Math question about earning extra calories by exercise

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  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
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    ok....be smart about this! you DO need to adjust off your resting calories to get an accurate burn...that was explained to me along time ago! so if you burn 1 cal per minute sitting at your computer that don't re count it with your exercise calories...

    adjust it and then you'll get accuracy...


    edit for spelling....
  • traceracer
    traceracer Posts: 303 Member
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    Honestly, I never used to count calories at all the first time I lost weight and the weight came off like crazy!! 2,3, sometimes 5 ponds a week!!! I was exersizing eveyday and eating healthy any time I felt like it!! I based my label readings on no more than 3g of fat per 100 calories. Now that Im back on the band wagon and following my calorie in/outs, I am struggling to loose a pound a week!! Starting to think that mabe I should go back to my original plan......
  • traceracer
    traceracer Posts: 303 Member
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    Honestly, I never used to count calories at all the first time I lost weight and the weight came off like crazy!! 2,3, sometimes 5 ponds a week!!! I was exersizing eveyday and eating healthy any time I felt like it!! I based my label readings on no more than 3g of fat per 100 calories. Now that Im back on the band wagon and following my calorie in/outs, I am struggling to loose a pound a week!! Starting to think that mabe I should go back to my original plan......
    I should have said anytime I have lost weight in the past....not just the first time!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    ...
    I probably shouldn't have posted the thread, as I certainly didn't mean to stir up trouble. I was just interested in elaborating on the math behind weight loss and understanding the formula used by the site--perils of being a nerd, I suppose.

    Don't say that, it's much more fun to throw around numbers than plain old "what is the point of exercising if I'm just going to eat them back". I love the numbers side of it, to me it makes it a bit of a game to try to get the calories balancing at the end of the day. I'm up to 325 consecutive days and I think I've only come out at 0 cals remaining once or twice - numbers make it fun!
  • kittenjazz
    kittenjazz Posts: 5 Member
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    Ya, tracking your own data is ideal. For each week, you can calculate pounds lost, calories consumed, calories burned and use this to determine how much the actual pounds lost compares to the theoretical (based off net calorie deficit), then adjust as necessary
  • kittenjazz
    kittenjazz Posts: 5 Member
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    But aren't those mathematical as well. Something at the cellular level, most likely slowed down metabolic rate results in plateaus. Still mathematical. It is just a dynamic mathematical model is all.
  • jovz10
    jovz10 Posts: 531 Member
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    The bottom line is: if it is working, keep doing it! If you aren't losing weight, change up your method!

    totally agree!
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
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    Yes - I totally agree with you - I wear a Bodymedia Fit - so know that I burn around 80 calories when I just sit on the couch....so any calorie burns I get from true exercise (not housework etc) is "overstated" by that 80 calories....

    Initially I actually deducted 80 calories and hour before I logged my exercise - now I just log the full burn - but only eat back around 80% of my exercise calories
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
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    so if I'm 147lbs and i exercise daily so use the 15 I should be eating 2,205!!! so this is to maintain that weight? .. and 1,705 to lose 1lb a week, and 1,205 to lose 2lb a week?

    but I want to lose another 18lbs and be 129lbs, someone said a theory to eat the amount of calories that matches the weight you want to be or something?

    so 129 x 15 = 1,935 to maintain that weight? MFP has me at 1200?? which I was following.. however I found when I got my monthly cravings and was eating more that week.. once the water came off I'd find I had lost another 3-4lbs besides the water coming back off and get my biggest loss that week.. the other weeks at 1200 sometimes nothing.. if lucky 1-2lb.. usually 1!
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    This is why I invested in a Body Media armband. It tells me exactly what I've burned ALL DAY, then I put in my consumed calories, and it calculates my deficit. My numbers have been very different from what MFP was telling me since I got it, and I'm losing more consistently with it than I did without it.

    I understand why people are confused about eating back their exercise calories because I didn't understand it at first either. I do now, but I also agree that MFP's calorie burn estimates can be way off, simply because it doesn't take into account how hard you were working, your body weight at the time, and many other factors. That's why a HRM or an armband to track your burn is so much more accurate.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
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    so if I'm 147lbs and i exercise daily so use the 15 I should be eating 2,205!!! so this is to maintain that weight? .. and 1,705 to lose 1lb a week, and 1,205 to lose 2lb a week?

    Usually women should use a lower multiplier than men, so deduct 150cal from each of those. (ie use the 14 multiplier).

    So you would have around 2050 to maintain, 1550 to lose 1lb/week, and 1050 to lose 2.
    but I want to lose another 18lbs and be 129lbs, someone said a theory to eat the amount of calories that matches the weight you want to be or something?

