Net calories

newbiefitnessgrl

Okay, I am allotted 1350 everyday and am trying to figure out where I need to keep my net calories to lose weight? It seems there is a small window for weight lose, too many calories or too few calories equal nada happening on the scale. So how do I know what my sweet spot for net calories should be???

belinus

If you do not exercise, 1350 is your ceiling. If you do exercise, you get 1350+x where x is calories burned exercising.

emmacriswell

I'm in the same boat, my allotment is 1200, and I need to lose, lose, lose!

NaomiJFoster

If you're allotted 1350, then 1350 is your net. Your total calories will change if you exercise that day, you'll be temporarily 'allotted' more calories for that day, to make sure that your net is still at 1350. It's just how the math on this site works, to simplify things.

cwolfman13

Your 1350 calorie GOAL has a big *kitten* deficit from maintenance built in. When you set your activity level in MFP you do NOT include exercise...just your daily hum drum. This makes exercise an extra activity that needs to be fueled...it's an incentive to get people's fat *kitten* off the couch...so you net to your GOAL calories by eating those calories back.

Once again, 1350 isn't maintenance calories...if you chose 1 Lb per week loss that is roughly 500 calories deficit from maintenance before any exercise is performed. MFP is really simple...it's done all of the work and calculating...you just eat to your calorie GOAL.

One caveat...people tend to underestimate consumption and overestimate burn. You should weigh and measure everything...I'm always shocked that people say they're doing everything right...but just eyeballing stuff...then they start actually weighing and measuring and figure out they were eating like 600 calories more than they thought they were.

Where calorie burn is concerned, there are sever ways to estimate this. i don't trust databases further than I can spit..machines are ok and HRMs are the best mechanical option but still an estimate. I always took about 30% off of what my HRM said for an aerobic workout...keep in mind, it is not accurate for anaerobic workouts...it's really only relatively accurate for steady state cardio that is done with a HR in excess of about 120 BPM.

Another way to estimate...if you're running or walking you can assume roughly 100 calories per mile give or take...you do burn somewhat more running, but it's not substantial unless you're talking a lot of miles; the more miles the wider that gap gets. The last method is taking a number 7-10 and multiplying this by time spent...with 7 being a moderately paced walk and 10 being an exercise that doesn't allow you to hold a conversation or anything...you're really putting all of your effort into the workout.

j6o4

If you do not exercise, 1350 is your ceiling. If you do exercise, you get 1350+x where x is calories burned exercising.

^ this, don't think by not eating your exercise calories that you are doing yourself a favour in losing weight.

cebiginalaska

Calculate your TDEE and add a deficient much easier than trying to worry about worrying about how much calories you should eat back

Find out more here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/7965-in-place-of-a-road-map
it has lots of great information about figuring out your TDEE and how much you should eat

This is a short form for the full document contained here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13


The Road Map is simply a tool to find Body Fat%, BMR and TDEE.
All 3 items are important to understanding fat/weight loss.

Once you know these 3 numbers, you'll be able to manipulate nutrition and training to get to your next goal.

1) Body Fat%
Knowing the ratio of body fat to lean mass is crucial in understanding body composition.
The less fat you have, the leaner you'll look.
The more lean muscle you have, the better your definition (tone) will look.
Having ideal body fat is not only healthier for the individual but it also helps you look good naked!

Athletes (6-13% for men, 16-20% for women) 
<---Ideal area for Bulking
Fitness (14-17% for men, 21-24% for women) 

Acceptable (18-25% for men, 25-31% for women) 

Obese (25%+ for men, 32%+ for women)

The shocking part about BF% is most people who PM me numbers don't know how much fat they carry.
It's the most important part of figuring out the rest of your caloric intake.

Bottom Line: Buy a tape measurer or a set of Calipers and learn how to objectively track body fat while cutting/bulking.
The ultimate goal is to lose unwanted fat and maintain or even gain beautiful lean muscle.

