Net calories/ exercising very important question

Nikoruo

okie doke, it's probably explained many times on here but because i don't wanna sift through it all i'll ask myself.

So net calories are the calories you burn in a day.... on here it's recommended i eat 1640Cal's a day to lose weight doing absolutely no exercise but i pushed that down to 1500cals a day.

On average i eat between 1200cals-1400cals.

which means that some days when i exercise (usually i burn at least 300cals per exercise) that means after netting, my calories can reach a low of 800cals for the day.

Now i exercise before bed time so i just kind of go to sleep right after a bath, i have plenty of energy before the routine. I also eat if i'm more hungry... so it's not like i'm starving all day.

I want to lose 140lbs swiftly so 2lbs minimum really a week right now is what i'm looking at

i do mostly cardio in the form of C25K and skipping, and i also do squats every second day as well as sometimes yoga.

SO HERE's MY QUESTION! in order to lose the most weight as proper as possible, what should my minimum net calories be at? i know that without working out i should never go under 1200 cals with my height (5'7.5") or current weight (288.4lbs) or age (23in a month). However, does that mean i should be eating back all those calories i lost during the exercise? i feel like it's counter productive to lose the calories just to have to eat them back? then again what do i know! that's why I'm asking! haha.

So let me know in your comments as to what you understand to be the best way for me to go about losing sufficiently without messing up my metabolism or whatnot that being too much under (if that's too much under).

Oh, i've also been watching my carbs %, fat% and protein%... overall i'd say i'm usually slightly under my carb % goal, i'm very near my fat % goal (i think i may have gone over once in the 30+days i've been around here) and my protein% is actually pretty high upon average. usually over the goal.

Please feel free to check out my diary to furthar inspect and help me out, i really do appreciate it!!

and again sorry for this being a repost (i'm certain it is @_@)

EDIT: oh and i'm not sure what my activity level would be... whether lightly active or not active. I say i stand for maybe 5 hours of my day. that's work, cooking, shower, going to washroom ect. I put it to the lowest because im pretty inactive without exercise i think haha

needtoloseafewpounds

Good luck, Niko! (followed you here )

Nikoruo

Good luck, Niko! (followed you here )

hahahaha personal stalker haha

erickirb

Since you do have a lot to lose you will be able to get away with a larger caloric deficit, but I would still try and stick with your 1500 goal, and eat back at least half of what you burn from exercise. Once you have less to lose it will be more important to have a smaller deficit as the less fat you have to lose the easier it is for your body to use muscle as fuel.

As for your macros (Carbs/Fat/Protein) I would either change the % or use the carbs as a maximum amount and protein as a minimum. If you do change the % I would suggest something like 45% cabs 25% fat, 30% protein or 40/30/30.

beastmodekittyx

I just try to stay under my original calorie goal and I don't eat the calories I've burned.. Worked for me in the past.

PepperWorm

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

PikaKnight

I think, for now, since you are looking at losing 140lbs, the 2lbs/week loss should be okay..but...did MFP really put you at 1200? Seems too low and makes me want to recommend 1 or 1.5lb/week loss.

But to answer you questions.

MFP is designed for its users to eat back their exercise calories. the formula can be found on the goals page.

Your net is the base calorie deficit goal MFP gives you plus exercise calories.

So if MFP calculates a deficit goal (because realize MFP's #s already put you at a deficit and creating too large a deficit can be counterproductive) of 1500...that's not what you should be eating total, but netting.


ETA: Re-read original post. If MFP put you at 1640 - don't go pushing to 1200. Losing too fast has nasty side effects - like losing hair, bad complexion, nutritient (macro/micro) deficiencies and the side effects that go along with that, an increase in chance that you will get a lot more loose skin then if you'd taken the slower approach, etc.

PikaKnight

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

To be clear because a lot of people get confused about TDEE -


MFP is designed (as I said in my prior post) to have their users eat their exercise calories back.

If you follow TDEE..that INCLUDES exercise calories so you won't eat them back. Even when you do -20%.

Just make sure (in both cases) that you pick the correct activity level.

PepperWorm

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

To be clear because a lot of people get confused about TDEE -


MFP is designed (as I said in my prior post) to have their users eat their exercise calories back.

If you follow TDEE..that INCLUDES exercise calories so you won't eat them back. Even when you do -20%.

Just make sure (in both cases) that you pick the correct activity level.

