Am I just dumb? Lol

aeparadiso2
aeparadiso2 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone. This might be a dumb question but I'm pretty confused. So I have MFP set to lose 2 pounds a week. Does this mean my "net calories" everyday should be about 1000? Because 7000 calories = 2 pounds, right? Because on a day where I ate about 1300 and burned about 400 my net calories was around 700. Then, on a day I ate about the same but didn't exercise much my net calories was 1100. Why would it be higher a day I didn't workout as much? Sorry if this is super confusing lol I'm just a noob here.

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    The goal MFP gives you already has the deficit taken out and doesn't include exercise calories. You should be aiming to hit it net (after exercise), or around there, every day.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Okay - here's the thing. Not everyone can or should lose 2 pounds a week. This is for very overweight people (75+ pounds to lose). Losing fast when you have little to lose often means you lose a larger percentage of lean muscle mass than is healthy.

    So let's say MFP assigns you 1300 NET calories. MFP does not assume anyone will exercise (after all some people can't).

    So if you eat 1300 calories and exercise for 400.....your body is left with 900 NET. So MFP recommends eating 1300+400.....this gets you back to your original deficit.

    Now, calorie burns are hard to estimate. Many people will start by eating back a % - say 50%. Then track actual weight loss. Losing faster than expected (or feeling run down)....eat more than 50%

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Your net calories are the calories you eat minus the exercise calories you log. Your net should be equal to your MFP goal, and it should NOT be less than 1,200.

    So if your goal is 1,500 calories, you eat 1,700 cals and you have 200 exercise cals, your net calories are 1,500.
    MFP calorie burns can be a bit high, so you don't have to eat back all your exercise calories, but you should eat some, and AT LEAST net 1,200 calories.

Categories