Confused about net calories

greeneyedgirl

How many net calories are you supposed to consume? Somedays I am under and some days I am at 3-400 but I'm not quite sure where it should be at. Can anyone help?

greeneyedgirl

How many net calories are you supposed to consume? Somedays I am under and some days I am at 3-400 but I'm not quite sure where it should be at. Can anyone help?

lotusfromthemud

You should be consuming AT LEAST 1200 net calories a day.

If you just said you're at 300-400 net calories (maybe that's not what you meant to say?) you are very seriously undereating.

Think of the "net calories" as what your body is actually living on. You need them, trust me.:flowerforyou:

Net=calories consumed-calories burned through exercise.

greeneyedgirl

I'm supposed to eat 1200 but I work out and burn 800-1200 a day so I am eating too few? Is that right?

astridfeline

Yes you should eat 1200 (or your BMR calories), and eat your exercise calories too. MFP takes the calorie deficit from your normal daily activity level.

lotusfromthemud

I'm supposed to eat 1200 but I work out and burn 800-1200 a day so I am eating too few? Is that right?

If you're only eating 1200, and then burning 1200, you are essentially not eating anything at all. You should aim to have at the most 100-200 calories "left over" at the end of the day. Please eat more.:flowerforyou:

abbychelle07

If MFP recommends you eat 1200 calories, and you burn 800 calories in exercise, than you need to eat 2000 calories! Yes, that's right! Because otherwise you only really took in 400 calories to run your body, and your body's metabolism will slow down and you won't lose weight.

greeneyedgirl

oh I understand, I don't know why but maybe because I've never heard the term net calories before, I didn't really understand. Thanks to all who replied.