I really don't understand net calories

Nadiae89
Nadiae89 Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys, this question has been asked before and the answer is always the same, but I can't wrap my head around it. Is it okay if your NET calories are below 1000?

Let me give an example of why this doesn't make sense to me.

My BMR is 1355
If I burn 500 calories per day, but eat 1355, my NET calories will only be 855 which is 500 calories below my MAINTENANCE calorie intake of 1355.
BUT I'm reading that 855 is considered starving and I'll gain/not lose weight. But if I don't create that 500 calorie deficit, how am I possibly gonna lose weight?
If I eat 1855 (bmr+calories burned) then there's no way to lose weight. Am I missing something?

Sorry I'm new to counting calories, please help!

Replies

  • GreyEyes21
    GreyEyes21 Posts: 241 Member
    I dont eat my net calories. and I lose weight.. some people do eat them and lose weight.. .give it a week or two not eating them and see what your body does.. if it isnt losing then eat the calories and wait a week or two... see if it is losing.. :) but slowly up the calories dont just add all the extra calories all at once.
  • warsenic
    warsenic Posts: 60
    Your basal metabolic rate is 1355, right? That's how much you would burn if you never left your bed for 24 hours.
    to get your total daily expenditure, you times that by 1.2 if your sedentary, 1.f 6 if you're lightly active, and etc, I can't remember the numbers. It's too late. Google is always open.

    tldr: You're basing your intake off of the wrong numbers that's why it's so low.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Your BMR is not your maintenance :)
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    BMR the number of calories you'd burn in a coma. Look up your TDEE (your actual maintenance calories) and take your cut from that.
  • Nadiae89
    Nadiae89 Posts: 9
    I dont eat my net calories. and I lose weight.. some people do eat them and lose weight.. .give it a week or two not eating them and see what your body does.. if it isnt losing then eat the calories and wait a week or two... see if it is losing.. :) but slowly up the calories dont just add all the extra calories all at once.

    Good idea, I'll try this. Just when simply put mathematically it doesn't add up to me but maybe it depends on the person. Thank you!
  • Nadiae89
    Nadiae89 Posts: 9
    Your basal metabolic rate is 1355, right? That's how much you would burn if you never left your bed for 24 hours.
    to get your total daily expenditure, you times that by 1.2 if your sedentary, 1.f 6 if you're lightly active, and etc, I can't remember the numbers. It's too late. Google is always open.

    tldr: You're basing your intake off of the wrong numbers that's why it's so low.

    Okay so this is what I was missing, I didn't know that they were different numbers.
    Thank you!!
  • Nadiae89
    Nadiae89 Posts: 9
    Your BMR is not your maintenance :)


    Lol well I thought it was when u consider not exercising at all, your body will burn that much and if u eat that much then u won't lose weight. Thanks though lol
  • Nadiae89
    Nadiae89 Posts: 9
    BMR the number of calories you'd burn in a coma. Look up your TDEE (your actual maintenance calories) and take your cut from that.


    Most helpful post, I didn't even know that TDEE was a thing, lol. I'm new to counting, sorry! Thank you:)
  • Lindsay_N
    Lindsay_N Posts: 100
    So subtract 500 calories from your TDEE to get the net calories to aim for?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Hey guys, this question has been asked before and the answer is always the same, but I can't wrap my head around it. Is it okay if your NET calories are below 1000?

    Let me give an example of why this doesn't make sense to me.

    My BMR is 1355
    If I burn 500 calories per day, but eat 1355, my NET calories will only be 855 which is 500 calories below my MAINTENANCE calorie intake of 1355.
    BUT I'm reading that 855 is considered starving and I'll gain/not lose weight. But if I don't create that 500 calorie deficit, how am I possibly gonna lose weight?
    If I eat 1855 (bmr+calories burned) then there's no way to lose weight. Am I missing something?

    Sorry I'm new to counting calories, please help!

    MFP uses a different method than most, which to some encourages exercising.

    Most methods.

    Pick an activity level based on daily activity and amount of exercise you PLAN on doing on a weekly basis, which has an associated multiplier with it, times your BMR, divide by 7 for daily average, subtract 10-20% or 500 calories or something.

    Now you eat that every day. If you miss a planned workout, you have to remember to skip some calories that day. If you do extra workout beyond planned, you eat more.

    MFP method.

    Pick an activity level based on daily activity and NO exercise included on weekly basis, multiplier times BMR, divide by 7 for daily avg, subtract 250, 500, 750, or 1000 depending on your goal loss.

    Now you eat that every day. If you do exercise, you log those calories and eat them back, the deficit is still there. If you don't exercise, the deficit is still there. The NET refers to when you do exercise, showing the deficit is still there.

    They kind of match up, except the MFP method favors the infrequent or irregular workout.
    If working out a lot and regular, the TDEE deficit method usually works out better.

    Plus, it's really smarter to take a % off your TDEE, because when you have less to lose, you should be losing less, or you increase the chances of losing muscle all too easily.

    For figuring out the TDEE method, many sites do it, plus a spreadsheet linked here.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/750920-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

Categories