Confused over MFP exercise calculations

sweetnlow30
sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
edited November 8 in Fitness and Exercise
I have my activity set at sedentary because I have a severe back issues and I rest a lot. I log my exercise and it tells me to eat back those calories because they are not already accounted for in my calorie allotment. It makes sense and I try to eat back at least some of them.
My husband just started an account. He is a body builder and he set his profile as being very active. As a result, MFP tells him to eat more than a sedentary person because he burns more calories. This also makes sense EXCEPT it also tells him to eat back his exercise calories. I am confused because he is already told to eat more to cover his exercise, so why is it telling him to eat back the calories that are already calculated into his allotment. Why is it set up like this and should he follow what it is telling him? What am I missing here :frown:

Replies

  • mseper
    mseper Posts: 3 Member
    The settings should only be set without workouts in mind. The settings should be based on your activity level outside of exrecise. If your husband has a desk job he shoulld list his profile as sedentary and then his exercises will calculate properly.
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
    He is a fairly active guy. It is just strange how they ask how many times you work out and they factor that in for your calorie allotment, yet they tell you to eat back exercise calories. It is like eating the same exercise calories twice
  • AlaskaLily
    AlaskaLily Posts: 75
    I totally know what you mean! It is confusing.

    So let's say you get 1200 base calories for the day. You exercise 600 cals away, and then it says you have 1800 cals left for the day. You think to yourself, "oh wow, I have a lot to eat still" because MFP has added those calories burned from exercise on your total.

    Personally, I ignore that unless I have a really balls-out day. I stick with my 1200 allowed, but might add another 200 during the day if I worked my *kitten* off = 1400.

    Don't let it fool you, but go with what your body needs!
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    He is a fairly active guy. It is just strange how they ask how many times you work out and they factor that in for your calorie allotment, yet they tell you to eat back exercise calories. It is like eating the same exercise calories twice

    They *don't* factor in your "goal" for exercise. The only thing that is factored into your daily calories are those that are required based on what you set as your activity level, which is not set up to include exercise. Then when you exercise calories are added on because otherwise you are only fueling your body for its normal daily activities. The daily exercise goal is just your own personal goal to reach, not a deciding factor for calories, so you're not eating those calories twice. (There are some people who set their accounts up to factor in their daily exercise by entering a higher daily activity level and then don't eat their cals back, but that means you have to stick to that exercise every day or you would be eating too many calories to maintain your deficit on the days you don't work out. MFP just happens to be set up to lose weight without exercise since most of us don't exercise seven days a week, then gives you extra calories when you exercise to account for that extra energy expenditure.)
  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 962 Member
    To get a better picture, both of you should look at your BMR. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

    The number it gives you is telling you the minimum calories you need to support your body's daily existence if you did absolutely nothing all day but lie in bed, based on your statistics.



    Here's something I'm borrowing from DaveMXF that you may find helpful.

    1) Determine your resting metabolic rate. Take your body weight (210lbs) x 10 = 2,100
    2) Add calories for Daily activity (NOT including Exercise) = +20% (of above #) = 420
    3) Add calories for what is burned during Excercise = 600 ( I took a weekly average)
    4) Add them up, we receive: 3120
    5) Now determine the calorie deficit you desire (3500 calories is 1 lb). I I shoot for 1000 per day. I really pay attention to my energy level during exercise and I modify when needed...



    Both methods of figuring out calories bring me to 1700/day, and I add some but not all of my exercise calories (I think the calculators are too high for some of the things I do.)
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
    They do ask about exercise when setting your profile up. But it is not taken into account when seting your calorie goal. Your activity level is not based on exercise. So set the activity level based on how active he is and then also log exercise separately. Desk job=sedentary or lightly active. Warehouse worker=active.
  • junyr
    junyr Posts: 416 Member
    Your DH burns more calories at rest and doing daily activities than you do AND he exercises. He gets more calories in his BMR due to his lifestyle without working out,, THEN he gets exercise calories for working out.
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    your activity level isn't to reflect workouts, but your every day actions, workouts are separate, therefore you need to add calories to support the added activity.
  • picassoadagio
    picassoadagio Posts: 407 Member
    I think of it this way:

    They give you a calorie goal. That's what you should eat if you didn't exercise. Now, if you subtract your exercise calories from that, you wouldn't be getting enough to eat, therefore you have to eat them, BUT, I would just aim for eating over 1200 a day, so you don't go into starvation mode. It all really is about moderation.
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
    Ok, thanks. I figured it was something like that but I didn't want to have him eating more than he needs because I am doing the logging for him since I am more of a numbers person than he is :wink:
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