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Trying to Use FitDay to Gain Weight? Read Me!

Old 01-22-2010, 01:49 AM
  #11  
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Default Take the calorie calculators with a grain of salt

You can't tell whether you're adding lean body mass (weight training builds bone density, too) by the number on the scale anyway. You'd need to have your body fat measured at intervals to see if your body composition is changing.

There are a few places to do this and several methods, but you'd need to seek help from someone who knows what they're doing. For example, some trainers don't know how to take skin fold measurements properly with the callipers they weild, making the numbers meaningless.

I would suggest you look for a Registered Dietician (look for "RD" after the name) to meet with a few times. He or she will help you analyze what you're doing, give you reliable information and sound advice about how to meet your goals. Your health insurance might even cover the fee. Many will.

Go to http://www.eatright.org/ and click on 'find a registered dietician'. An RD can even help you with the body composition questions, or point you to knowledgeable people who can.
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Old 01-22-2010, 04:15 AM
  #12  
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hi jflamingfeet,

yes, the numbers here seem high... i was chalking that up for an estimate for the "afterburn" effect that is mentioned in a number of recent works... where after a run our bodies burn calories at a higher rate than basal metabolism. even at faster speeds, every other calorie measuring device that i've used (hrm, treadmills, etc) says i burn well under 100 cals per mile, whereas here at fitday it's always more than 100.

and sure, i agree that the calculator here is just for an estimate. just like in running, for instance yasso 800m intervals can estimate your marathon time, but it's always been less than my marathon time when i've done them. i'm to find out how close it is, and use the food journal to see patterns in my eating, and then tweak them.

kimmy: as a runner in the desert south-west, i know that the scale numbers are quite variable! not only is your body composition change reflected by that number, but hydration level too. during the summer i can fluctuate 10-15 lbs a day as i lose and then replace a gallon of fluid during/after a long (2-3 hour) run. long term trends in my weight over a week or more are the only way that i can really see how my body weight is changing, and you're right that more detailed analysis is the only way you can measure composition changes.
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Old 02-03-2010, 04:33 PM
  #13  
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I think fit day overestimates a bit on the calories burned for normal activities, but I think it underestimates a bit on activities like running for me, at least compared to what the treadmills at my local gym claim. I always punch in my weight on the machines at the gym (4 different brands) and seem to get about 80-100 calories more burned by the machine calculations on a 5 mile run (I get about the same regardless of which brand i'm on) It used to underestimate on ultimate frisbee too, but i noticed they give it more calories per hr than they did when I was using this a few yrs ago.
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Old 02-06-2010, 07:23 AM
  #14  
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Default Trying to Gain Weight

Hi,

I've been looking for a program/website like this and am happy with all of the features. My only problem is that I am trying to gain (a healthy amount) of weight. The weight goal won't let me update with a weight that is higher than my current weight. Is there any way around this problem?

Thanks
klally81 is offline  
Old 02-12-2010, 02:58 PM
  #15  
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Originally Posted by klally81
Hi,

I've been looking for a program/website like this and am happy with all of the features. My only problem is that I am trying to gain (a healthy amount) of weight. The weight goal won't let me update with a weight that is higher than my current weight. Is there any way around this problem?

Thanks
I have the same problem!!!
millertheprophet is offline  
Old 02-15-2010, 10:40 AM
  #16  
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Same here. I've always been pretty slender. I've worked out vigorously 2x to 3x per week since spring 2007 and eaten fairly carefully throughout (fresh, whole fruits & veggies, quality proteins and fats [lean meats, dairy, nuts], whole grains, etc.). In that 2 1/2 year span I've gained about 20 lbs. Have been using Fitday on & off during that time, but only as a food tracker. Would still like to gain about 10 more lbs. and then maintain that weight for a while.

But when I tried to use Fitday (free version) to set a modest weight-gain goal, it gave me the same pink bar across the screen and wouldn't let me set a higher goal weight than current weight.

I imagine the vast majority of Fitday users want to lose or maintain their weight, but I also know there must be some others, like me--athletes, perhaps--who want to use it to help them gain weight. I'm pretty sure I've seen bodybuilders refer to their Fitday log on fitness websites, and surely not all of them were only trying to lose weight--were they?

I guess if a person wanted to, he/she could do a clunky workaround by just setting a weight-LOSS goal to see how much activity to add or how many calories to subtract to reach that goal, and then just do the opposite. But that seems awfully complicated.

So what gives? Anyone? Isn't there any way to override this weight-loss bias? Is this a bug or a "feature"?
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Old 02-17-2010, 05:51 AM
  #17  
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I would suggest to anyone wanting to count calories burned during a workout to buy a heart rate monitor. That is the only real accurate way to measure calories burned. There are several on the market and can range anywhere from $75.00 US to over $250.00. I have a Polar FT-40 and I love it. You can also download the receiver to your computer and keep track of your activities through the Polar Personal Trainer website. I find the more I log the more I stay conscious of my needs. When I get done with a workout I log my activities in FitDay and I simply adjust the time spent to reflect the calories burned.
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Old 03-04-2010, 09:45 PM
  #18  
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not sure if this is an old dead thread but I'd also like this option , even though fitday says I'm already overweight by BMI calculation I plan on being quite obese by the standard of that scale
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Old 03-14-2010, 10:45 PM
  #19  
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Default Why doesnt this site cater for people trying to GAIN weight?!?

Im 21, Male and trying to gain weight. Currently 9st 2 and am concidered just 'underweight'. Im attempting to GAIN over 1 1/2 stone and this website is excellent at helping me keep track of food intake etc. However, the 'Weight Goal' feature does NOT accept a goal higher than your current weight.. Would be nice to see this added in the future? Im sure primarily people on this website are trying to lose weight, but weight gain is also a big thing to a lot of individuals.
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Old 03-15-2010, 09:45 AM
  #20  
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I'd like to set a maintenance weight as a goal too. When I get the weight off, I plan to keep it that way.
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