Useful links:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bf/
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/cbbf/
Do all 3 BF Calcs and use the average number.
Write it down, you'll use it later!

2) BMR/RMR
Basal Metabolic Rate or Resting Metabolic Rate.
This covers all body functions outside of activity.
If you were in a coma and you were fed enough nutrients to keep you alive, Thats BMR.
Think "Baseline Calories" if you did absolutely nothing.
Sub-sedentary.
All vital organs are covered when eating BMR.

For those who like math, you'll find several different types of calculations for BMR.
1) Harris-Benedict formula: Overestimates in obese: Avoid this setting!
MEN: BMR = 66 + [13.7 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] - [6.76 x age (years)]
WOMEN: BMR = 655 + [9.6 x weight (kg)] + [1.8 x height (cm)] - [4.7 x age (years)]

2) Mifflin-St Jeor: Better estimate for those that are obese, but still inflated.
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -1613)

3) Katch-McArdle: Best estimate if decent estimate of BF% is known and is especially good in leaner individuals.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

If you'd like to calculate on your own, you can get calculated TDEE using this chart:
Multiply BMR x Activity factor = TDEE.
1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)

Or use the formula that chart is based on, if you want to use number of hours of exercise per week instead of guessing which level.
For daily activity not sitting at a desk but always moving around, count the hrs as 1/8 the time (40 hr nurse on feet counts as 5 hrs)
Walking exercise counts as 1/2 time (6 hrs walking is 3 hrs).
Other exercise is straight time (3 hr Insanity is 3 hr).
(Weekly movement hrs * 0.0875) + 1.2 = Activity Factor

Realize that this isn't just about your training but your lifestyle as well.
Example: You work at a desk all day but come home and play with your children for an hour, lift weights 3x a week for an hour and jog 2mi every other day. In this example id use Moderate or possibly Active settings.

Heres a helpful link for figuring your BMR and TDEE:
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
Enter all pertinent info.
Make GOAL weight the same as CURRENT weight to get todays TDEE.

Bottom Line: Know what your base caloric needs are and stay above them if you are active.
Eating too low for extended periods of time may allow for weight loss, but you could still have high body fat.
Skinny-fat: http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-you-skinny-fat-find-out-why.html

Once you know your base "Comatose" calories you can move on to TDEE.

3) TDEE
Total Daily Energy Expenditure
This is the total amount of calories you burn in a 24hour period.
You wake up, brush your teeth, lift, run, play, work.....
You get the idea.
One thing I've noticed over the years is people underestimate activity.
They say "I'm sitting at my computer all day long so i'm sedentary!"
I'll ask "Workout routine?"
They say "Oh i run for 3 hours a day and do CrossFit all weekend long!"


If you sit all day and barely walk and dont workout, Sedentary.
If you workout 1-2x a week, Light.
If you workout 3-5x a week, Moderate.
If you workout 5+, active/very active.

Youll find these numbers at the bottom of the BMR page in Fat 2 Fit.
You can also use other calculators around the internet.

Once you have TDEE you can decide what to set MFP calories to.
I recommend -20% for individuals who are Obese and under.
-30% for individuals who are Obese and over.

Bottom Line: Be realistic with activity. If you are a marathon runner trying to take a few pounds off, don't use sedentary settings. First start with the top number that applies to you and stick with it for several weeks. If nutrition is right and activity is right, you should maintain eating TDEE. To lose fat, subtract calories. To gain LBM, add calories. Lift weights, walk, sleep and eat right.
Use your common sense.

belinus

^ this, don't think by not eating your exercise calories that you are doing yourself a favour in losing weight.

I generally do not eat them all back. At my size and the insanity of my exercises (2+ hour walks), it is virtually impossible for me to eat back calories without eating really bad.

newbiefitnessgrl

Wow, thank you all so much for the information, I didn't expect such a load of helpful responses!!