Please help me understand the Net Calories

RunConquerCelebrate

Please help me understand the Net Calories on my home page I thought I had it all figure it out but than read a post and asked some questions and now I am more confused than ever. Please help me so that I can do the right thing and eat healthy, loose weight and not make my body go into starvation mode.

This is an example of what my day was yesterday


My daily goal of calories is 1435 I ate 1744 in food minus what I burned in exercise 652 home page shows me a net of 1092 remaining 343. So my question is does it mean I have only ate 1092 calories since I burned 652? and I need to eat at least 300 more calories in order to get past the 1200 mark ( I know 1200 is a just a starting point) or am I looking at this wrong? So far I had been going with what my diary said and not even paying attention to my home page for yesterday this what my diary showed:

My diary shows total 1744
Daily goal 2087
Remaining 343

When I looked at that I was like well I already ate 1744 of the calories that I am supposed to eat 2087 I have 343 left. But I think that the diary is adding your exercise calories where the home page is subtracting the calories that you burned.

Hopefully this will be the last time I ask this question and finally get it through my head

Thanks everyone.

NoAdditives

Yes, you have it right. Net calories are calories consumed minus calories burned. So in order to get to at least 1200 net calories a day, or to get to your goal, you have to eat some or all of your exercise calories.

Mindful_Trent

So my question is does it mean I have only ate 1092 calories since I burned 652? and I need to eat at least 300 more calories in order to get past the 1200 mark ( I know 1200 is a just a starting point) or am I looking at this wrong?

You understand it perfectly, except you only need 100 more calories to reach a net of 1200, not 300.

When you exercise, you're using up some of the calories you've eaten, so they're not available for regular body functioning. Because of your 652 exercise calories, only 1092 calories were available for normal functioning. You only needed to eat a little over 100 more to hit a net of 1200. (if you ate 1860, for example, you would've had a net of just over 1200).

Many people on MFP say that you should have a minimum net of 1200 to ensure you're properly fueling your body. I admit that I don't always hit the 1200 mark, but I DO try and eat some of my exercise calories back. 1100 net probably isn't too horrible, but some people are regularly having a net of 300, 400, 600 .... over time this will cause your body to lower your metabolism so it requires less calories to function. This will slow weight loss and cause you to gain weight more easily when you up your calorie intake.

sunnyk8

This is an example of what my day was yesterday


My daily goal of calories is 1435 I ate 1744 in food minus what I burned in exercise 652 home page shows me a net of 1092 remaining 343. So my question is does it mean I have only ate 1092 calories since I burned 652? and I need to eat at least 300 more calories in order to get past the 1200 mark ( I know 1200 is a just a starting point) or am I looking at this wrong?

That is exactly correct.

chocolatnoir

Yesterday after your workout your net calories was 1092 (you burned all the rest of it off).

So, you were short of your goal and MFP encourages you to meet that goal so your body gets the proper amount of nutrition.

I always check my home page throughout the day to see where I am at!

erickirb

Net calories is essentially what you ate - your workout calories. If you ate 1500 calories and burned 300 from exercise your Net calories would be1200 and if you goal was 1300 you would have to eat 100 more to reach your goal of 1300 Net or 1600 total (1300+300).

meggonkgonk

Net calories are actually really easy:


I eat 1800 calories. I exercise and burn 500 calories. My NET consumed calories is 1300. Thats it.

RunConquerCelebrate

Thanks for replying and clarifying for me

RunConquerCelebrate

So my question is does it mean I have only ate 1092 calories since I burned 652? and I need to eat at least 300 more calories in order to get past the 1200 mark ( I know 1200 is a just a starting point) or am I looking at this wrong?

You understand it perfectly, except you only need 100 more calories to reach a net of 1200, not 300.

When you exercise, you're using up some of the calories you've eaten, so they're not available for regular body functioning. Because of your 652 exercise calories, only 1092 calories were available for normal functioning. You only needed to eat a little over 100 more to hit a net of 1200. (if you ate 1860, for example, you would've had a net of just over 1200).

Many people on MFP say that you should have a minimum net of 1200 to ensure you're properly fueling your body. I admit that I don't always hit the 1200 mark, but I DO try and eat some of my exercise calories back. 1100 net probably isn't too horrible, but some people are regularly having a net of 300, 400, 600 .... over time this will cause your body to lower your metabolism so it requires less calories to function. This will slow weight loss and cause you to gain weight more easily when you up your calorie intake.

oops had my math wrong a little too early for me. Thanks for clarifying not it all makes sense

RunConquerCelebrate

Yesterday after your workout your net calories was 1092 (you burned all the rest of it off).

