MFP adding exercise calories from Fitbit

[Beepbopadooda]

Hello

I'm calorie counting at the moment. MFP has given me a total calorie allowance of 1200 but gives me more calories by adding the steps I do on my Fitbit.

Is it okay to eat these surplus calories? E.g. if it adds 200 calories from a walk, I can up to 1400?

I ask because my rate of weight loss will be very slow - I have an underactive thyroid so I don't want to eat things unnecessarily but then I do find 1400ish more achievable than 1200.

Oh I should say I'm 5ft 4 and about 147 lbs, trying to get down between 135-138.

I believe, in theory that you can, however on the mfp community board most people don't recommend it. I tend to use it as a buffer rather eating them all back. I try and stay within my allocated allowance but don't beat myself up if I go over into exercise calories. Good luck. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll get there x

You can stop MFP adding the exercise calories, it’s in the settings

It's not advisable to eat more than half your exercise calories. There is some science behind it which I can't remember...
I find it easier to have the same calorie allowance every day, some days when I exercise I'll burn more than others but I don't really consider that other than in my weekly average calorie expenditure.

You can only switch it off with premium membership. Never eat exercise calories!

Great thanks! I will try and stick as much as possible to the 1200-1300 range I think regardless of exercise!

I don't plan to eat the excess calories but feel less guilty if I've tipped over into the exercise calories, particularly on a weekend!

Don't input your exercise and don't eat your calories back. There's no way of knowing 100% how much you've burnt as Fitbit etc isnt accurate. You've usually burnt less than it says and you end up over eating. Also unless you're quite small to start with 1200 is very low ( loads of mumsnetters will be along to disagree with me) . My fitness pal sets calories at 1200 for nearly everyone . I'm 190lbs and been consistently losing weigh eating 1800 calories.

Thanks all for the advice. I guess I'm small to average at 5 ft 4 but I'm on my feet a lot of the time due to having a 1 and 3 year old to run around after so I do wonder if this why I'm feeling hungry at 1200.

I log my calories eaten in MFP, and record my calories burned on my FitBit.... It's probably not ideal... but the proof of the pudding, so to speak, is on the scales.

I try not to eat back my exercise calories..... but it really depends on the exercise. I can walk at pace 5 miles per day- and it does not make me hungry in the slightest so I can stick to 1200 calories a day. Yet (in normal times) when I swim (train with swimming club for adults) I HAVE to fuel up in advance in order to train properly AND I am ravenous afterwards.

The estimates of exercise calories are much less accurate than the data about calories in food.

But they're not as badly out as they were a few years ago when they double counted a BMR during the duration of the exercise.

Eat back with caution - if you've just run a 10k, you're probably good to eat back at least 2/3 of what it gives you. When it's only 200 a day, I'd be much more cautious. In theory you should still lose, but I use them as my 'buffer' for calories I've forgotten to input, or things I didn't measure and an bound to have underestimated

@Beepbopadooda

Thanks all for the advice. I guess I'm small to average at 5 ft 4 but I'm on my feet a lot of the time due to having a 1 and 3 year old to run around after so I do wonder if this why I'm feeling hungry at 1200.

What do you weifh? Do you have any idea how many steps you do on average?

@CodenameVillanelle 147 lb. I aim for 10K steps per day as a minimum

How do you turn it off mfp? I use the widgit to see how many calories I have left, and yesterday I realised I'd eaten 200 more than my 1200/day because it automatically adds exercise calories 😩

You can only turn it off MFP if you pay.

I would disagree here. If you’re calibrating your Fitbit go your height weight heart rate etc your exercise calories will be pretty accurate. 1200 is very low calorie wise and you want this to be sustainable.

Basically any time I’ve done this I eat my exercise calories (which also encouraged me to exercise more) and I’ve never struggled to drop weight. At 5.4 10.5 stone you’re just overweight so slow and steady will e better for you. Any advice I’ve ever had has been maintain your calorie deficit but don’t under eat, it’s counter productive long term.

Have you set MFP to lose 2lb a week? I'd reduce that given you're not very overweight. You'll find your calorie goal easier to manage.

Your TDEE is probably between 1700-2000 in that case so you could eat between 1200-1500 to lose weight if you do 10k steps a day and then exercise some date on top of that