Please help.....still don't get it

eilis12

Hi!
So I'm new. New with weight loss, new at MFP. Been reading a lot about this but I still don't get it. I know there's a ton about this (I've been reading) but please be nice...


In my start page there's this:

http://tynipic.com/viewer.php?id=jdv1318999492c.png

Can someone please try to explain how this can help me with weight loss???
from what I've read that 79 is a good number??? My goal calories were 1220 in the morning, but earned 468 calories from exercise today.
How does getting my NET = GOAL helps?

I feel really stupid with this numbers, they're really confusing to me?

HELP!!!!

jessicatovar32

Ok so 79 is your calories remaining for the day (meaning you can still eat 79 calories and be exactly at you goal amount of calories for the day).

NostalgicDruid

To sum up your goal calories:

You input some information (height/weight/age/activity level etc.) to see how many calories you can eat to achieve a set goal (say, a pound a week). Even meeting this goal, you will still lose that set amount. You don't have to undercut it to see the results.

By exercising, you burn calories. These calories are added, because you still want to meet a certain amount of calories to maintain weight loss. If your net is under 1200, your body will go into starvation mode and will hold onto fat, so make sure you are eating enough.

Again: Your goal + calories burned = safe amount to eat to still lose the amount you set to lose per week.

Heather_Garland

Okay, you are supposed to put in what you ate that day and what you exercised that day. Let's use even numbers as an example. Let's say this site says not to take in more than 2000 calories a day. You slacked a little and took in 2200. That's two hundred over! So let's say you exercised too that day and burnt 400 calories exercising. 2200 minus 400 is 1800 calories that day. That is your net calories.

If you eat less calories, less fat, less carbs, ect. than what it tell you then you will loose weight. On a more easier scale, if you are supposed to eat 2000 calories a day and you stay eating 2000 calories, your weight will stay the same. If you eat more then you will gain weight. If you eat less then you will loose weight. Does it make sense now? Because this is the best I can do to explain it to you lol

eilis12

To sum up your goal calories:

You input some information (height/weight/age/activity level etc.) to see how many calories you can eat to achieve a set goal (say, a pound a week). Even meeting this goal, you will still lose that set amount. You don't have to undercut it to see the results.

By exercising, you burn calories. These calories are added, because you still want to meet a certain amount of calories to maintain weight loss. If your net is under 1200, your body will go into starvation mode and will hold onto fat, so make sure you are eating enough.

Again: Your goal + calories burned = safe amount to eat to still lose the amount you set to lose per week.

So my 1271 NET is good. But if I get those 79 more calories It will not affect my goals? Even if I meet my NET to my GOAL?
For what I can grasp from all these reading then my weight loss will be determined by things like my activity level, etc. that I input at the beginning, and the goal calories consumed will just help fuel my body.

If there's something I'm not getting right please tell me....

catdoc1

You've got it. Set your personal parameters correctly. Log everything you eat. Log your exercise. Eat less than your allotted daily calories + your exercise calories (and never less than 1200 calories), and you should lose weight.

BTW, the system has a little glitch in that it doesn't re-set your allotted daily calories down (as it should as your body gets smaller) after you log a weight loss. To re-set it, you need to go back in to your goals and re-set them (you don't have to change anything, just re-affirm your goals) and then MFP will re-calculate your daily allotted calories. This will make more sense when you log your first loss, or perhaps someone else can explain it better.

Then, find some friends! This is the best part about MFP. Some people like to collect large numbers of friends. Others prefer a small number so then can get to know them, but it's a very important part of what MFP offers. We need our friends to make this happen! You can "search" for friends and send a friend request, or you can see someone that's posted and feel a connection, then send them a friend request.

Good luck! MFP is fantastic, addictive, and effective!

pixardad

eilis12,

I think you're getting it. I know you've read a lot, but allow me to throw in my $.02:

When you created your account, you entered information about yourself including how much you want to lose in a week. MFP did some math-magic and came up with 1350 for your daily calorie allowance. So to lose weight, you have some options:

1) Don't exercise and eat only up to 1350 calories. You should lose weight.

2) Exercise and eat only up to 1350 calories. You'll lose weight faster in the short term, but your body will start to level off or enter "starvation mode" because it isn't getting enough calories overall. The faster weight loss is a result of eating 1350 calories, but burning some with the exercise. The result is less than 1350 calories in your body at the end of the day.

3) Exercise and eat such that your "Calories Remaining" is as close to 0 as possible. This results weight loss, increased metabolism (helping weight loss) but isn't depriving your body of the calories in needs in a day to function efficiently (in your case, 1350). This also means you could eat more than 1350, but exercise to burn off the excess.

WARNING: don't think you can use 1350 and them burn lots of calories. If you eat 1350 and exercise to burn more than 200-300, I've heard this is depriving your body and you will *not* lose weight efficiently because at the end of the day, you're body has less than it needs (1350-200=1150 or less).

Probably confused you more, but I hope you were able to glean some information. Good Luck.

--PixarDad