Need help understanding calorie totals...PLEASE!!

angelalf1979

Net calories at least 1200 a day or consumed calories at least 1200 a day???? I'm so confused.... my MFP goal is at 1320. I eat well over 1200 calories a day for the most part but burn off 300-800 calories a day netting usually under 1000. Does anyone know how to explain this??

Helloitsdan

MFP wants you to workout to eat.

So it sets your goal for 2lb loss a week at 1200.
Then it expects you to burn 200-400 cals a day.
Then you eat back those cals netting you 1400-1600 cals.

To simplify things, just eat 1400-1600 daily and youll lose weight.

cbevan1229

If you want to be faithful to the MFP plan, then you should aim to get you "Net" calories to match your "Goal" calories. MFP intends for you to eat back the calories you burn with exercise.

kasebrad

If your MFP goal is 1320, you should net 1320. If you burn 300 calories, eat 1620. If you burn 800, try to eat closer to 2120. It's not always doable (I know it's hard for me to eat back all those exercise calories when I burn a lot) but try to adjust them as best you can to net at least 1200 (but preferably 1320).

ElizabethRoad

Your food diary tells you how many calorie you have remaining. Eat food until you have zero calories remaining.

tenunderfour

If you want to be faithful to the MFP plan, then you should aim to get you "Net" calories to match your "Goal" calories. MFP intends for you to eat back the calories you burn with exercise.

Yes, but you must be careful because MFP tends to overestimate caloric burn. And individuals tend to underestimate food intake - unless you are measuring everything. So with this plan it is very easy to take your 500 calorie deficit and obliterate it. Then post here in 3 weeks wondering why you haven't lost anything. Just be careful with your numbers and be very honest with yourself in terms of what you actually ARE eating. Some people only eat back half of their exercise calories to try and account for some of this potential error.

sbquartarone

It is consumed calories

angelalf1979

It is consumed calories

SEE! THIS IS WHY I'M SO CONFUSED!!

angelalf1979

If you want to be faithful to the MFP plan, then you should aim to get you "Net" calories to match your "Goal" calories. MFP intends for you to eat back the calories you burn with exercise.

Yes, but you must be careful because MFP tends to overestimate caloric burn. And individuals tend to underestimate food intake - unless you are measuring everything. So with this plan it is very easy to take your 500 calorie deficit and obliterate it. Then post here in 3 weeks wondering why you haven't lost anything. Just be careful with your numbers and be very honest with yourself in terms of what you actually ARE eating. Some people only eat back half of their exercise calories to try and account for some of this potential error.

AND THIS DOESNT CLARIFY MUCH NOW EITHER!!

However, I do measure food pretty carefully. I'm just never 100% sure calories burned totals are accurate.

kasebrad

If you want to be faithful to the MFP plan, then you should aim to get you "Net" calories to match your "Goal" calories. MFP intends for you to eat back the calories you burn with exercise.

Yes, but you must be careful because MFP tends to overestimate caloric burn. And individuals tend to underestimate food intake - unless you are measuring everything. So with this plan it is very easy to take your 500 calorie deficit and obliterate it. Then post here in 3 weeks wondering why you haven't lost anything. Just be careful with your numbers and be very honest with yourself in terms of what you actually ARE eating. Some people only eat back half of their exercise calories to try and account for some of this potential error.

AND THIS DOESNT CLARIFY MUCH NOW EITHER!!

However, I do measure food pretty carefully. I'm just never 100% sure calories burned totals are accurate.

That's true, it's hard to be sure whether calories burned estimates are accurate. You can always compare MFP's estimates with those from other sources to see if they match up.

wild_wild_life

Your food diary tells you how many calorie you have remaining. Eat food until you have zero calories remaining.

This. It is not consumed calories. Do you see how MFP adds more calories to your daily goal when you exercise? This is because it wants you to eat these calories to maintain a certain deficit.

The issue of whether MFP's estimate of calories burned is accurate is a separate topic. I used it and was fine but I do agree it is probably an overestimate for smaller people.

Sorry for all the conflicting advice you get. Think about people's advice and whether it makes sense to you. MFP wouldn't add calories to your total if it wanted your total calories to remain the same.

mcarter99

The MFP plan is just a suggestion. There are a hundred ways to do it. If you feel like you'd rather eat more and lose slower, eat your exercise calories back. If you'd rather eat less and lose faster, don't. It doesn't have to be rocket science or calculus. You're not going to break anything by experimenting. Use common sense and listen to your body.

Helloitsdan

OP I havent done this in a while but i'll offer to run personal numbers for you.
Simply post:

Age
Height
Weight
Body Fat %
How often you workout

I'll detail exactly what you need to do to lose weight the healthy way.
Once set up, MFP will do exactly what you need it to do to lose fat.

megsmom2

Eat back your burned calories ....but maybe use a different calculator for calories burned. MFP calculates quite high, at least on the workouts I do. When in doubt, go with a lower number.

angelalf1979

OP I havent done this in a while but i'll offer to run personal numbers for you.
Simply post:

Age 32
Height 5'5"
Weight 252.8
Body Fat % 28.11
How often you workout 5 days/wk 45min avg

I'll detail exactly what you need to do to lose weight the healthy way.
Once set up, MFP will do exactly what you need it to do to lose fat.