Should I focus on net calories more than anything else?

alondrakar

I've counted many times before so I'd say I have a good basic understanding to the calorie counting method. However, this will be my first time focusing on net calories and I have a hunch that the reasons I hated the process before was because I only focused on my calorie intake instead of both intake and calories burned.

Should I focus a little more on net calories this go around?

How I track cals burned: Polar 360 HM watch
Workouts: HIIT/Lift 3-4x a week (private team/group workouts 45-50 minutes) + 1 mile run after every workout

I've lost 10 lbs before with cc and was able to maintain it about a year with intuitive eating, but now I am ready to tackle another 10 pounds which for whatever reason I cannot do with IE.

Any feedback/advice is appreciated!

MichelleSilverleaf

If intuitive eating isn't working anymore, get a food scale and start weighing and tracking.

alondrakar

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

If intuitive eating isn't working anymore, get a food scale and start weighing and tracking.

Yes that is what I am doing.. thank you.

puffbrat

MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories. Many people do find exercise calorie estimates to be inflated and subsequently only eat back 50-75%. You just need to pick a number, try it for a few weeks, and then reevaluate.

kshama2001

Yeah, no one would want to be around me if I didn't eat my exercise calories

Unlike other sites which use TDEE calculators, MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated for them and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others, however, are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

erickirb

an HRM watch will not give you close to accurate cals burned for lifting. hr is only a good estimator of cals burned for steady state cardio

sijomial

alondrakar wrote: »

I've counted many times before so I'd say I have a good basic understanding to the calorie counting method. However, this will be my first time focusing on net calories and I have a hunch that the reasons I hated the process before was because I only focused on my calorie intake instead of both intake and calories burned.

Should I focus a little more on net calories this go around?

How I track cals burned: Polar 360 HM watch
Workouts: HIIT/Lift 3-4x a week (private team/group workouts 45-50 minutes) + 1 mile run after every workout

I've lost 10 lbs before with cc and was able to maintain it about a year with intuitive eating, but now I am ready to tackle another 10 pounds which for whatever reason I cannot do with IE.

Any feedback/advice is appreciated!

Don't use heartrate to guess calories for the bolded exercise above as it's guesses will be badly exaggerated. Might be OK for the one mile run though.

There's a third option between calorie counting and intuitive eating - mindful eating.

alondrakar

Thank you all! I needed the assurance so I start off on the right foot.