Eating Back Earned Calories

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Replies

  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    I really don’t think exercise calories are created equally!...if I swim or tread water for 30 minutes and someone else same age,sex,height etc swims laps for 30 minutes I think that person would burn more calories than I do!...the same with water jogging....I jog in the pool for 30 minutes but another person putting a little more effort or speed than I do would burn more calories....this is why I do not eat most of my exercise calories back....I do drink Zero Gatorade while I swim and I eat a protein bar after a swim or Greek yogurt....I hate to think after almost two years that I should have been eating more....if I had eaten more I don’t think I would have lost 100+ pounds....although I did no exercise the first year!...help!.....

    I started at 350 lbs and now weigh 246.... I am 69 and I am 5’8” and large framed...I have my calorie goal set to lose 1 1/2 lbs a week...does this all sound right?

    If you’ve lost 100 pounds in a year and you are healthy and happy with the way things are going, teach me!
    Sounds like you’re definitely doing something right.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,961 Member
    I really don’t think exercise calories are created equally!...if I swim or tread water for 30 minutes and someone else same age,sex,height etc swims laps for 30 minutes I think that person would burn more calories than I do!...the same with water jogging....I jog in the pool for 30 minutes but another person putting a little more effort or speed than I do would burn more calories....this is why I do not eat most of my exercise calories back....I do drink Zero Gatorade while I swim and I eat a protein bar after a swim or Greek yogurt....I hate to think after almost two years that I should have been eating more....if I had eaten more I don’t think I would have lost 100+ pounds....although I did no exercise the first year!...help!.....

    I started at 350 lbs and now weigh 246.... I am 69 and I am 5’8” and large framed...I have my calorie goal set to lose 1 1/2 lbs a week...does this all sound right?

    If you’ve lost 100 pounds in a year "a
    and you are healthy and happy with the way things are going, teach me!
    Sounds like you’re definitely doing something right.

    "almost two years" per the post you quoted
  • jlperrotta1345
    jlperrotta1345 Posts: 3 Member
    I've recently switched over to MFP after losing 30 lbs on Noom. As a comparison, Noom added back half of the exercise calories I earned to my daily budget. Im not suggesting you do that. Im too new to all of this to give you advice. Simply sharing information. Im still trying to sort out if MFP is counting my exercise calories accurately from my Apple Watch. Seems like I need to log my runs separately....
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I've recently switched over to MFP after losing 30 lbs on Noom. As a comparison, Noom added back half of the exercise calories I earned to my daily budget. Im not suggesting you do that. Im too new to all of this to give you advice. Simply sharing information. Im still trying to sort out if MFP is counting my exercise calories accurately from my Apple Watch. Seems like I need to log my runs separately....

    It is not - search posts for Apple issues.
  • goldyray1
    goldyray1 Posts: 64 Member
    I think my Garmin just calculates everything. I don't log in any exercises I do. I think that is what got me so confused before.
  • goldyray1
    goldyray1 Posts: 64 Member
    heybales wrote: »
    goldyray1 wrote: »
    I think my Garmin just calculates everything. I don't log in any exercises I do. I think that is what got me so confused before.

    As long as your realize a calculation is an estimate and not a measurement.

    Your Garmin when linked is informing MFP of your true activity level, daily extra and exercise all together, with a full day calorie burn figure.

    MFP had estimated a daily burn (and from that an eating goal) based only on your activity level you guessed from 4 possibles that accounted for no exercise at all.

    If you had given MFP an exact matching activity level from the start - there would be no adjustment at all, your eating level would be different - and you'd likely have no question as to what is going on - you'd just eat to goal.

    Both are trying to teach a life lesson regarding weight management.
    You do more you can eat more.
    You do less you sure better eat less.

    In a diet a tad less in either case.

    It's the "tad less" part that is messing you up like many do, because all they've seen are articles and hear about people doing extreme diets to lose it fast.
    Never hearing the rest of the story - doing it again the next year because they actually failed, like 80% fail.

    Don't be a bad stat - listen to the advice given.


    I was looking around the app for my Garmin and came across this explanation: This example is for today.Adjust for Activity
    Your overall calorie goal is adjusted based on the active calories you’ve burned. This gives you an “adjusted goal” that accounts for the credit you receive for these extra burned calories.

    1,200 Calorie Goal + 996 Active Calories Burned = 2,196 Adjusted Goal.

    The Calorie Countdown
    Once you have determined a MyFitnessPal calorie goal, we’ll help you track how many daily calories you are above or below your goal based on today’s food intake. The formula is adjusted goal - calories consumed = calories remaining.

    2,196 Adjusted Goal – 913 Calories Consumed = 1,283 Calories Remaining.

    I don't put down any exercises. I just go by my calories and do as much exercise as I can. Like I have said before, while at work between my morning break and afternoon breaks, I can put in a mile of walking. Of course when I get home, I work in the garden, run errands, housework etc.

