Total or net calories?

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LosinIt54
LosinIt54 Posts: 37 Member
in Food and Nutrition
When doing a strict CICO diet plan as well as maintaining a steady execercise program, is it more important to focus on TOTAL calories consumed or NET calories at the end of the day? I’d appreciate a hand from all you MFP pros out there. Thanks.

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  • belladamjc
    belladamjc Posts: 55 Member
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    Focus on net calories to your target. MFP assumes you eat back your exercise calories otherwise your deficit could be substantial and you risk adverse health consequences. :)
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Yep, if you used mfp calorie goal, it is set assuming you will log exercise and eat back at least some of those calories, so you use Net.

    Many folks start off eating back half (so leaving some net calories on the table) just in case their exercise cals are overestimated, and then eat more if they start losing too fast
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Whether you use net or total has to do with whether you are using an MFP goal and adding exercise or if you are using a traditional TDEE-type goal (which already includes exercise.) Either goal can be used for weight loss and both still come down to an overall calorie deficit.

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