So, you were short of your goal and MFP encourages you to meet that goal so your body gets the proper amount of nutrition.

I always check my home page throughout the day to see where I am at!

Good idea going to start checking my home page more often now

RunConquerCelebrate

Net calories is essentially what you ate - your workout calories. If you ate 1500 calories and burned 300 from exercise your Net calories would be1200 and if you goal was 1300 you would have to eat 100 more to reach your goal of 1300 Net or 1600 total (1300+300).

Thanks I guess is not as hard as I thought I was just confusing my self

RunConquerCelebrate

Net calories are actually really easy:


I eat 1800 calories. I exercise and burn 500 calories. My NET consumed calories is 1300. Thats it.

I like that idea I was thinking of increasing my calories since I average around 500 cals during my workouts

pkd1

Its all greek to me also i dont understand any of it.

JodiS75

I'm going to come back and read this :-) Maybe I'm confused too?

MisdemeanorM

Also, 1200 is just a generic number. It's not the bare minimum for everyone. Some might be a little lower and some higher. I can't net below about 1400 w/out getting fatigued after a few days. So figure out what is the best net for you personally, and NOT just #s thrown around by others. Also, it's not critical that you meet that net EVERY day. Chronically being under is detrimental, but a day or so here and there of netting 500 will not long term affect you negatively. It's not like an "on and off switch" with starvation mode.

RunConquerCelebrate

Also, 1200 is just a generic number. It's not the bare minimum for everyone. Some might be a little lower and some higher. I can't net below about 1400 w/out getting fatigued after a few days. So figure out what is the best net for you personally, and NOT just #s thrown around by others. Also, it's not critical that you meet that net EVERY day. Chronically being under is detrimental, but a day or so here and there of netting 500 will not long term affect you negatively. It's not like an "on and off switch" with starvation mode.

Thanks I was just throwing the 1200 out there because it seems to be an easy number to start with. I will start playing with the numbers to see what works for me but I have noticed that on the days when I burn a lot of cals and I was not paying attention to my Net numbers I was feeling sluggish and could not figure out why, since my diary showed different. But now I get it

RunConquerCelebrate

I'm going to come back and read this :-) Maybe I'm confused too?

I have been on this website for 3 months now and it just clicked and now it all makes sense. It took me doing some math yesterday by looking at my diary and my home page but eventually it clicked and with this post people have confirmed it.

RunConquerCelebrate

Its all greek to me also i dont understand any of it.

Maybe I can help you understand it, it just clicked for me yesterday and I have been on here for 3 months

pkd1

Yes, you have it right. Net calories are calories consumed minus calories burned. So in order to get to at least 1200 net calories a day, or to get to your goal, you have to eat some or all of your exercise calories.

Ok so at the end of the nigt when you total up all you calories and exercise calories used whatever is on your net calories is your actual calories consumed that day? please help haha

pkd1

Its all greek to me also i dont understand any of it.

Maybe I can help you understand it, it just clicked for me yesterday and I have been on here for 3 months

ok so does my recent post about the net calories at the end of the day(those are the calories u go by)? i was going with the food chat numbers on the bottom of the page OMG thats prob why ive been doing this for 50 days and only lost 4 lbs, working out 6 days a week but lost inches. its getting very frustrating, i think i shld be lossing more but i think i have the calories all wrong, im on 1300 a day

RunConquerCelebrate

Yes, you have it right. Net calories are calories consumed minus calories burned. So in order to get to at least 1200 net calories a day, or to get to your goal, you have to eat some or all of your exercise calories.

Ok so at the end of the nigt when you total up all you calories and exercise calories used whatever is on your net calories is your actual calories consumed that day? please help haha

Yes what your Net calorie shows is what you ended up consuming after you exercise or what your body has left to do its normal functions.

so for me yesterday before I exercise I ate 1744 in food I burned in exercise 652 cals. Home page shows me a net of 1092 remaining 343.

When looking at my home page my body had 1092 calories to do its normal function like another poster said this might be good for me, it might not mean I am going in starvation mode but if I start feeling hungry and tired I can eat the remaining calories or at least some of them ( 343) to bring my Net higher.


Hope this helps and I did not make it more confusing