Just verifying

LFGmaverick
LFGmaverick Posts: 1 Member
edited November 4 in Getting Started
Hello everyone I’m very new to this in Day #1….My suggested daily calories is 2330 as I am 49 yrs old, 5’9 male 277 lbs and trying to lose 77 lbs. I just worked out with 31 min treadmill and 21 min elliptical burning 700 calories but now my calorie intake for the day jumped to 3300… of course my base goal calorie intake is still listed but because I worked out does that mean I have to eat more calories to lose weight?? Just want to make sure I’m taking off correctly please help.

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,426 Member
    edited November 4
    If you use myfitnesspal in the way it is designed, technically yes, you would add some of those calories on.

    Here's the official explanation:
    https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals

    and a good explanation from a trainer
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1


    HOWEVER - at your weight exercise calories are really not too important for a 40 minute workout. PLUS, I think your calories might be set a little high in general. In addition, it's really doubtful you could burn that many calories on a treadmill or elliptical. Assuming you don't have an extremely physically demanding job/home life you could probably set your base calories at 2000 and be okay and not add in exercise calories FOR NOW...but not forever. Right now you have extra fuel onboard in the form of body fat, so exercise calories aren't too critical. Alternately, you could add in just a couple hundred "exercise calories" - which is more realistic. Where did you come up with 700 calories?

    Why don't you just leave it at 2300, not eat back all those exercise calories (maybe just 50% of that, or a third) and see how you do? That is your chosen setting, so give it more than one day. Obviously if you start crashing energy-wise, eat more, but I think it's probably more important for you to learn how to log food, do it consistently, and get some exercise consistently too.

    We all have to figure out our own calories level depending on our individual daily lives and habits. Not everyone logs food or exercise correctly nor accurately but you'll have to find your way with that by tracking in some sort of way for a month and then adjust based on results.

    I always ate all my exercise calories and logged my food. I lost 80 pounds in 2007-08 and I've kept it off, but I had to come up with my own calories - none of the online calculators got it right. I eat well above what any of the calculators tell me to eat. It's an experiment you'll have to run for yourself.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    edited November 4
    I’d be careful about trusting the calorie burn posted on the machine. Today a treadmill told me my walk burned 140 calories but my watch said 63! Just a thought. I only say that because 700 calories in under an hour sounds like a lot!

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