Actual Calories Burned according to Body Bugg......

AggieHoss
AggieHoss Posts: 30 Member
edited October 4 in Fitness and Exercise
So I have been wearing a BodyBugg for about 3 weeks now. On average, it says that I am burning 3950 calories per day over the course of the time I have been using it. Obviously some days are more and some are less depending on my work out and activity level.

My question is.....does that sound right? The devise has been pretty consistent day to day and I have enjoyed using it, but I am curious as to the accuracy.

My next question is......MFP has me eating around 2000 calories per day (prior to any excercise calories). I am on a 2lb per week program and thus far have exceeded that goal week to week. If my simple math is correct, that means I am on a 2000 calorie per day deficit....and although I am new to this, it is my understanding that this is not good.

My third question is.....what does MFP nation think I should do? A) Nothing...keep doing what I'm doing because I'm losing weight. B) Eat more and ignore what MFP says is my calorie goal? C) Get rid of the BodyBugg as it is it may not be accurate?

My fear is that if the BodyBugg is accurate, I will screw up my metabolism (which was already messed up given my previous diet) if I am truly on this kind of deficit. I get through the day fine and although it would be nice to eat another 800 calories or so...I dont need it. Although I think I understand why one should eat more...given I have another 80lbs or so to lose, it is hard for me to accept eating more to lose more.....

Let me know your thoughts.....

Confused in Dallas!

Replies

  • JamesonsMommy
    JamesonsMommy Posts: 771 Member
    You are going to get about 10 different answers on here. The only thing i can suggest is listen to you body.. If you think you need more food then EAT!!. It may be a good idea to talk to a nutritionist because now two people are the same :)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    that seems pretty high, but if you workout a lot it could be so. I would just make sure your settings are correct and you that it is set in lbs and not KG's. As if it is set at KG's and you entered your weight in lbs, the device would think you are 2.2 times the weight you actually are, which would lead to an over calculation of calories burned.
  • beckystephens
    beckystephens Posts: 117 Member
    If you are using the bodybugg site - why not use the linked myapex site? That way your calories needed are calc'd correctly?
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
    I have a Body Media Fit (same company). The calorie goals on MFP are determined by averages for your sex, height, weight, activity level, etc. That is the beauty of BB/BMF...it tells you the actual numbers for YOU. As a woman with about 35-40 lbs left to lose, my 24 hour burn averages about 2300. That said, the last 2 days my exercise AND my general daily activity have been extreme and my burns were 3274 and 3380. I think as a male with more than 60 lbs to lose, your burn numbers are accurate (these devices are proven +90% accurate).

    Here's what I've done: After I had about 3 months worth of data, I figured out the same thing that you did. I started using my past data to adjust my calorie goals on a DAILY basis. Personally, my goal needs to be no more than -1 lb per week (-3500 deficit) so my daily deficit needs to be around -500 per day. I use MFP to log my eating and upload my BMF data 4-5 times per day to see where I am at deficit wise. Since my intentional exercise is always early in the day and my after dinner activities are generally the same from day to day, right before dinner, I see where I am at, then estimate what my burn will be for the rest of the day based on averages from my past week for that time period (through midnight). That give me my total daily calorie burn in advance so that I can adjust my dinner calorie needs and after dinner eating to keep my deficit at around -500.

    The longer you have your Body Bugg, the easier it will be to make the adjustments. I go back the next morning and check to see how accurate my "guesstimates" were and where my deficit ended up and I am now generally within 50-60 calories of where I wanted to end up. The BB/BMF is an amazing tool!! After 4 months, I am just starting to use it to it's full potential :)
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
    It's quite possible that the Bodybugg is correct. That's all calories burned throughout the day including exercise. You say MFP gives you 2000 plus exercise. How much exercise do you average? It would need to be near 1000 to make them add up the same. But it also depends on how you are calculating your exercise calories. The Bodybugg website will show you a chart of how many calories you burn each minute. Take a look at the times you are exercising. Maybe your estimations on MFP for calories burnt during exercise are off a bit?

    I just got a Bodybugg myself about two weeks ago. I only average around 2100 to 2600 calories burnt per day. But I'm 5'5" and weigh around 165. I also have a sedentary job. So if you're larger (and presumably you are since you stated you want to lose about 80 pounds) you'll be burning a lot more calories. I have a friend who's 6'8 and just got down to 325. He can easily burn the number of calories you mentioned if he does a normal one hour or so workout during the day. (He also has a sedentary job.)

    Good luck on figuring out what works best for you in the long run.
  • AggieHoss
    AggieHoss Posts: 30 Member
    Thanks for all the replies. I also have a sedentary job. I sit in a cubicle for about 9 hours a day. Since I began this journey, I find myself much more active at work though. I'll stand to type, I walk to the farthest bathroom, I'll walk at lunch weather permitting, walk to the break room 8-10 times a day to fill my small cup.......dont laugh, but I will do push ups on the bathroom counter (when nobody is in there). I just find myself wanting to move more.

    According to the BodyBugg (BB here on out), I actually burn more than MFP says that I burn during workouts. I have a feeling that is because I am larger with more to lose...but I could be wrong. I'm 6 foot and weighed 303 at my last weigh in but according to other websites I am "big boned" or whaterver they call it. By my best guess, MFP is off by 20% or so on the low end.....assuming of course that the BB is accurate. However, when I log excercise on MFP, I use their suggestion knowing I am hedging.

