Does Lightly Active already account for my exercise calories

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chix99
chix99 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
In the goals section of MFP, if I switch between sedentary and lightly active, MFP adds 120 calores to my daily quota! (I exercise 3 times a week, which I think qualifies as lightly active). And then if I enter in exercise, it gives me even more calories to eat in a day. Won't this result in doubling the amount of calories to account for exercise?

To be specific, I was 118, trying to get to 115. I work a desk job half the day and chase my 3 kids the other half. I also exercise 3 times a week. If I put in sedentary, I am allowed 1240 calories a day. If I enter lightly active, I get 1360 a day. But if I exercise, it adds 200-300 on top of that number! Seems that it is already accounting for exercise when I change to lightly active, right?

I am within 3 pounds of my goal, but in the last week, despite staying on target, have gained 2 pounds! :( Don't understand what is going on!

Can anyone help here???? Thanks!

Replies

  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    MFP does not factor in exercise into the calculation for expenditure. It assumes you are going to track and then eat back your exercise calories and it spits out a recommended intake based on this assumption.
  • cec813
    cec813 Posts: 5 Member
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    sedentary and lightly active are based on your normal life activities. if you sit a desk at work i would call it sedintary, if you work as a resturant server running around carrying heavy stuff that would be active. The exercise is tracked seperately. You want to add your workouts in the exercise section.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    If you want to include exercise I would use active, or very active if you exercise a lot. And for logging exercise either don't log it or change the cals burned to 0 if you don't want additional cals added on.
  • chix99
    chix99 Posts: 5
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    Thanks for the advice!
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    Personally, I set my lifestyle to sedentary so I can log exercise and earn extra calories with it. I find it encourages me to exercise. It's that extra little incentive to get off my butt - I get to eat more.

    If you know how many calories you will burn in exercise on average and you prefer to make it part of your lifestyle, just take your approximate weekly exercise calories and divide it by seven, then pick the lifestyle that comes closest to adding that number (or add it yourself by choosing "custom" during setup).

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