    The way Garmin is calculating, does it make any sense?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,967 Member
    goldyray1 wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    goldyray1 wrote: »
    I think my Garmin just calculates everything. I don't log in any exercises I do. I think that is what got me so confused before.

    As long as your realize a calculation is an estimate and not a measurement.

    Your Garmin when linked is informing MFP of your true activity level, daily extra and exercise all together, with a full day calorie burn figure.

    MFP had estimated a daily burn (and from that an eating goal) based only on your activity level you guessed from 4 possibles that accounted for no exercise at all.

    If you had given MFP an exact matching activity level from the start - there would be no adjustment at all, your eating level would be different - and you'd likely have no question as to what is going on - you'd just eat to goal.

    Both are trying to teach a life lesson regarding weight management.
    You do more you can eat more.
    You do less you sure better eat less.

    In a diet a tad less in either case.

    It's the "tad less" part that is messing you up like many do, because all they've seen are articles and hear about people doing extreme diets to lose it fast.
    Never hearing the rest of the story - doing it again the next year because they actually failed, like 80% fail.

    Don't be a bad stat - listen to the advice given.


    I was looking around the app for my Garmin and came across this explanation: This example is for today.Adjust for Activity
    Your overall calorie goal is adjusted based on the active calories you’ve burned. This gives you an “adjusted goal” that accounts for the credit you receive for these extra burned calories.

    1,200 Calorie Goal + 996 Active Calories Burned = 2,196 Adjusted Goal.

    The Calorie Countdown
    Once you have determined a MyFitnessPal calorie goal, we’ll help you track how many daily calories you are above or below your goal based on today’s food intake. The formula is adjusted goal - calories consumed = calories remaining.

    2,196 Adjusted Goal – 913 Calories Consumed = 1,283 Calories Remaining.

    I don't put down any exercises. I just go by my calories and do as much exercise as I can. Like I have said before, while at work between my morning break and afternoon breaks, I can put in a mile of walking. Of course when I get home, I work in the garden, run errands, housework etc.

    The way Garmin is calculating, does it make any sense?

    The way it's calculating makes sense.

    It still is just an estimate, but it's close to correct for most people (will be correct for average people).

    However, you need to have set up your Garmin so it knows your personal details, like age, body weight, etc. Have you set those settings in your Garmin?
  • goldyray1
    goldyray1 Posts: 64 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    goldyray1 wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    goldyray1 wrote: »
    I think my Garmin just calculates everything. I don't log in any exercises I do. I think that is what got me so confused before.

    As long as your realize a calculation is an estimate and not a measurement.

    Your Garmin when linked is informing MFP of your true activity level, daily extra and exercise all together, with a full day calorie burn figure.

    MFP had estimated a daily burn (and from that an eating goal) based only on your activity level you guessed from 4 possibles that accounted for no exercise at all.

    If you had given MFP an exact matching activity level from the start - there would be no adjustment at all, your eating level would be different - and you'd likely have no question as to what is going on - you'd just eat to goal.

    Both are trying to teach a life lesson regarding weight management.
    You do more you can eat more.
    You do less you sure better eat less.

    In a diet a tad less in either case.

    It's the "tad less" part that is messing you up like many do, because all they've seen are articles and hear about people doing extreme diets to lose it fast.
    Never hearing the rest of the story - doing it again the next year because they actually failed, like 80% fail.

    Don't be a bad stat - listen to the advice given.


    I was looking around the app for my Garmin and came across this explanation: This example is for today.Adjust for Activity
    Your overall calorie goal is adjusted based on the active calories you’ve burned. This gives you an “adjusted goal” that accounts for the credit you receive for these extra burned calories.

    1,200 Calorie Goal + 996 Active Calories Burned = 2,196 Adjusted Goal.

    The Calorie Countdown
    Once you have determined a MyFitnessPal calorie goal, we’ll help you track how many daily calories you are above or below your goal based on today’s food intake. The formula is adjusted goal - calories consumed = calories remaining.

    2,196 Adjusted Goal – 913 Calories Consumed = 1,283 Calories Remaining.

    I don't put down any exercises. I just go by my calories and do as much exercise as I can. Like I have said before, while at work between my morning break and afternoon breaks, I can put in a mile of walking. Of course when I get home, I work in the garden, run errands, housework etc.

    The way Garmin is calculating, does it make any sense?

    The way it's calculating makes sense.

    It still is just an estimate, but it's close to correct for most people (will be correct for average people).

    However, you need to have set up your Garmin so it knows your personal details, like age, body weight, etc. Have you set those settings in your Garmin?

    Yes I have. I told it that I was sedentary. Would that describe me? I hardly do any exercise at all. Or at least nothing regular. Hoping I can change that.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,967 Member
    goldyray1 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    goldyray1 wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    goldyray1 wrote: »
    I think my Garmin just calculates everything. I don't log in any exercises I do. I think that is what got me so confused before.

    As long as your realize a calculation is an estimate and not a measurement.

    Your Garmin when linked is informing MFP of your true activity level, daily extra and exercise all together, with a full day calorie burn figure.

