negative/ positive net calories?

kmkn57910

first of all, i am sorry because i know this questions has had to have been asked a billion times. before posting this i tried hard to find other posts that might answer my question, but its just making me more confused.

okay. so. i am currently 5'4'' 260 lbs and am sedatary. (i am only now becoming more active by gettin up and exercising to lose weight) I want to lose at least 2lbs a week. I plugged in my numbers to MFP and i get that my goal calories should be 1390. so, my question is: If i eat my recomended 1390, and exercise and burn 1000, leaving me at a net 390, i should eat back my exercise calories right? Or should I be aiming to eat 1390, and burn 1391, so that I have burned more than I ate?

basically:
should my net calories be 1390 no lower or greater?
or
should my net calories be in the negative?
and
if my calories are lower than 1390, should they be no lower than 1200, or can they dip lower? (given i have technically eaten my goal cal amount already, but just burned the excess thru exercise making the net lower)

please help! thank you everyone!

em9371

the goal of 1390 is NET so you should eat 1390 PLUS your exercise.
the 1200 minimum is also net.

ps 1390 seems low - im 5'5, 210lbs and eating 1900 total / 1600 net and lose 1.5-2lbs most weeks (35 since October), I would think you should be able to lose 2lbs a week eating more than that since you are 50lbs more than me!

What does MFP say is your maintenance cals?

erickirb

eat at least enough of them to net 1200. if not that would be like eating 390 cals on days you don't workout, which in not enough to fuel your body and that's when a host of problems can occur.

MMarvelous

That seems somewhat low calories to eat. What is your BMR? You should net your BMR as a minimum daily.

mallory3411

I agree with the caloric goal you have seeming too low. I'm 195 now an deat an average of 1600 a day... more if I have more exercise (my calorie goal is 1550).

Always NET at least 1,200 if not a bit more as 1,200 can be far too low for most people. This website has already set you up to have a deficit each day so you want to eat your daily goal plus your exercise calories. Your body needs fuel to work!

You always want to look at the net number. Eating too few can be harmful to you in the end and eventually hurt your progress.

Good luck

susannamarie

okay. so. i am currently 5'4'' 260 lbs and am sedatary. (i am only now becoming more active by gettin up and exercising to lose weight) I want to lose at least 2lbs a week. I plugged in my numbers to MFP and i get that my goal calories should be 1390. so, my question is: If i eat my recomended 1390, and exercise and burn 1000, leaving me at a net 390, i should eat back my exercise calories right? Or should I be aiming to eat 1390, and burn 1391, so that I have burned more than I ate?

The goal is *not* to burn more in exercise than you eat. The goal is to burn more through exercise and daily life than you eat.

Your daily life calories, without exercise, are estimated at 2390. If you burn 1000 in exercise, that would put you at 3390. If you then eat 1390, you're at -2000 really for the day. That's not good, especially for home dieters, no matter how heavy you are.