Something isn't adding up...what's going on??

Maybe I'm misunderstanding some complicated function of Calorie Count here, but when I first started logging my activities, the number of calories I burned was added to my base number...I burned 1650 calories a day as a sedentary person, and then I did 35 minutes of moderate intensity eliptical work, and it would add 344 calories burned to my 1650, giving me a grand total of 1994 calories burned for that day.  Now it appears to be "shorting" me calorie burns! 

So, I lost 5 lbs, and my daily sedendary burn dropped to 1640, which I totally understand.  However, when I log a workout of 35 minutes of eliptical now, it still says I burned 344 calories...yet when it adds them together, it comes up with 1950!  1640 plus 344 is 1984, not 1950! I know how many calories I burned because I put my weight and age into the eliptical machine at the gym and work out until it says I burned 344...why is calorie count suddenly shorting the total by 34 calories?  Is it trying to "adapt" my calorie burn for my lower weight?  How can I get it to add correctly?  It was much more helpful to calculate my daily calorie deficit when it was accurate...argh!!

If you weigh less, then the same amount of time on the elliptical will burn less calories. That is what CC is taking into account. However, you say that you stay on the elliptical until it says 344, so maybe you are actually doing more than 35 minutes or just going faster for the same amount of time? Either way, I would manually enter your exercise. That way you can just enter the number of calories burned without having CC calculate those calories for you.

I have been wondering about that myself. I was told that it does change with a weight loss. Maybe you can put a new weight in your account somewhere, but I don't know where. I just left mine where it was, and you end up with a bigger deficit then expected so it is nice. Sorry I couldn't help, but wanted to let you know that you are not alone on that.

Every time you put a new weight into your weight log, the program recalculates your calorie burn... as you lose weight, it sadly gets less because it takes less energy to move 150lbs than 200 and so on. At 250lbs I was burning about 2500 calories a day without moving a muscle - at 210 I'm down to 2010. And it really makes a difference! You also burn less calories as you exercise, because it takes less effort.

As for the 'disappearing calorie burn' that's because the program subtracts the calories that you would have burned anyway from the ones you burned in exercise. Say you burned 250 calories in an hour of walking... if you sat on your rear you would have burned 80 in that time just keeping your metabolism going, so the program subtracts that from the total. It's not being 'innacurate', it's trying to keep us all honest!

You are not burning 1640 plus 344 though

You are burning 1640 minus the '35 calories you WOULD have burned were you not exercising' plus the 344 you actually did burn.

It takes into account that you do not double burn.

I hope that makes sense.

Namaste

Katt

Thanks ccrun, I guess I will try adding my activities manually - I must be working harder on the eliptical to get to the same calorie totals, and I really want the numbers to add up!  If I add the activities manually I suppose it will stop shorting my numbers "for me."  :) 

You're right, nurse - like "saving the change" getting a few extra "burned" calories is like a bonus...but I'm afraid of creating too large a deficit and putting myself on a plateau!  I am pretty close to my goal and don't want to take any risk of confusing my body or starving it accidentally!

Ok, kajikit and xaspar, that makes perfect sense.  Now I understand...I CAN trust the total calorie expenditure as accurate.  :)  No such thing as "bonus" calories...LOL!  I feel better...

Sounds like we are going through the same thing. I'm still trying to figure out all the things that you are. It makes sense that we have to take into account what we would have burned that hour if we were doing nothing, I never thought of that. (thanks Kajikit)

Here's my advice: Don't stress it.

There are just so many factors that are going to make or break the difference between 1950 and 1984...like if you walk across the street and back.

Or eat a carrot.

Or don't eat enough fiber, then you'll absort more calories from your food.

Or if you're dehydrated.

Or somthing in your genetics.

Or if you're feeling happy or sad or angry.

Or whether your shoes fit you.

The amount of muscle mass you have.

The weather.

I'm not making stuff up. All of these factors are going to effect the net difference of calories that are constantly going through your body. My point is: In the end, it is your habits and not the amount of calories that will determine your health in the long run.

Ok sweet, when you look at it that way it seems a bit ridiculous to stress over 34 calories, but reading posts on here it happens VERY frequently that people do indeed stress about that amount and fewer!  As hard as I'm trying to "nail it down" it seems like weight loss (and fitness for that matter) is just not an exact science.  Not even close. 

For example, I've kept my calorie intake right at 1400 of GOOD HEALTHY NUTRITIOUS foods for a week now while working out daily (combo weights and cardio) to give me a deficit of 500-600 daily and I've GAINED 1.5 lbs.  I read storie like that all the time on here, too, and worse.  Maybe it's water retention in my muscles...maybe it's hormones...maybe I have gotten so much smarter that my brain grew...?! 

I'm trying to stay motivated and not let frustration at apparent lack of results get me down.  For me, I guess part of staying motivated IS caring about 34 calories...if I focus on the details I can keep myself involved in the process, even though it really is happening without my exact knowledge of how or why...

Well you say you're doing weights; of course you've heard that muscle weighs more than fat, right? If you're doing them right, then you should notice better muscle tone even though you weigh the same amount. Keep doing weights, because the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn as your basic metabolic rate--just sitting at home, 1 lb of muscle burns an extra 150 calories!

If you're still worried, make sure that your exercise routine is doing what you think it is. Don't always believe those numbers on the treadmill that say you've burned 400 calories. They are only computers...and like I said, nutrition is not something you can calculate. It's more important to be getting generally fitter than you were before--running an extra mile, moving up a weight class, switching machines to work on a different muscle group, trying a variety of exercises like yoga, spin classes, running on land (it's very different than a treadmill!) or swimming (which burns an amazing 700 calories per hour in an average person).

And I'm glad you're so motivated! Stick to what you're doing, I can see your dedication!