Net Calories

toadflaxbex

Please can someone explain net calories to me as I really don’t get it from reading the article.

Here are mine at end of today...

NorthCascades

It sounds like you used about 450 calories on exercise or movement instead of on staying alive.

Lietchi

These numbers are chosen for illustration purposes:

Imagine a day where you are active in accordance with your activity level on MFP (for example sedentary) and you don't exercise. You eat the number of calories indicated by MFP, 1200 calories, but your body needs 1950 calories to fuel itself. You have a deficit of 750 calories, corresponding to the weight loss rate you selected, 1.5lbs per week.

Now imagine a day where you are more active than your chosen activity level (extra steps) or you have exercised, burning 400 calories extra compared to your chosen activity level. Your body needs 2350 calories now to fuel itself.
If you eat 1200 calories, you will have a calorie deficit 400 kcal larger than intended or the weight loss rate you selected.
Your body needs 400 calories extra for fuel, so you need to eat 400 calories extra.
MFP subtracts extra calories burned (exceeding your activity level or doing exercise) from your consumed calories, to calculate your net calories. Your net calories should be equal to your calorie goal.