Sorry! Thanks for clarifying, Joy. Would not want to mislead someone. ^_^;;

Nikoruo

Since you do have a lot to lose you will be able to get away with a larger caloric deficit, but I would still try and stick with your 1500 goal, and eat back at least half of what you burn from exercise. Once you have less to lose it will be more important to have a smaller deficit as the less fat you have to lose the easier it is for your body to use muscle as fuel.

As for your macros (Carbs/Fat/Protein) I would either change the % or use the carbs as a maximum amount and protein as a minimum. If you do change the % I would suggest something like 45% cabs 25% fat, 30% protein or 40/30/30.

I understand this very clearly, thank you for your comment, i'll try to up my calories aand i guess i should keep my minimum at 1200cal even after i burn?

jgedman83

net calories are the calories consumed minus the calories burned. 2000 intake - 500 activity = 1500 net

You're doin' it right. and if you have the willpower to continue to do it, you'll achieve your goal. As far as heath issues and whether or not you're diet is correct, it's got to be better than what you were doing before. You're losing weight and for someone in your starting weight range, don't go below 1500, (advice, I'm no Dr.) you'll go into starvation mode, and your body will eat its muscle before it eats the fat, robbing you of all your gains. I also recommend a multi-vitamin. Good luck.

PikaKnight

From personal experience - make sure you are getting in strength training along with your cardio. I know I wish I'd started at my heaviest rather than later.

If you have access to free weights, look into AllPros or Starting Strength. There is also Stronglifts that is easy to understand.

If you don't have access, then look into Convict Conditioning, You Are Your Own Gym, and NerdFitness. Don't be intimidated and just go or it

PikaKnight

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

To be clear because a lot of people get confused about TDEE -


MFP is designed (as I said in my prior post) to have their users eat their exercise calories back.

If you follow TDEE..that INCLUDES exercise calories so you won't eat them back. Even when you do -20%.

Just make sure (in both cases) that you pick the correct activity level.

Sorry! Thanks for clarifying, Joy. Would not want to mislead someone. ^_^;;

That's cool. Didn't mean to nitpick. I just know when I first learned about it, the exercise cal situation wasn't explained very well..lol.

grimendale

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
The above does a good job of explaining what the different methods are, how they work, and why they differ.

Nikoruo

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

that is a very long post and i'll have to read it fully some other time and try to understand it a bit more. But um from what i skimmed through it says i should be eating around 800 cals because by doctors definition i am morbidly obese right now. So in my current state it's okay to eat so little after working out as long as as i lose weight the number goes up?

as for exercise i'm doing really what i can, i dont have cash for the gym or do get weights or anything like that so muscle training isn't of top priority. Mostly i'm looking to lose fat first and then build muscle about half way through. I am already a very strong muscled girl as my dr says so fat loss is my main target for a bit i think.

i do weigh all my food and measure with the measuring tape every couple lbs lost.

I may be missunderstanding this still but there's a lot of info on there that is tough to jump into right away but i'll give er a read. thanks for your comment~!

PikaKnight

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

that is a very long post and i'll have to read it fully some other time and try to understand it a bit more. But um from what i skimmed through it says i should be eating around 800 cals because by doctors definition i am morbidly obese right now. So in my current state it's okay to eat so little after working out as long as as i lose weight the number goes up?

as for exercise i'm doing really what i can, i dont have cash for the gym or do get weights or anything like that so muscle training isn't of top priority. Mostly i'm looking to lose fat first and then build muscle about half way through. I am already a very strong muscled girl as my dr says so fat loss is my main target for a bit i think.

i do weigh all my food and measure with the measuring tape every couple lbs lost.

I may be missunderstanding this still but there's a lot of info on there that is tough to jump into right away but i'll give er a read. thanks for your comment~!

Wait what? No. That is not okay unless you this is something your doctor and a registered dietitian is having you on short term and monitoring closely. I think when you have time again, re-read it.

Nikoruo

I think, for now, since you are looking at losing 140lbs, the 2lbs/week loss should be okay..but...did MFP really put you at 1200? Seems too low and makes me want to recommend 1 or 1.5lb/week loss.

But to answer you questions.

MFP is designed for its users to eat back their exercise calories. the formula can be found on the goals page.

Your net is the base calorie deficit goal MFP gives you plus exercise calories.

So if MFP calculates a deficit goal (because realize MFP's #s already put you at a deficit and creating too large a deficit can be counterproductive) of 1500...that's not what you should be eating total, but netting.


