net is frustrating me

heather0416

Is it really important to keep my net around 1200? It's usually around 700-900. I try to keep my calories around 1200-1400.. am I going to put my body into starvation mode with my net thAT low? I don't want to eat more... and I don't want to stop exercising either..

baisleac

Your NET calories (on your home page) should be as close to the daily goal MFP set for you as possible.

Your REMAINING calories (on your homepage and food diary page) should be as close to zero as possible.

MFP builds in a deficit for you based on the information you gave it: height, weight, lifestyle, goal weight loss, etc.. All you need to do is follow the calorie goals it gives you.



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BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure (also called Maintenance calories)
Calorie = (unit of measurement), a unit of energy or heat variously defined. In nutrition terms, the word calorie is commonly used to refer to a unit of food energy. (The word calorie is used instead of the more precise scientific term kilocalorie.)

BMR and TDEE are two different things..

BMR is the amount of energy (calories) your body needs to function in a coma.

TDEE is the amount of energy (calories) that your body actually uses (burns) each day by living your life.

Eating less than your TDEE will give you a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.

Eat less than your BMR and you risk slowing your metabolism down; making it that much harder to continue to lose weight and that much more likely that you will regain that weight when you get to maintenance.

erickirb

You could, and the closer you get to your goal the more important it becomes to eat closer to your maintenance.

tanyizzle

I feel the same way, I can never get my net to 1200. If I do I never seem to lose any weight. my net usually stays around 800. It has been working so far for me. I lose about 2-3 lbs per week.

erickirb

I feel the same way, I can never get my net to 1200. If I do I never seem to lose any weight. my net usually stays around 800. It has been working so far for me. I lose about 2-3 lbs per week.

since you have a lot to lose this may work for you, but I would still not recommend it.
The less you have to lose the smaller you weekly loss goal should be. the OP only has 13 lbs to go so should have a goal of 0.5lbs/week maybe 1 lb but for the last 10 def 0.5/week. And eat all your exercise calories. This ensures you are burning mostly fat, instead of burning muscle, which will happen if you don't eat enough or don't do strength training.

qtpiesmom

Simple ways to bump your calories. Eat some cheese, drink some milk or eat some nuts

sarahenagy

I simply just can't understand that "I have trouble getting my 1200 calories" thing. I have a reallly hard time not being hungry at 1200 a day! Good for you who can manage on 800-900, but I definitely cannot, I would be starving!

christinathompson1

yes! i learned that the hard way
try to keep your net calories at 1200..
or else your body is going to go into starvation mode and it's going to store the fat and you will be exercising for nothing! and you won't lose as much as you could. i know how you feel cause sometime my net calories are only 340's because i exercise a lot! someone told me "if you can't eat the calories don't to the exercise"
good luck hun!

britachu

I simply just can't understand that "I have trouble getting my 1200 calories" thing. I have a reallly hard time not being hungry at 1200 a day! Good for you who can manage on 800-900, but I definitely cannot, I would be starving!

Same here! Some days I exercise just so I can eat more...

tanyizzle

I feel the same way, I can never get my net to 1200. If I do I never seem to lose any weight. my net usually stays around 800. It has been working so far for me. I lose about 2-3 lbs per week.

since you have a lot to lose this may work for you, but I would still not recommend it.
The less you have to lose the smaller you weekly loss goal should be. the OP only has 13 lbs to go so should have a goal of 0.5lbs/week maybe 1 lb but for the last 10 def 0.5/week. And eat all your exercise calories. This ensures you are burning mostly fat, instead of burning muscle, which will happen if you don't eat enough or don't do strength training.

So far I have been burning fat not muscle (according to my gyms body fat% thing ) I do strength training as well. I agree I should up my daily calories though.

rileysowner

I feel the same way, I can never get my net to 1200. If I do I never seem to lose any weight. my net usually stays around 800. It has been working so far for me. I lose about 2-3 lbs per week.

since you have a lot to lose this may work for you, but I would still not recommend it.
The less you have to lose the smaller you weekly loss goal should be. the OP only has 13 lbs to go so should have a goal of 0.5lbs/week maybe 1 lb but for the last 10 def 0.5/week. And eat all your exercise calories. This ensures you are burning mostly fat, instead of burning muscle, which will happen if you don't eat enough or don't do strength training.

I second this about the original poster. You need to not only eat your net, but you need to have a weight loss goal of .5 to 1 pound a week. Anything more and you will start to suffer the consequences in stalled weight loss.

heather0416

That's what I was afraid of... thanks. I'm trying to lose another 20lbs so I don't want to eat any more than I have been but looks like that's the only way to keep my net up.