Net calories

jaga13

I've never really paid attention to my net calories until recently. I aim for a 250 average deficit for a .5 lb loss per week, which has been working well for months. Since I am only 4'11 and close to goal, MFP gives me only 1200 for a .5 lb loss. I want to eat more, so I stay active and typically earn at least 200 exercise calories, sometimes 300-400.

This means many days I eat 1400 but still net 1200 (1400 in - 200 out). However, there are other days when I save some of my exercise calories and bank them for the weekend/special occasions.

I've been hearing a lot of people say that you shouldn't net under 1200. But then I have zero wiggle room. If I exercise, say, 400 calories, and only eat 200 of them, that leaves me with a net of 1000, correct (1400 in - 400 out)?

So basically my choices are: strictly adhere to 1200 net by always eating back every exercise calorie, accept a lower net most days (though I will likely make up for it on weekends/special occasions), or reduce my deficit even less than 250?? Is that right?

WBB55

How much more weight are you trying to lose? Are you ready to move into recomp?

jaga13

No, not ready for recomp. Probably another 10 lbs at least (which will take me a few months).

SueInAz

I have a huge problem with the whole "You should never, ever eat under 1200 calories under any circumstances whatsoever" mandate. You're 4'11" and I'm guessing a healthy weight close to 105 pounds, since you're so close to goal. Why would anyone assume that your "lowest basic calorie need" is the same as a 6 foot, 200 pound woman? Am I really the only one who finds that completely illogical? Obviously, your BMR is much lower which means you don't need as many calories every day. Besides, an occasional day here or there where you aren't hitting 1200 calories isn't going to hurt you, even if you really did need that much. Have you considered consulting a doctor or a dietician to get a better idea of how many calories you should really be eating? I have seen plenty of tiny women on these boards who have stated that they've been told their BMR is less than 1200.

All of that aside, it's really not a bad time to start recomp. Are you lifting at all right now? If not, you should really consider doing it. I've spent most of my life just trying "to lose weight" while never actually being technically overweight, just carrying an extra 10-15 pounds and all of it showing as excess "flab". A little over a year ago, the light bulb went off and I started lifting and eating closer to maintenance. I am much, much happier with my appearance. I'm 5'3.5" and 130-135 pounds but I'm wearing the same clothes I was wearing a few years ago at 120-125 pounds, which I had difficulty maintaining. I can eat a little more and don't have to struggle constantly against the scale creeping upwards. I'm placing a lot less importance on the number on the scale and more on the tape measure and how my clothes fit.

cwolfman13

netting very low calories consistently and chronically over a long peiod of time is an issue...netting low calories and then eating those calories a couple days later isn't a big deal unless you're doing a lot of intensive exercise for which under fueling could lead to recovery issues and injury.

our bodies don't really operate on a 24 hour clock...it's not like we hit midnight and the body says, "*kitten*...not enough calories today...guess I'm going to shut off hair growth." our bodies operate on a continuum. In the for real world where people don't log, nobody is eating the same calories day in and day out...it's flexing all over the place.

minties82

I am 149cm (4'11") and while still vastly overweight, there is no way I would ever want to spend the rest of my life eating 1200 calories. It's not fun, nutrition aside.

BMR doesn't vary as greatly as you might imagine from person to person anyway. I would rather have an overweight BMI and actually eat, or make sure I've got some muscle to back up my eating plan.

On a busy day I can have a TDEE of 2800-3000kcal (and yes maintain my weight while eating that, I have been in maintenance for 2 weeks just to have a break), I am 173lbs and probably wont want to get much smaller than 130lbs to be honest. I hate this idea that short women shouldn't or can't eat. Or that we must be super tiny because we are short. I've lost 80lbs so far and it hasn't hurt my TDEE like everyone said it would. Obviously being smaller it has changed but not by some whoppingly huge amount, making me eat much less.

@jaga13 your net calories sound fine to me. Glad to see a shorty eating 1400kcal :-)

jaga13

SueInAz wrote: »

I have a huge problem with the whole "You should never, ever eat under 1200 calories under any circumstances whatsoever" mandate. You're 4'11" and I'm guessing a healthy weight close to 105 pounds, since you're so close to goal. Why would anyone assume that your "lowest basic calorie need" is the same as a 6 foot, 200 pound woman? Am I really the only one who finds that completely illogical? Obviously, your BMR is much lower which means you don't need as many calories every day. Besides, an occasional day here or there where you aren't hitting 1200 calories isn't going to hurt you, even if you really did need that much. Have you considered consulting a doctor or a dietician to get a better idea of how many calories you should really be eating? I have seen plenty of tiny women on these boards who have stated that they've been told their BMR is less than 1200.

All of that aside, it's really not a bad time to start recomp. Are you lifting at all right now? If not, you should really consider doing it. I've spent most of my life just trying "to lose weight" while never actually being technically overweight, just carrying an extra 10-15 pounds and all of it showing as excess "flab". A little over a year ago, the light bulb went off and I started lifting and eating closer to maintenance. I am much, much happier with my appearance. I'm 5'3.5" and 130-135 pounds but I'm wearing the same clothes I was wearing a few years ago at 120-125 pounds, which I had difficulty maintaining. I can eat a little more and don't have to struggle constantly against the scale creeping upwards. I'm placing a lot less importance on the number on the scale and more on the tape measure and how my clothes fit.

Thank you. I'm 125 lbs (not 105). One more lb to go until I'm at the top of a healthy BMI range. Then I assume about another 10lbs or more to really feel good about my size before going into recomp, but it's hard to guess until I get there.

I am lifting though, to limit muscle loss and be prepared for the recomp shift.

jaga13

cwolfman13 wrote: »

netting very low calories consistently and chronically over a long peiod of time is an issue...netting low calories and then eating those calories a couple days later isn't a big deal unless you're doing a lot of intensive exercise for which under fueling could lead to recovery issues and injury.

our bodies don't really operate on a 24 hour clock...it's not like we hit midnight and the body says, "*kitten*...not enough calories today...guess I'm going to shut off hair growth." our bodies operate on a continuum. In the for real world where people don't log, nobody is eating the same calories day in and day out...it's flexing all over the place.

I appreciate this. Makes total sense. Net less than 1200 a few days, but net over other days. It will work out.

jaga13

minties82 wrote: »

I am 149cm (4'11") and while still vastly overweight, there is no way I would ever want to spend the rest of my life eating 1200 calories. It's not fun, nutrition aside.

BMR doesn't vary as greatly as you might imagine from person to person anyway. I would rather have an overweight BMI and actually eat, or make sure I've got some muscle to back up my eating plan.

On a busy day I can have a TDEE of 2800-3000kcal (and yes maintain my weight while eating that, I have been in maintenance for 2 weeks just to have a break), I am 173lbs and probably wont want to get much smaller than 130lbs to be honest. I hate this idea that short women shouldn't or can't eat. Or that we must be super tiny because we are short. I've lost 80lbs so far and it hasn't hurt my TDEE like everyone said it would. Obviously being smaller it has changed but not by some whoppingly huge amount, making me eat much less.

@jaga13 your net calories sound fine to me. Glad to see a shorty eating 1400kcal :-)

lol, thanks fellow shorty. I'm 125 lbs. I started at 155 and swore I'd be happy at 130, but it turned out I still wasn't pleased and it wasn't that hard to drop a little more. I agree that we still need to eat. I will always incorporate exercise so I can eat enough for me to be happy. I just calculated on MFP that if I lose another 10 lbs my maintenance will be 1390. Considering I plan on staying active and will likely be able to eat around 1600 most days, I'm pretty happy with that and really look forward to it.