Is It Possible to Have a Negative Net Calorie Count Daily?

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Yesterday, I was able to finish out the day with more calories left over than my entire calorie goal, thus giving me a negative net calorie count.

Is it sustainable to do this every day?
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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
    edited April 2015
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    No...all kinds of bad *kitten* will happen if you actually do that every day. Have you ever heard of starvation?
  • Thanasi99
    Thanasi99 Posts: 40 Member
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    It's not that I'm not eating or anything. I consumed maybe 1200 calories yesterday (my goal is 1430), but I did a TON of exercise that burned all of those calories off and then some.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    OP - your body is using calories 24/7 for important stuff like heart, lung, and kidney function. Please fuel your body properly!

    None of us got fat overnight.....we shouldn't expect to lose weight overnight either.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Thanasi99 wrote: »
    Is it sustainable to do this every day?

    If you burned all the calories you ate through exercise that doesn't leave any for your normal body functioning. That is not a healthy idea nor is sustainable.

  • gsayler860
    gsayler860 Posts: 25 Member
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    Yes it's possible but no it's not sustainable. I had a negative net calorie day last week. I spent all day moving/packing and then worked out in the evening. I had a light lunch and dinner. I think I ended up with -160 or so net calories.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Thanasi99 wrote: »
    It's not that I'm not eating or anything. I consumed maybe 1200 calories yesterday (my goal is 1430), but I did a TON of exercise that burned all of those calories off and then some.

    I have a really hard time believing you burned 1400 calories in one day, unless your session was like five hours long.
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
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    What sort of exercise are you doing that's burning that many calories?
  • Thanasi99
    Thanasi99 Posts: 40 Member
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    I spent an hour bicycling at about 11 mph, an hour of moderate paced walking at work, and about 2 hours of moderate swimming laps.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    paulaviki wrote: »
    What sort of exercise are you doing that's burning that many calories?

    ^

    ?
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Why would you want to do that? Not even a little healthy or desirable. I'm hoping you're just really over estimating your burn and under estimating your calories consumed.
  • Thanasi99
    Thanasi99 Posts: 40 Member
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    Everything I ate yesterday was packaged (ex. one package serving size), with little room for underestimation.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Thanasi99 wrote: »
    I spent an hour bicycling at about 11 mph, an hour of moderate paced walking at work, and about 2 hours of moderate swimming laps.

    No. That would burn like 500-700 calories max, I would think.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    What are you using to measure your burns?
  • Thanasi99
    Thanasi99 Posts: 40 Member
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    I am using My Fitness Pal to measure my calories burned.
  • theresaTerriM
    theresaTerriM Posts: 28 Member
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    It might help if someone that is good with calculations for this type of stuff to weigh in on what her numbers should look like if she were required to eat 1200 calories, and what her net should look like after exercises and food for the day.
    I can garner an estimate but I'm not experienced enough, so I hope someone else reads this that can answer it. This would give her a rough guideline so to speak of what to look/watch out for.

    I hope that made sense lol. But yeah, that's not good....
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
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    This happens to me a couple of times a week. I usually see numbers like -40 or -100. Today I am -47, but I haven't finished planning dinner or snacks yet.

    I have a legitimately slow metabolism/low BMR due to medical problems, so I don't worry about it. Probably not great to do that every day, but it will happen to those of us who are dedicated exercisers.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Thanasi99 wrote: »
    I am using My Fitness Pal to measure my calories burned.

    Then yeah, no. MFP grossly overestimates burns. In order to get an accurate measure, you would need a heart rate monitor, but I would think you really only burn half of what MFP says.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    Thanasi99 wrote: »
    I am using My Fitness Pal to measure my calories burned.

    The calorie burns for exercise on MFP are grossly overestimated.

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    Please say the 99 in your screen name is not the date of birth? As in, you are not a 16 year old trying to survive on negative calories?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    It is possible in the short term but it is extremely unhealthy. It is a disordered way of doing things.