Do you look at the NET or the calories consumed?

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infamous1997
infamous1997 Posts: 46 Member
in Getting Started
If you're trying to eat 1600 but the food says 1800 and the NET says 1400. Do you eat up to 1600 NET or do you stop?

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  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
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    I am not certain what you're asking. MFP has a database of the calories in the food you're eating, if there is a disparity with something else you're looking at, you should probably enter it on MFP.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    The way MFP is set up you eat net, although depending on how you got the burn for the exercise you did a lot of people discount it some (MFP tends to overestimate), so may adjust down for that.
  • thegreatcanook
    thegreatcanook Posts: 2,419 Member
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    I stick with the food. I eat 1900 calories every day and don't eat back calories from exercise unless it passes an 800 calorie difference (ie, a long run day). It's worked for me. Feel free to add me.
  • ninav1980
    ninav1980 Posts: 514 Member
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    I personally dont even look at the NET number. I just eat 1450-1500 calories even if I work out and burn more on some days than others. Always the same.
  • Icandoityayme
    Icandoityayme Posts: 312 Member
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    I don't pay attention to the net. I eat my calorie goal and as long as I don't go over on 300-500 calories burned I just leave it at that. I am not overly active except for the exercising so it isn't a big deal to me.
  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
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    I look at total, paying attention to macros.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
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    I look at total consumed not net. I follow the TDEE method, so I eat the same calories everyday unless I have a big exercise burn for the day (1200+ calories burned).
  • FutureMrs0515
    FutureMrs0515 Posts: 18 Member
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    I eat the net, but I'm a pretty active person after work so I have a bigger exercise number - that being said I only eat if I'm hungry, so if I have calories left but I'm not hungry I leave them.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    MFP is set up for you to eat up to your net. There's already a deficit set into your goal. Making a bigger deficit can end up being counterproductive, so you should eat those exercise calories!
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    If you're trying to eat 1600 but the food says 1800 and the NET says 1400.
    Do you eat up to 1600 NET or do you stop?
    My doctor & dietician (both in the weight loss clinic) say to ignore net.
    If your goal is 1600, eat 1600 & ignore what MFP adds for exercise.
    Once in a while, if you're really hungry at the end of the day, have 1/3 to 1/2 of your exercise calories in a snack.

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