Net Calories = Confusion!!!

coleblu13
coleblu13 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
OK so I have my net calories set at 1400. On the days I exercise I end up with 700-1000 net calories. Then MFP dings me for eating too little. Should I be eating more. I feel that defeats the point?!? Assistance please!

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    MFP is a NEAT method (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) calculator. When you set your activity level, it is supposed to be without exercise. So exercise becomes and extra activity beyond your daily hum drum...that activity needs fuel...so you NET to your GOAL calories. That mean you eat your exercise calories because they are unaccounted for in your activity level. Just keep in mind that its easy to overestimate so most people just eat about 1/2 to 2/3 of those calories back depending on how accurate the device is they are using to estimate burn. If it's a database, it's very inaccurate...if it's a heart rate monitor, it's more accurate, but still an estimate that can be 20% - 30% off.

    With a NEAT method calculator, if you don't account for your exercise burn by eating some of those back, you create a weight loss deficit that is overly large and counterproductive in that you start burning a lot of muscle along with your fat...which doesn't look so hot when you actually achieve your goal weight. You achieve that "skinny fat" look....where you're skinny, but your ratio of fat to lean mass is way out of whack.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Actual calories minus exercise calories = net calories. You are supposed to eat back those calories burned through exercise to bring your net cals to goal, or close to it.

    Your daily goal before exercise already has you at a deficit, meaning eat to goal every day, do zero exercise, and you'll lose weight. When you exercise and burn off more cals, you're creating a much larger deficit, which can do ya more harm than good in the long run. This is why your exercise cals are added back into your daily goal.

    If your daily goal is 1400 cals, and you eat 1400 and then exercise and burn off 300, that only leaves you with 1100 cals for the day, which isn't very much. Food is fuel! :smile:

    Does that help?

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