I apologize if this is a dumb question...

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JennC831
JennC831 Posts: 631 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How do you calculate the 3500 deficit from factoring in exercise and your food intake?

My daily calorie goal intake is set at 1370....

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  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    If you have a 500 calories deficit per day, times 7 days a week equals 3500 cals per week, or 1 lb lost. 1000 calorie deficit per day would be 2 lbs per week.

    MFP shows you how many calories you have left after exercise. You don't need to do anything. Just eat the calories it tells you to eat. The deficit is already accounted for before you enter exercise calories.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,569 Member
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    How do you calculate the 3500 deficit from factoring in exercise and your food intake?

    My daily calorie goal intake is set at 1370....
    If you're trying to lose a pound a week, that 3500 is broken down to minus 500 calories per day.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,962 Member
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    Your calorie goal will already have your deficit accounted for. Whether you calculated properly is another story. Sounds low if you exercise regularly unless you chose to lose more than 1 lb a week, which is never a good idea, and a more desperate action that generally will fail.
  • E_Cee83
    E_Cee83 Posts: 22 Member
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    You may find some helpful info here :-)
    http://www.apinchofhealth.com/resources/BMR-and-calories.html
  • JennC831
    JennC831 Posts: 631 Member
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    This is what my day looked like yesterday:

    Goal=1370/ Food = 1419/ Exercise = 495/ Net = 924

    Good? Bad? Terrible?
  • nothingisred
    nothingisred Posts: 292
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    MFP will calculate how many calories your body burns in a day by what you tell it about how sedentary/active your daily lifestyle is without including exercise (so whether you spend all day at a desk or whether you spend all day lifting heavy boxes, for example). Because I'm an office worker I think mine is about 1760.

    MFP will then deduct a deficit from this depending on how much you tell it you would like to lose a week (but it won't go below 1200 per day because otherwise your body will go into starvation mode). So to lose 1lb per week you need a weekly deficit of 3500 calories, or 500 per day. So it will automatically deduct this deficit from your essential calories, which is how it comes up with your daily goal.

    All you have to do is log your food and exercises and aim to eat the goal it gives you. It will add on your exercise calories to your goal, there are NUMEROUS threads about on whether or not you should eat back your exercise calories, that is really down to you and what works for your body.

    Hope that makes sense!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    How do you calculate the 3500 deficit from factoring in exercise and your food intake?

    My daily calorie goal intake is set at 1370....

    MFP has done it for you, thats why you have 1370 cals. this doesnt include exercise, so you can eat all your exercise calories back.
  • MummyOfSeven
    MummyOfSeven Posts: 314 Member
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    This is what my day looked like yesterday:

    Goal=1370/ Food = 1419/ Exercise = 495/ Net = 924

    Good? Bad? Terrible?

    Bad! Your NET calories really shouldn't fall below 1,200 - ever.
  • curlyclo
    curlyclo Posts: 243 Member
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    This is what my day looked like yesterday:

    Goal=1370/ Food = 1419/ Exercise = 495/ Net = 924

    Good? Bad? Terrible?

    Your calorie deficit is already calculated for you, so ideally you want your "net" to be as close to your "goal" as possible at the end of the day.
  • nothingisred
    nothingisred Posts: 292
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    This is what my day looked like yesterday:

    Goal=1370/ Food = 1419/ Exercise = 495/ Net = 924

    Good? Bad? Terrible?

    Your net really needs to stay above 1200 or your body will go into starvation mode. Whether you eat the rest of your exercise calories back is up to you.

    The 1370 already accounts for a 500 calorie deficit, so at a net of 924 you are at about a deficit of around 946 calories for the day.
  • JennC831
    JennC831 Posts: 631 Member
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    Its hard for me to eat back all of the calories... Seriously... After my workout it's like I'm basically starting over.. I drank a protein shake, and made a cabbage type soup with turkey sasuage... I was super full!! Could not eat any more...
  • MummyOfSeven
    MummyOfSeven Posts: 314 Member
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    Its hard for me to eat back all of the calories... Seriously... After my workout it's like I'm basically starting over.. I drank a protein shake, and made a cabbage type soup with turkey sasuage... I was super full!! Could not eat any more...

    I understand. I have days when I've exercised a lot and trying to eat back ALL of the calories is hell. At least try to make sure that you don't fall below 1,200 calories NET.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,962 Member
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    Its hard for me to eat back all of the calories... Seriously... After my workout it's like I'm basically starting over.. I drank a protein shake, and made a cabbage type soup with turkey sasuage... I was super full!! Could not eat any more...
    Try more calorie dense foods.....just not as many as you did before you started to diet.
  • misty5976
    misty5976 Posts: 45 Member
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    so... just to clarify for myself... :) it's OK to be under your "goal" calories - but don't go under so far that it puts you below 1200... is that right?

    So ... before exercise my goal is 1430. As long as I stay between 1200 and 1430 im "ok" ? or do i need to actually stay close to that 1430 mark? im usually about 100 calories under for the day ....
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Agree with calorie dense foods. On the days you know you're going to work out, try filling in some of the gap with the following:

    Natural peanut butter
    nuts, seeds
    fresh or dried fruits
    avocado
    healthy oils
    dark chocolate
    whole grain pasta, rice, cereal

    It's ok to go under your net now and then but it's not a good idea to do so on a regular basis.
  • hbrittingham
    hbrittingham Posts: 2,518 Member
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    so... just to clarify for myself... :) it's OK to be under your "goal" calories - but don't go under so far that it puts you below 1200... is that right?

    So ... before exercise my goal is 1430. As long as I stay between 1200 and 1430 im "ok" ? or do i need to actually stay close to that 1430 mark? im usually about 100 calories under for the day ....

    If your calorie goal is 1430 before exercise and you burn 500 calories, your new calorie goal is 1930. In this case, you need to eat back at least 1/2 of your exercise calories to net around 1200 calories.
  • spackham
    spackham Posts: 252 Member
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    Its hard for me to eat back all of the calories... Seriously... After my workout it's like I'm basically starting over.. I drank a protein shake, and made a cabbage type soup with turkey sasuage... I was super full!! Could not eat any more...
    Eat nuts for those extra calories. The good fats are really good for you. Avocados or guacamole are great high cal choices to bring your net up. I shoot for 1100-1300 net.
  • JennC831
    JennC831 Posts: 631 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your input!! I guess I need to buy more calorie dense foods for after my workouts.. Hopefully this will help the scale move....

    I don't want to strave my body... Did that for years and it didn't get me any where.... Thank you all gain!!!
  • misty5976
    misty5976 Posts: 45 Member
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    gotcha ;) Thanks!

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