ETA: Re-read original post. If MFP put you at 1640 - don't go pushing to 1200. Losing too fast has nasty side effects - like losing hair, bad complexion, nutritient (macro/micro) deficiencies and the side effects that go along with that, an increase in chance that you will get a lot more loose skin then if you'd taken the slower approach, etc.

no no in the OP i said it put me at 1640cals but i lowered it to 1500cals but on average i eat 1200cals-1400cals with no problem with hunger and if i am hungry i simply eat more. all spread out into 7 or so meals throughout the day.

so i should force myself to eat as close to 1500cals a day right now and eat at least half of my burned cals back? and i'll still lose a substantial amount of weight? and also not be harming myself?

Nikoruo

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

To be clear because a lot of people get confused about TDEE -


MFP is designed (as I said in my prior post) to have their users eat their exercise calories back.

If you follow TDEE..that INCLUDES exercise calories so you won't eat them back. Even when you do -20%.

Just make sure (in both cases) that you pick the correct activity level.

Sorry! Thanks for clarifying, Joy. Would not want to mislead someone. ^_^;;

thank you both that makes a bunch more sense, so i should eat most of the cals i burnt back ? i think i put mine to barely anything a day for activity level because it's not really constant haha

MinnieInMaine

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

that is a very long post and i'll have to read it fully some other time and try to understand it a bit more. But um from what i skimmed through it says i should be eating around 800 cals because by doctors definition i am morbidly obese right now. So in my current state it's okay to eat so little after working out as long as as i lose weight the number goes up?

SNIP

Wow, no! I think you really misunderstood it. Please don't try to follow that method until you carefully read through and understand it and even ask someone else to run your numbers to verify. 800 is FAR too low!

While you are still using MFP, set your weight loss to 2 pounds per week. When you exercise, plan to eat back at least half of those calories and make sure you don't net any lower than 1200. The reason you still want to eat back calories is because MFP has already built in a calorie deficit when it calculates your daily calorie goal. If you exercise and don't eat back at least some of those calories, the deficit can be far too high. Sure you can handle a slightly larger calorie deficit because you're obese but you should still never net below 1200 - this is the average minimum calorie limit for women to insure you're getting proper nutrients on a daily basis. No need to starve yourself!

As far as the percentages go, if you are going by the MFP default, it's actually ideal to exceed your protein limit as the number they give is more of a minimum recommendation. If you want to custom set, a fairly standard macro balance for Carb/Protein/Fat is 40/30/30.

Keep it simple. Eat good foods at a reasonable deficit to lose weight and exercise for fitness.

Nikoruo

net calories are the calories consumed minus the calories burned. 2000 intake - 500 activity = 1500 net

You're doin' it right. and if you have the willpower to continue to do it, you'll achieve your goal. As far as heath issues and whether or not you're diet is correct, it's got to be better than what you were doing before. You're losing weight and for someone in your starting weight range, don't go below 1500, (advice, I'm no Dr.) you'll go into starvation mode, and your body will eat its muscle before it eats the fat, robbing you of all your gains. I also recommend a multi-vitamin. Good luck.

haha thank you, took me a while to understand that part. I was just trying to figure out whether ei should make myself eat more on a regular bases as well as after a work out. like how low is too low. i do have some health issues that make weight loss harder but i'm fighting it haha. I never really paid attention to food, i still didn't eat much before but everything was higher in calories. I am also taking multivitamins so my vitamins are over usually too haha. okay thank you for your wonderful advice!

Nikoruo

From personal experience - make sure you are getting in strength training along with your cardio. I know I wish I'd started at my heaviest rather than later.

If you have access to free weights, look into AllPros or Starting Strength. There is also Stronglifts that is easy to understand.

If you don't have access, then look into Convict Conditioning, You Are Your Own Gym, and NerdFitness. Don't be intimidated and just go or it

i don't have access to weights or a gym but i will look ito that other stuff you meantioned. at the moment i'm apparently extremely strong in majority parts of my body for my stats. My doctor said it's okay for me to put off weight training for a while until i can get my flexability up and lose weight of my joints. but around mid way point i will be starting to do some for sure just 40lbs to go haha

deksgrl

MFP sets your calorie goal for what you need for daily life NOT including exercise. It gives you a calorie deficit based on how many pounds per week you say you want to lose. If you pick 2 pounds per week, it will subtract 1000 calories from your calculated needs.

Now, when you exercise, you need more food for fuel, because exercise was not included in what it figured you need. This is so that you would lose weight without exercise, just by diet alone. When you do exercise, it gives you more to eat, but you are still maintaining that 1000 calorie per day deficit.

So, for example, MFP says you need 2600 calories a day - 1000 to lose 2 pounds per week = 1600.
You eat 1600 on days you do not exercise, and you eat more than that on days you exercise.

