Question re: My Fitness Pal Tracking

[vinniej3 139]

I've been tracking calories, Protein, etc. w/ My Fitness Pal. I also track my exercise. I noticed for the first time tonight that when you track exercise it subtracts from your daily intake. For example, I ate around 900 calories today (very low carb but high protein), but it said since I burned about 400 calories exercising, my net calorie intake was 500. Does that mean I can eat another 400 calories (which, to be honest, would be impossible). How do the rest of you handle this?

[disneyteach 68]

What that means is that your body is burning more calories for you to eat. Like an allowance, if I gave you $100 and you find $50 on the sidewalk. You decide to spend $70 and have $80 left. Basically, you wouldn't run out and spend the other $80 just to spend it. It is the same thing with calories. The more you burn, the more weight is going to come off. You are doing awesome! Keep burning up your calories!

[vinniej3 139]

Thanks. I thought as much. Good luck with your journey. Keep up the hard work!

[disneyteach 68]

Friend me on MyFitnessPal, if you ever need motivation. The people who are my virtual sleeve friends keep me going every day.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

I'd be careful with "eating back" calories you burn on MFP. First, their calorie counts for exercise are often way off, usually too high. A lot of people recommend only eating back half the calories MFP says you should, if you are going to do it at all.

Also, there is recent science that shows that exercise will suppress your metabolic rate, so if you eat back your burned calories and in addition your metabolic rate gets lower, meaning you need to eat even fewer calories to maintain or gain weight, you will find it a lot harder to lose weight.

http://www.policymic...you-lose-weight

The dieticians and exercise physiologist in my surgeon's group strongly recommend against eating back exercise calories per MFP. So I record my exercise there, but just change the calories burned to 1 calorie instead of 290 or whatever it gives me. That way there is nothing messed up in my standard daily goals. But that is what my health care folks and my own research have led me to do -- I would encourage you to check in with your own health care providers and see what they have to say.

[disneyteach 68]

I'd be careful with "eating back" calories you burn on MFP. First' date=' their calorie counts for exercise are often way off, usually too high. A lot of people recommend only eating back half the calories MFP says you should, if you are going to do it at all.

Also, there is recent science that shows that exercise will suppress your metabolic rate, so if you eat back your burned calories and in addition your metabolic rate gets lower, meaning you need to eat even fewer calories to maintain or gain weight, you will find it a lot harder to lose weight.

http://www.policymic...you-lose-weight

The dieticians and exercise physiologist in my surgeon's group strongly recommend against eating back exercise calories per MFP. So I record my exercise there, but just change the calories burned to 1 calorie instead of 290 or whatever it gives me. That way there is nothing messed up in my standard daily goals. But that is what my health care folks and my own research have led me to do -- I would encourage you to check in with your own health care providers and see what they have to say.

Buffleheads has a great point. Honesty, I only try to eat 1,500 calories a day,though I burn 1,300 calories per weekday and 600 calories on weekend days. I still only try to eat 1,500 daily. So I would say set your eating limit and stick to that. Also, when I work out my iPod nano,my Fitbit and the machine, if possible, all record how many calories I burn. The problem is the intensity. MFP is expecting you to burn hard, but you might have a leisure day or work out slower. That is why a Fitbit is great, it will transfer my calories burned into MFP. So MFP does rank on the high side, but if you eat your set goal, you are just banking burned calories for a Mercedes body and health.

[vinniej3 139]

These are all great points. I'm so close to my surgery date, I couldn't eat the "extra" calories if I tried. Plus, I'm satisfied w/ my current intake. The only reason I'd eat those extra calories would be b/c they are available, a problem that led me to this journey in the first place. Thanks so much for all of your help!

[JessicaAnn 564]

I try to eat between 650-750 calories no matter what I burn. Yesterday I burned 500+ calories and only ate about 580 so by the end of the day my "net" was only like 57 calories

You can friend me! Kia923