    MFP had estimated a daily burn (and from that an eating goal) based only on your activity level you guessed from 4 possibles that accounted for no exercise at all.

    If you had given MFP an exact matching activity level from the start - there would be no adjustment at all, your eating level would be different - and you'd likely have no question as to what is going on - you'd just eat to goal.

    Both are trying to teach a life lesson regarding weight management.
    You do more you can eat more.
    You do less you sure better eat less.

    In a diet a tad less in either case.

    It's the "tad less" part that is messing you up like many do, because all they've seen are articles and hear about people doing extreme diets to lose it fast.
    Never hearing the rest of the story - doing it again the next year because they actually failed, like 80% fail.

    Don't be a bad stat - listen to the advice given.


    I was looking around the app for my Garmin and came across this explanation: This example is for today.Adjust for Activity
    Your overall calorie goal is adjusted based on the active calories you’ve burned. This gives you an “adjusted goal” that accounts for the credit you receive for these extra burned calories.

    1,200 Calorie Goal + 996 Active Calories Burned = 2,196 Adjusted Goal.

    The Calorie Countdown
    Once you have determined a MyFitnessPal calorie goal, we’ll help you track how many daily calories you are above or below your goal based on today’s food intake. The formula is adjusted goal - calories consumed = calories remaining.

    2,196 Adjusted Goal – 913 Calories Consumed = 1,283 Calories Remaining.

    I don't put down any exercises. I just go by my calories and do as much exercise as I can. Like I have said before, while at work between my morning break and afternoon breaks, I can put in a mile of walking. Of course when I get home, I work in the garden, run errands, housework etc.

    The way Garmin is calculating, does it make any sense?

    The way it's calculating makes sense.

    It still is just an estimate, but it's close to correct for most people (will be correct for average people).

    However, you need to have set up your Garmin so it knows your personal details, like age, body weight, etc. Have you set those settings in your Garmin?

    Yes I have. I told it that I was sedentary. Would that describe me? I hardly do any exercise at all. Or at least nothing regular. Hoping I can change that.

    Garmin? Not MFP?

    Garmin has an "activity class", but not an activity setting of "sedentary", as far as I know. I'm talking about Garmin. I have a different Garmin model than you do, so I can't tell you exactly how to look at the "User Settings" or "User Profile". But there should be a place, via your Garmin watch, or via the Garmin Connect app, to tell Garmin your birth date, height, weight, and gender. That's what I'm asking about, the settings in your Garmin. Are those setting accurate in your Garmin, either via your wrist-based device, or via the Garmin Connect app?

    Those settings help Garmin do a better job of estimating the calories you burn during the day. If those settings are incorrect, the data Garmin sends to MFP is likely to be less accurate, which will make your calorie adjustment less accurate.

    (Activity class is a setting in the Garmin user profile settings, at least for some of their devices. It's a numeric value, and does relate to how many times per week you exercise, but since the values for it are numbers, "sedentary" is not a possible setting . . . at least not on the Garmin device I use.)
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,129 Member
    Garmin talks to MFP.

    If you update your weight on MFP, your Garmin device updates. Well, at least mine does.

    If I use my Garmin for an "Activity" (walk, run, paddle, hike, whatever), it still calculates calories burned, but I think it does that only "over and above" steps counted as activity.

    If my Garmin device has already synced with MFP, the calories remaining reflects what Garmin told MFP. Then if I add an exercise in MFP (like a short bike ride because I often don't tel Garmin I'm just going to bike especially if I have many small commuter trips during the day), the calories from Garmin steps gets reduced by the same number of calories that the activity I entered in MFP burned if there were also steps counted during that same time period.

    If that makes sense.

    They sort of double-check each other. Mine seems fairly accurate for most activities.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,967 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    Garmin talks to MFP.

    If you update your weight on MFP, your Garmin device updates. Well, at least mine does.

    If I use my Garmin for an "Activity" (walk, run, paddle, hike, whatever), it still calculates calories burned, but I think it does that only "over and above" steps counted as activity.

    If my Garmin device has already synced with MFP, the calories remaining reflects what Garmin told MFP. Then if I add an exercise in MFP (like a short bike ride because I often don't tel Garmin I'm just going to bike especially if I have many small commuter trips during the day), the calories from Garmin steps gets reduced by the same number of calories that the activity I entered in MFP burned if there were also steps counted during that same time period.

    If that makes sense.

    They sort of double-check each other. Mine seems fairly accurate for most activities.

    @mtaratoot, thanks for the bolded. Since I don't synch my Garmin, I didn't realize it would synch weight from MFP to Garmin.

    In OP's case, I'd still encourage her to check that settings are correct on Garmin's side. The calorie adjustments she's reporting are fairly large for the activity scenarios she's described, for a woman our age. I'm not saying that adjustment is definitely wrong - have no way to know - but it's unusual enough that I think it's a good plan to check what data Garmin has about her, that it's basing its estimates on.