Help! Net Calories! Starvation! Help!

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SMK715
SMK715 Posts: 108
in Food and Nutrition
I was thinking about something and I worried myself. Im always focused on my calories taken in and my calories remaining, but I've never really looked at my net calories. I completely understand what net calories are and why the number is what it is so that's not the issue. What I want to know is: do I need to have 1200 NET calories in order to avoid starvation mode on workout days, or does that not matter?

I plan my days out the night before and tomorrow I will only be at like 1000 net calories, but I plan on eating over 1300

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  • asallen7
    asallen7 Posts: 301
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    bump
  • Kolohe71
    Kolohe71 Posts: 613 Member
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    Net should be over 1200.

    BTW, 1200 is a theoretical number and does not mean that you won't end up in starvation mode. I'm only 10 lbs heavier than you and went into a plateau with 1350 net calories. You really should think of upping your net to around 1500.
  • lnorris7
    lnorris7 Posts: 4
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    From what I gathered, you have to have 1200 net calories. I ate a whole ton more than my recommended caloric suggestions today, but since my net was only 300 calories, MFP told me that I was going to be in starvation mode. My guess is you have to have the 1200 net. I could be wrong though :)
  • SMK715
    SMK715 Posts: 108
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    I just read a forum that explained it this way.. the body doesn't know if you are burning calories through exercise or just being alive. Because we burn calories at rest, we have a negative net intake everyday already. Say I burn 2200 calories a day at rest for this example.. I eat 1200 calories and don't exercise. MFP will say my net is 1200. Now I exercise and burn 200 calories and MFP says my net is 1000. If im burning 2200 calories at rest, my net would actually be 1200-200-2200 for a net of -1200.
  • bigislandgrrl
    bigislandgrrl Posts: 196 Member
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    Bumpity Bump!
  • Kolohe71
    Kolohe71 Posts: 613 Member
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    I just read a forum that explained it this way.. the body doesn't know if you are burning calories through exercise or just being alive. Because we burn calories at rest, we have a negative net intake everyday already. Say I burn 2200 calories a day at rest for this example.. I eat 1200 calories and don't exercise. MFP will say my net is 1200. Now I exercise and burn 200 calories and MFP says my net is 1000. If im burning 2200 calories at rest, my net would actually be 1200-200-2200 for a net of -1200.
    This is correct.

    There are roughly 3500 calories in a pound of fat. So to lose 1 lb you need to have a shortage of about 3500 calories. If you have an (overall based on your example) net of -500 per day, you should theoretically lose 1 lbs a week (-500 * 7 days = -3500). The trick is to maintain the negative net without going too far as to cause your body to go into starvation mode.

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