Help for a newbie - Setting up goals in MFP

ihavethree
ihavethree Posts: 10 Member
edited November 8 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay i've been reading from the forums that we are to eat back our exercise calories which I get and have no problem with. The part I can't get my head around is the exercise part. In setting up my goals it asks me "How many times a week to plan on exercising?" and I put this in as 7 x week at 25min as I am doing the 30 day shred. Now my question...should I also be logging my workouts daily under the exercise tab? This makes no sense!!!! TIA

Replies

  • MommaFuhrer
    MommaFuhrer Posts: 214 Member
    Yes you should still log it under the exercise tab so that it will add the calories in for you for that day! Good luck! :happy:
  • Anabannana07
    Anabannana07 Posts: 27 Member
    I do. For everyday that I excersise I log it into that day. That way you can compare how many calories you burned for that day and your calorie intake.
  • mjok31
    mjok31 Posts: 84
    Yes, you are setting a goal to work out 7 days a week for 25 min......so each day that you do do that you would log it in under your daily excersie.
  • doornumber03
    doornumber03 Posts: 221 Member
    definitely log the exercises, it will change your net calories.....don't worry about the goal it puts in for you on how many time to exercise etc.... 7 days is a lot, i'd take at least 1 day off.
  • Sackit
    Sackit Posts: 45 Member
    Yes log them. You set up your goals only, then you need to log that you accomplished them. :drinker: That is when you earn your extra calories. Your base calories are set on what you daily activity level is with out added excercise.
  • Mrsairforce
    Mrsairforce Posts: 130
    Definitely add exercises into your log. It will guide you on how many extra calories you can eat. Granted, you don't HAVE to eat them back but I found that I wasn't losing any weight (Like a 2 WEEK stall) until I started eating them back. :) Good luck to you!
  • kasicrawford
    kasicrawford Posts: 33
    I just asked the same question - not on forum but to my friends on here.... Very confused... Took my projected exercise out and it gave me 30 calories than what I had before...
  • megaron01
    megaron01 Posts: 37 Member
    When you set up your goals, it's what you expect to do, not what you have done. Therefore you should log in whatever exercises you do everyday so that you get your allotted exercise calories. I'm sure I just made this more confusing.
  • kayleen_longworth
    kayleen_longworth Posts: 147 Member
    Yes log your workouts under the exercise tab, so MFP knows to recalulate your calories. When you add calories burned (from exercise), it automatically should recalculate your daily calorie goals. Just a note, MFP calulates quite high for most exercises, so if you get a calorie burned number from a fitness machine or wii, go with that number instead of what MFP tells you, unless you really don't know otherwise.

    As far as the goals for the week, it will tell you what your total minutes for the day and week are as you enter more exercises. You might work more one day then the next, but it gives you something to shoot for total for the week.
  • Get_My_Mojo_Back
    Get_My_Mojo_Back Posts: 11
    Jillian Michael's 30Day Shred is excellent workout...I did it last summer before my anniversary and was very pleased with results. You should log everything, it is easier to track progress and keeps you on track if you KNOW you have to document it
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    Yes, log your exercise. The "exercise goal" you set on your profile (my home > settings > update diet and fitness profile) doesn't affect your daily calorie goal. You don't "get credit" for the exercise until you actually do it.
  • ihavethree
    ihavethree Posts: 10 Member
    You guys are AMAZING! I ask a question and within minutes I have my answer. Thank you so much :)
    No longer confused here!!!!
  • QueenJayJay
    QueenJayJay Posts: 1,079 Member
    Yes, still log it.

    It just asks you that because it's good to put your goals in writing.

    Also, I wouldn't set a goal of 7 days a week. You need one rest day.
  • mwilbur27
    mwilbur27 Posts: 46
    I know it may sound backwards but i would enter your weightloss goals as low as possible. It gives you more calories and is easier to stick to and you still lose the weight when you put in the effort. After doing a ton of research between calorie counting websites I realized the my intake on MFP was set way too low. It was giving me a yo yo effect of sorts. I think WebMD was the easiest one to explain and give me a ball park figure but I upped my calories more than I ever thought I would and have been losing weight more steadily now. High protein helped a lot.
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