Net Calories

GoBanana76

What exactly are these? I get 1300 per day and end my work day with around 400-500, go to the gym and burn 600, does that mean i am supposed to eat what i burned? are the net calories what i ate in that day with the deduction of excercise?

ChRiStA_1983

Net calories are your total caloric allowance for the day (so, in my case it's 1,380 if I want to lose one pound per week), MINUS your EXERCISE calories burned....Your goal should be to keep your net calories at a MINIMUM of 1,200 (roughly)....If you're slightly over, or slightly under, it's not a huge deal, but as a general rule, your day should be ending with a NET of 1,200 calories (or MORE, but not less!).

Therefore, since my caloric allowance is 1,380, if my NET calories are listed as 1,380 (therefore, I've eaten all that I am "allowed" to eat in one day), and then I go and exercise and burn off 300 calories, then I should be eating back the number of calories that will get me to a NET of 1,200....(therefore, I would be at 1,080 net, and I would need to eat at least 120 calories back to be at 1,200).

Does that make sense?

looby1968

Lots of different opinions on this but I think there is a thread from the makers of this website which basically says that you do eat back all or most your exercise calories.

I used to swim for an hour, 4-5 times a week, burning around 900 calories each session. If I didn't eat back all, or most of those calories, I'd've been surviving on around 300 calories a day!!!!

I don't swim anymore, I've found different exercises I enjoy more, but I do still eat back as many of those exercise calories as I possibly can!!!

LouiseXXX

edorice

Think of Net Calories as your take home pay. If you net 400 calories at the end of the day after you've exercised (after they take out taxes) then you only end up with 400 calories at the end of the day. Not good. Our brains need 500 calories alone, so we should net about 1,200 calories. Some of us need to net more than 1,200.

edorice

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/69708-calorie-deficit-for-dummies-a-little-long
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/155953-should-i-eat-my-exercise-calories?hl=exercise+calories
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/138631-stupid-exercise-calories-yeah-i-said-it?hl=exercise+calories#posts-1888371

GoBanana76

Thanks for the replies. So I should eat them then? The other day i was left with a net of 906 and only ate half of them!! yikes!

edorice

Thanks for the replies. So I should eat them then? The other day i was left with a net of 906 and only ate half of them!! yikes!

Yes, you should start eating at least half of your exercise calories and see how you do.

GoBanana76

OK, so i was doing it right then. It just doesnt make sense when they say you have to burn more calories than you take in. because in the end you are eating what you are burning.