    They're using 10*target bodyweight. So 1290 cal, which fits well with the numbers above.

    so 129 x 15 = 1,935 to maintain that weight? MFP has me at 1200?? which I was following.. however I found when I got my monthly cravings and was eating more that week.. once the water came off I'd find I had lost another 3-4lbs besides the water coming back off and get my biggest loss that week.. the other weeks at 1200 sometimes nothing.. if lucky 1-2lb.. usually 1!

    MFP Does not factor in exercise. Adding your weekly activity to MFP's numbers should put you at right around 14.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    OP, assuming your estimate of calories burned during exercise is accurate, you are right in that you should back out the cals burned that you would have burned had you not worked out. So if your maintenance cals are 2400 that would be 100 cals/hour or 1.67 cals/minute.
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
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    Don't be confused; just experiment with the numbers, track your weight and find that calorie base line that is your break even daily intake to maintain weight.

    For me it's 2700.

    So, that's what I can eat and gain no weight.
    And if I do 60 minutes of jogging @ 700 calories, then I can eat those extra 700 calories.

    Check out my food diary - I'm doing just that, and I've lost over 60 lbs.
    These starvation diets I see around here - COUNT ME OUT!
  • fireman300
    fireman300 Posts: 38 Member
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    I look at it this way......eat them all back, dont eat any back, eat some back, deduct body calories from workout calories......to each their own...if it is working for you then keep doing what your doing. If it is not working then make an adjustment one way or the other. MFP is a tool, a guideline to help us on our journey to a healthier us. It is not a Law, or a bible to be followed exactly. So like I said, if it is working for you then stick with it and enjoy your results!!
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
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    so if I'm 147lbs and i exercise daily so use the 15 I should be eating 2,205!!! so this is to maintain that weight? .. and 1,705 to lose 1lb a week, and 1,205 to lose 2lb a week?

    Usually women should use a lower multiplier than men, so deduct 150cal from each of those. (ie use the 14 multiplier).

    So you would have around 2050 to maintain, 1550 to lose 1lb/week, and 1050 to lose 2.
    but I want to lose another 18lbs and be 129lbs, someone said a theory to eat the amount of calories that matches the weight you want to be or something?

    They're using 10*target bodyweight. So 1290 cal, which fits well with the numbers above.

    so 129 x 15 = 1,935 to maintain that weight? MFP has me at 1200?? which I was following.. however I found when I got my monthly cravings and was eating more that week.. once the water came off I'd find I had lost another 3-4lbs besides the water coming back off and get my biggest loss that week.. the other weeks at 1200 sometimes nothing.. if lucky 1-2lb.. usually 1!

    MFP Does not factor in exercise. Adding your weekly activity to MFP's numbers should put you at right around 14.


    Thank you! :happy:
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    OP, assuming your estimate of calories burned during exercise is accurate, you are right in that you should back out the cals burned that you would have burned had you not worked out. So if your maintenance cals are 2400 that would be 100 cals/hour or 1.67 cals/minute.
    Wouldn't you use BMR instead of maintenance calories for this calculation? Maintenance includes your regular "walking around doing stuff" calorie expenditure, but when you're exercising, you aren't doing other stuff at the same time. You are just doing your regular bodily functions + exercise.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    OP, assuming your estimate of calories burned during exercise is accurate, you are right in that you should back out the cals burned that you would have burned had you not worked out. So if your maintenance cals are 2400 that would be 100 cals/hour or 1.67 cals/minute.
    Wouldn't you use BMR instead of maintenance calories for this calculation? Maintenance includes your regular "walking around doing stuff" calorie expenditure, but when you're exercising, you aren't doing other stuff at the same time. You are just doing your regular bodily functions + exercise.

    Your above question answered itself in a round about way. If you didn't workout for the hour would you be in a coma? or sitting or walking or eating? If you would be doing anything other than sleeping the proper figure to use is maintenance calories not BMR.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    Yes, you deduct the 100 calories from the extra calories burned through exercise, basically the true calories burned would be 300.
  • dendra7
    dendra7 Posts: 113 Member
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    Really the logging is about being accountable to yourself- not specific numbers. You'll never get it precisely right and I can get way too obsessive about it. Log what you eat, monitor your results and adjust as needed. Every body is different and will not respond in exactly the same way. Besides, it's a lifestyle...if we make it too painful or you won't stick to it. And that's really the point...to STICK TO IT and listen to YOUR body.
  • steffy1724
    steffy1724 Posts: 24 Member
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    Just exercise daily, eat smaller portions, drink tons of water and be POSITIVE! Your on a journey to weighloss. Sure there are alot of mathematical errors in counting calories, this is just a guide. :D

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