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how close to my net calorie goal should I be?

laurabritton54
laurabritton54 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
it's my understanding that MFP overestimates calories burned. I'm just curious as to how close to my net calorie goal I should be getting. I've been trying to stay around 1300-1400 calories consumed each day and I'm working out daily, at least 30 minutes of one cardio 5days/week (elliptical/stationary bike/mountain bike/treadmill on an incline 3.5mph/) and 2 days of yoga/30minutes and bodyweight training/15 minutes. MFP has set my NET calorie goal to 1300. how close to your net calories do you typically go? I've also seen some sights that say your net calories should be 0 to maintain and under to lose.

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Typically, your should try to net your goal as close as possible.

    If you're using MFP's database for exercise though, eat only 50-75% of those calories (since it overestimates).
    If you were using a HRM, I'd say eat them all, but if you're using MFP, yeah, it overestimates.

    That being said, make sure you net is above 1200 calories.
  • MlleKelly
    MlleKelly Posts: 356 Member
    My intake goal is 1690 calories a day and I get as close to that as possible, no matter how many calories I burn during exercise. In my mind, that negates the whole point of weight loss...Fewer calories in, more calories out. 1690 calories is the limit I should eat if I want to lose 1.5 pounds a week and not do any exercise, so even when I do exercise, I don't eat more than 1690 calories because I feel like those exercise calories are just bonus.

    That's totally not scientific in any way, but I've had more success sticking to that plan than allowing myself to eat more because I've burned more.

    Granted, I'm training for a half-marathon, so I will eat more that 1690 calories on my long run days when I'm burning 800+ calories, but I'll still probably try to keep it around 2100.

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