    Unfortunately, I do not find the "myapex" website to be all that great. I greatly prefer MFP for logging everthing. I will keep working with it though and try to find a way to incorporate what it has to offer with MFP. Although I know it is not that important, I dont want to eat the extra 800 calories or so and then complete my day on MFP with an excess. I HATE seeing those red numbers in my total.

    I bring all this up also because every week since I have been on this journey, I have lost a little less weight. The first week I lost a bunch......and last week I lost just over 1lb. I dont want to hinder my weight loss by handicapping my metabolism. If I should be eating more, than I am ALL for that. I know there will be plateau's, but the more I can do to help avoid a prolonged one, the better.
  • AggieHoss
    AggieHoss Posts: 30 Member
    You are going to get about 10 different answers on here. The only thing i can suggest is listen to you body.. If you think you need more food then EAT!!. It may be a good idea to talk to a nutritionist because now two people are the same :)

    Being overweight my entire adult life, it is hard for me to acknowldege I need to eat more to loose weight. I am not hungry after 2000 calories per day and feel I can continue with that goal. However, I LOVE to eat and would easily incorporate another 800 healthy calories per day if it is what I should do for my metabolism.
  • AggieHoss
    AggieHoss Posts: 30 Member
    Here's what I've done: After I had about 3 months worth of data, I figured out the same thing that you did. I started using my past data to adjust my calorie goals on a DAILY basis. Personally, my goal needs to be no more than -1 lb per week (-3500 deficit) so my daily deficit needs to be around -500 per day. I use MFP to log my eating and upload my BMF data 4-5 times per day to see where I am at deficit wise. Since my intentional exercise is always early in the day and my after dinner activities are generally the same from day to day, right before dinner, I see where I am at, then estimate what my burn will be for the rest of the day based on averages from my past week for that time period (through midnight). That give me my total daily calorie burn in advance so that I can adjust my dinner calorie needs and after dinner eating to keep my deficit at around -500.

    If the Body Bugg is accurate....lets say it is only 90% accurate and i am actually burning 3600 calories per day....that still puts me at a deficit of 1600 calories per day on average or a 11,200 deficit per week, which I can not believe is healthy.

    Again, I typically do not feel hungry at all, I dont have headaches.....but if eating more of the right foods would potentially boost my metabolism.....I'm ok with that.

    I think I'll get another 3-4 weeks in with the BB before doing anything different. I plan on joining a gym once I get under 300lbs (kind of present to myself) and I'm sure they could discuss some of this with me...

    Thanks again.
  • aquasw16
    aquasw16 Posts: 342 Member
    You always lose a lot your first week, second week numbers arent that high (don't you watch biggest loser?? Hello!! :)) JK!) Anyway, I suggest just going with body bugg for now. Just see what happens. Sometimes, consuming too few calories, can actually hinder your weight loss (especially in the long run!)
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    If you'd rather use your BB numbers to keep your deficit regulated just use the custom goals settings here to set your calorie level wherever you'd prefer it be. Then you don't have to see those red numbers at the end of the day. I adjusted mine up after I got my BMF and it made using them concurrently a lot easier.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    I don't mean to be rude, but when there is still a significant amount to lose, one can hold a dramatic deficit without hindering weight loss. I would probably experiment a few weeks and find the deficit level that gives me a solid but healthy 2 lbs per week. Too much weight lost? Eat more. Too little? Eat less. It isn't a static set it and forget it process, you can make adjustments and see what works best for you!
  • lhague
    lhague Posts: 258
    If you're wearing a device that counts the calories that you are burning during the entire day you don't count that in your "exercise diary" When you sat up MFP it ask what you lifestyle is like (sedentary, etc.) MFP takes into account what a daily calorie burn is without exercise. Only count the calories you burn during exercise (walking, gym, etc.)

    The calories that MFP has dedicated to you daily intake, taking into account you goal/week, is what you should be in-taking to reach your goal. They do add on the calories that you burned during "exercise". If you don't exercise then you should still loose weight if you stick to their calorie intake.

    Before anyone jumps and says one should exercise, don't count the calories you burned during exercise, etc., please note I am only addressing the basics of how MFP is set up.
  • OpenHeaven
    OpenHeaven Posts: 275 Member
    If you're wearing a device that counts the calories that you are burning during the entire day you don't count that in your "exercise diary" When you sat up MFP it ask what you lifestyle is like (sedentary, etc.) MFP takes into account what a daily calorie burn is without exercise. Only count the calories you burn during exercise (walking, gym, etc.)

    The calories that MFP has dedicated to you daily intake, taking into account you goal/week, is what you should be in-taking to reach your goal. They do add on the calories that you burned during "exercise". If you don't exercise then you should still loose weight if you stick to their calorie intake.

    Before anyone jumps and says one should exercise, don't count the calories you burned during exercise, etc., please note I am only addressing the basics of how MFP is set up.


    ^^^^^EXACTLY!!! While I have been intrigued by the Body Bugg, you have to remember that it's logging EVERYTHING!!! If I wore it at work it would go nuts because I am running around all day at work!!!! You need to only take into account the things that you are doing NOW to be active. You have to play around with it to see what works best for you, but you should consider only logging the cals burned during workouts!! The other stuff is bonus!! If you are taking more trips to the break room, that's great, but I personally would not count that (unless your break room is located on the other side of a VERY large building and you are walking a long distance to it (where I grew up, IBM was like that - they even issue scooters to employees to ride in the hallways because it is SUCH a sprawled out building!!!!!)

    Hope that helps!!
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