 4 to 6 weeks and see how accurate your prediction is based on your average loss over time and then you will have better idea on how to adjust your calories for exercise.
  • holdthefries
    holdthefries Posts: 521 Member
    Age: 54
    Height: 5'9"
    Year Long Goal for 2021 to lose 50+ pounds

    Weigh Loss Progress: 13/50 pounds lost so far

    3/8 - 1 pound down
    3/15 - .3 pound down
    3/22 - .7 pound down
    3/29 - 1.6 pounds down
    3/31 - 1.4 pounds down

    Completing the month at 5 pounds down in the end. glad I counted those extra couple of days!
  • sarah12277
    sarah12277 Posts: 210 Member
    @ladychr0nic I do eat back most of my exercise calories. I have an Apple Watch that with the Pacer app updates MFP. I've found they've been accurate for me and between their estimated calories are real close to each other, along with the exercise machines, and don't double count. I don't log exercise directly to MFP, when I did I found it too high for me. I keep an eye on the Apple Health to see what it says for TDEE in case it starts showing me low. Certainly try out seeing if eating back some help. For me if I start binge eating I've been eating too low and need to eat it back, if not look to see about increasing calories in general.
  • speyerj
    speyerj Posts: 1,369 Member
    @misplacedmama - really helpful post! Good insights too. Especially the last line, "I only fail if I give up".

    Here's another helpful post that links to a google doc spreadsheet that can help you calculate your TDEE and track it over time to see if the prediction is close to accurate:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10287502/just-my-tdee-please#latest
  • misplacedmama
    misplacedmama Posts: 78 Member
    @speyerj Oh, that's an awesome resource! Thank you!
  • Spotteddingo
    Spotteddingo Posts: 95 Member
    @RavenStCloud
    Thank you for starting the April group!
  • changeforeverlj
    changeforeverlj Posts: 222 Member
    @speyerj Great March Jane! I think you should go for it! You've had a month of great discipline, so keep up the momentum! I have not been great with logging as accurately as I have been in the past. Would like to go back to being more disciplined and focused! I have about 12 pounds to go and I'm stretching it out too much now!
  • ladychr0nic
    ladychr0nic Posts: 127 Member
    Thanks for everyone's advice on eating back your exercise calories!!