Now, some people say the database for exercise calories can be inflated, so some people do not eat back all of those extra calories.

Nikoruo

You aren't eating enough.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
^ Try this instead. On this program, you do not eat or track exercise calories yet you will still be in a deficit.

Also, please include more strength or resistance training. Cardio isn't enough to maintain LBM while losing fat.

As far as how swift the process will be, aim for .5-1 lb losses a week. You didn't gain weight over night, so you can't expect to lose weight over night.

Weigh your food with a food scale. Use your measuring tape if you find that the scale hasn't moved to check for inch loss.

Hang in there. Good luck.

that is a very long post and i'll have to read it fully some other time and try to understand it a bit more. But um from what i skimmed through it says i should be eating around 800 cals because by doctors definition i am morbidly obese right now. So in my current state it's okay to eat so little after working out as long as as i lose weight the number goes up?

SNIP

Wow, no! I think you really misunderstood it. Please don't try to follow that method until you carefully read through and understand it and even ask someone else to run your numbers to verify. 800 is FAR too low!

While you are still using MFP, set your weight loss to 2 pounds per week. When you exercise, plan to eat back at least half of those calories and make sure you don't net any lower than 1200. The reason you still want to eat back calories is because MFP has already built in a calorie deficit when it calculates your daily calorie goal. If you exercise and don't eat back at least some of those calories, the deficit can be far too high. Sure you can handle a slightly larger calorie deficit because you're obese but you should still never net below 1200 - this is the average minimum calorie limit for women to insure you're getting proper nutrients on a daily basis. No need to starve yourself!

As far as the percentages go, if you are going by the MFP default, it's actually ideal to exceed your protein limit as the number they give is more of a minimum recommendation. If you want to custom set, a fairly standard macro balance for Carb/Protein/Fat is 40/30/30.

Keep it simple. Eat good foods at a reasonable deficit to lose weight and exercise for fitness.

This was incredibly easy to understand and i feel like it's answered my intended question the most accurately haha. so eat as much as i can between 1200cals and 1500 cals and eat at least half of my burnt calories back. however in the case that i only had 1200 cals in the day and burnt of say 400 cals leaving my net cals at 800, i should eat them all back because i should not go lower that 1200 at all times because it's not healthy.

as for the percentages yes i was going by he default and just started looking at them so i was close to the recommended. i'll change to the custom that everyones suggesting

thank you so much for your comment!

Nikoruo

MFP sets your calorie goal for what you need for daily life NOT including exercise. It gives you a calorie deficit based on how many pounds per week you say you want to lose. If you pick 2 pounds per week, it will subtract 1000 calories from your calculated needs.

Now, when you exercise, you need more food for fuel, because exercise was not included in what it figured you need. This is so that you would lose weight without exercise, just by diet alone. When you do exercise, it gives you more to eat, but you are still maintaining that 1000 calorie per day deficit.

So, for example, MFP says you need 2600 calories a day - 1000 to lose 2 pounds per week = 1600.
You eat 1600 on days you do not exercise, and you eat more than that on days you exercise.

Now, some people say the database for exercise calories can be inflated, so some people do not eat back all of those extra calories.

Okay that was pretty understandable haha, for some reason this stuff tends to confuse me really easy even though its probably super simple. I think i over complicate it like i do all kinds of math haha. But okay it makes perfect sense, i'll push up my calorie intake and make sure to eat back at least half of my burnt thank you so much for your comment!

TeaBea

Eating back exercise calories is NOT counter productive. MFP gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. Eating back exercise calories is to help you lose (mostly) fat and not muscle, think of it as fuel for your workouts.

Yes, you will lose "weight" faster with a larger deficit ....... but "weight" will be fat AND muscle.

By the way hunger is not a good indicator. There are plenty of people who are "too stuffed" to eat even 800 calories a day. It's because they are eating lots of foods that are high in volume and low in calories ...... these are low on the nutrition spectrum as well.

Nikoruo

Eating back exercise calories is NOT counter productive. MFP gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. Eating back exercise calories is to help you lose (mostly) fat and not muscle, think of it as fuel for your workouts.

Yes, you will lose "weight" faster with a larger deficit ....... but "weight" will be fat AND muscle.

By the way hunger is not a good indicator. There are plenty of people who are "too stuffed" to eat even 800 calories a day. It's because they are eating lots of foods that are high in volume and low in calories ...... these are low on the nutrition spectrum as well.

like potatoes i think right? haha, okay thank you so much! i'll push it up higher as to not hurt my muscles