NET Calories + Exercise Question:

megtisdale
megtisdale Posts: 4 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm supposed to have around 1,200 calories a day, and am falling well below that upper limit.

However, that's after I burn 300 calories doing cardio each day.

My NET calories is usually below 1,000.

Should I be actively trying to fill those calories (because I know eating less than 1000/day can be bad for your health), or is it the TOTAL number of calories you eat daily, and not the NET that matters?

Thanks guys. :)

Replies

  • PartTimeSarah
    PartTimeSarah Posts: 19 Member
    It's down to the amount of calories you consume, not whether or not your final net calories is at or above 1200

    Hope that helps!
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    no, your NET needs to be above 1200, more like 1400-1500. 1200 is too low for most people and it is a shame that MFP defaults to that for everyone. Bump up your activity level to active or lightly active if you have it at sedentary and change your goal to half a pound or 1 lb a week, but not 2 lbs a week. That is only safe and healthy if you are obese and need to lose a lot, like over 50 lbs...

    If you eat too little you will stall your loss, and be tired and weak.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    These threads are VERY long but please read them all the way through, there is much to be learned.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/172515-frantic-about-adhering-to-the-right-calorie-intake-read-t
  • PartTimeSarah
    PartTimeSarah Posts: 19 Member
    However, the fact remains that the warning about consuming too few calories leading to going into "starvation mode" (whether or not that is actually the case) will not appear so long as the calories you have consumed is 1200 or more. I just did an experiment on my diary and, even though my net calories for today would be around -200, if I consumed 1200 or more, the warning did not show up. Also, I think that if one changes their dieting settings to something other than losing 2+ lbs. a week, the daily calorie goal shifts, so it isn't in fact the default for everyone.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
    exactly, which is why I told her to change it to 1 lb, because I was assuming it was at 2.
    By defaults for everyone I mean that's where it stops. It won't go any lower than that for anyone. But males should have 1500 as a drastic low bare minimum and they put males down to 1200 too.

    MOST humans REQUIRE a LOT more than 1200 and it is a shame that MFP goes as low as that for anyone. Maybe they should make 1500 the low for everyone and if someone wants to starve themselves or is under a doctor's supervision then they can lower it through the custom goals. But the "1200 plan" that everyone seems to think they should be on is ludicrous and is starving people.

    My body consumes 2200 calories a day just living my life (as proved by my BodyMediaFit), and I eat 1800, so I am still in a deficit of 400 and losing by eating 1800 and I weigh 104.4 as of this morning
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