Understanding “Net Calories”

kbrown1527

I’m just trying to make sure I am understanding net cals correctly..

If I consumed 1400 cals then after my exercise my net cals says 400.. does that mean I am in a 1000cal deficit for the day? Is that too much??

I’m currently trying to understand how my body works and how much to eat and how much to exercise for the best results that are maintainable.. and I am steadily losing 1lb a week (I would like to actually lose closer to 2lbs if possible) I’m afraid to make any changes that would make me gain vs lose because this is the first time I’ve actually been this consistent with how much I’m losing at a time!


My current stats
Height: 5’4”
SW:192
CW: 177
Goal: 130-140ish

I have my cals set at 1380, and macros are 40carbs/30protein/30 fat

I weight train 45min-1hr daily, plus do some sort of cardio(hiking/moderate pace jog/hiit) 45min-1.5hrs 4-5x a week mostly because I enjoy it so much.

kshama2001

kbrown1527 wrote: »

I’m just trying to make sure I am understanding net cals correctly..

If I consumed 1400 cals then after my exercise my net cals says 400.. does that mean I am in a 1000cal deficit for the day? Is that too much??

I’m currently trying to understand how my body works and how much to eat and how much to exercise for the best results that are maintainable.. and I am steadily losing 1lb a week (I would like to actually lose closer to 2lbs if possible) I’m afraid to make any changes that would make me gain vs lose because this is the first time I’ve actually been this consistent with how much I’m losing at a time!


My current stats
Height: 5’4”
SW:192
CW: 177
Goal: 130-140ish

I have my cals set at 1380, and macros are 40carbs/30protein/30 fat

I weight train 45min-1hr daily, plus do some sort of cardio(hiking/moderate pace jog/hiit) 45min-1.5hrs 4-5x a week mostly because I enjoy it so much.

1000 net calories does not reflect your deficit - it is your total eaten calories minus calories burned via exercise, and it is indeed too little.

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 are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.

https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-

kshama2001

Ps: with 30-40 pounds to lose, 1 pound a week loss is right on target

It's probably going to stop being consistent from week to week though - use a weight trending app such as Happy Scale (iphone) or Libra (Android) and focus on the trend, not the individual weigh-ins. I have Happy Scale and use the “Moving Average” as my official weight.

Retroguy2000

OP, you need to consider that everything is an estimate. It's estimates upon estimates upon estimates. Any TDEE calculator you look at including MFP is an estimate. Your exercise calories burned are an estimate. Speaking of, are you really burning an additional 1,000 from exercise in a day? Seems high to me. From what you describe, I'd be surprised if you're above 400 on average.

The best thing you can do is track your food and drink diligently, and track your weight change trend. If you are confident your intake is around 1400, and you are consistent with your exercise, then how much weight are you losing each week? If it's 1.5 pounds say, that's worth about 5,250 calories, or about 750 daily. If you are ingesting 1400 then your TDEE is around 1400+750. As you lose weight, your TDEE will drop slightly, and therefore with the same food and exercise your rate of weight loss will drop too.

Finally, your protein should be counted in grams, not as a % of net calories. And for you, since you're losing weight and lifting often, that should be at least 0.7g per pound, which would be about 124g.

yirara

The number MFP gives you includes your deficit. That means you should eat back your exercise calories. However, exercising for 1000 calories sounds like a lot. We see here a lot that calorie burn numbers are grossly inflated. If you're losing faster than 1lbs per week then yes, you need to eat more as it's not good for your body to lose too quickly. If you do exercise a lot each then then you really need to eat quite a lot more to fuel that exercise and your body.

kbrown1527

Thanks everyone.. all this info is very helpful