confused on NET Calories?

AwareFront
AwareFront Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, my goal is 1,300 calories and say i burn 400 at the gym. that would leave me with 900 calories. so then i'm suppose to eat those 400 calories again afterwards? if so, i don't really understand it because you're burning calories but then you're just eating them afterwards? how am I you suppose to lose weight? am i missing something or what?

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Your calorie deficit is already built in, you don't need to create a deficit through exercise. The way MFP is designed, you are meant to eat those calories back.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    I was confused about the exact same thing when I started. Yes, you're meant to eat them back - or at least some of them (a lot of people eat back 50-80% as the MFP database and exercise machines tend to overestimate). The reason to exercise is to improve your health and be able to eat more. Plus weight lifting helps retain your muscles, which will burn more calories, and make you look better when you reach your goal weight.

    Of course you don't have to exercise, you could just stick to your 1300 a day. That's what I did, and it worked.
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    The help section has some good material. Try this:
    http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1026720-how-does-myfitnesspal-work-

    and this:
    http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/12031-what-are-net-calories-

    If you let MFP set your goals using their guided tool, you should log exercise and eat those calories back.

    If you are setting your own custom goal, you may or may not need to bother logging exercise and eating it back. it would just depend upon where you get your daily calorie goal.

    BTW, if you are an 18 y/o male you really don't need to even be netting 1300 calories a day. Your hormonal profile is in the best condition that you will ever have in your entire life. IMHO there are much better ways for you to train then eating 1300 calories and doing 400 calories of cardio.

    Feel free to PM me if you want more information.

    Good luck!

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