Should net cals=my daily goal?

mommadizzle

Ive read a few discussions from the past few years on the topic, but looking for a fresh perspective.

I just changed my activity level from lightly active>sedentary, because from what I understand.. I shouldn't count the time I spend working out toward my activity level. Is this correct?

This sets my daily goal at 1500. Does that mean- in order to successfully lose weight, my net calories should total around 1500? I find this all so confusing, I just want to do everything I can in order to be successful and lose the rest of the weight I need to lose to reach my goal.

donyellemoniquex3

This is just an example:

Goal 1500
Eat 2000
Workout -500
Net 1500

The more you workout, the more you can eat and vice versa !

megsmom2

Exactly. You got it. Its not as complicated as you think it is. (Ignore the TDEE/BMR discussions, unless that's what you decide to do. Both approaches work fine...but you cant combine them)

wheird

Yes.

Aaron_K123

Yes you want to net your goal, you got it. You also want to set your goal reasonably and not try to lose weight too quickly.

I have my current settings as lightly active just because I walk to and from work and walk around some during the day but I do not include my exercise routinue in my activity level. For that I have estimates of my burn from exercise and I eat those calories back.

Means my net is around 1800 and my daily calories are often around 2100-2200.

mommadizzle

I think this is part of why this whole thing confuses me.
When I add food to my diary to make my net=my daily goal, my estimated weight in 5 weeks is higher than if I keep my net under my daily goal. Should I not be going by that?

Aaron_K123

I think this is part of why this whole thing confuses me.
When I add food to my diary to make my net=my daily goal, my estimated weight in 5 weeks is higher than if I keep my net under my daily goal. Should I not be going by that?

If you aren't also adding in your exercise burn to MFP then MFP doesn't know you burned calories exercising. If you DO log your estimated calories burned in the "exercise" tab for that day MFP will correct that for you.

If you don't tell it you burned 400 calories running and you eat 1900 calories it will just think you overate past your goal by 400. If you instead tell it you burned 400 calories running it will adjust your "goal" to 1900 and will report the same "you will be X pounds in 5 weeks" as it would have if you ate 1500 and did not exercise.

mommadizzle

I do track my cals burned on MFP using my heart rate monitor. I just wasn't sure if making my net cals=daily goal would be undoing the work I did to burn calories in the first place.

I really appreciate the thorough responses, thank you