Calories or net calories??

cherriegh

Example: So if i eat 1500calories derived from TDEE-20% but i exercise and burn 300calories, the net calories are 1200 meaning I've cut more than 20% from TDEE.....

Which one counts? net calories or total calories eaten? Should i eat back the exercise calories to get back to the 20%?

I exercise 5days with 3Xstronglifts heavy strength and 2Xcardio days....should i eat more?

FitCowgirl8

The way I understood it was that the 20% cut from your TDEE already has your exercise calculated into it so you should not eat back the calories you burned from exercise......If I've got it wrong someone who;s been around longer please correct it but I think that is how it goes

Melo1966

Was the TDEE number derived from no exercise or with exercise it seems like a very low number.

eyeshuh

It depends what you put for your TDEE. If you are using the "sedentary" or "lightly active" number, then you should focus on the NET calories and eat back your exercise.

If you are using the TDEE that reflects your exercise in it, then you would eat just the gross calories you have set.

Does that make sense?

Edited to add: At 1500 calories I'm guessing you did it with no exercise, so you should eat those calories back.

FluroFaye

Personally I don't eat back my exercise calories unless I'm feeling particularly hungry. I eat around 1700 cals and with the exercise I do I can net around 1000. I might eat a bit extra but generally I'm fine.

s_wilson84

IMO you should eat back your exercise calories. It is calculated like this (for a guy my size and daily activity not including exercise)...

Calories Burned From Normal Daily Activity 2,360 calories/day (Basal Metabolism and Daily Activities
To Lose two pounds per week you much burn 7,000 more calories than you consume.
Daily Calorie Deficit 1000 calories
Goal Calories 1,360

Now...say I exercise and burned 500 calories. This would add to my calories per day. That number now becomes 2860. Minus 1,000 calories for my deficit and I can now consume 1860 calories and still lose weight at 2lbs a week. They say that any higher of a deficit is not good for you. People on here will disagree as I'm sure you will get lots of opinions....

JesterMFP

If you have customised your calorie goal as a cut from your TDEE, then you are no longer following MFP as it was designed to work, and you should not eat back exercise calories. So, forget about the "net" calories. MFP gives you a goal that does not include any planned exercise, which is why you should add that on top. I am assuming that when you calculated your TDEE, you factored in the exercise that you do, so you don't want to count it twice. If you did not count your exercise when you worked out your TDEE, then you should eat back exercise calories and look at the "net" calories.

Melo1966

But if you calculated TDEE with no exercise then you do exercise then you do need to eat them back.

iSarahMay

IMO you should eat back your exercise calories. It is calculated like this (for a guy my size and daily activity not including exercise)...

Calories Burned From Normal Daily Activity 2,360 calories/day (Basal Metabolism and Daily Activities
To Lose two pounds per week you much burn 7,000 more calories than you consume.
Daily Calorie Deficit 1000 calories
Goal Calories 1,360

Now...say I exercise and burned 500 calories. This would add to my calories per day. That number now becomes 2860. Minus 1,000 calories for my deficit and I can now consume 1860 calories and still lose weight at 2lbs a week. They say that any higher of a deficit is not good for you. People on here will disagree as I'm sure you will get lots of opinions....

I completely agree with you I always eat back my calories and have always lost weight.

IMO you will end up making yourself ill.

victoriannsays

I always eat some if not all of my exercise calories back

cherriegh

If you have customised your calorie goal as a cut from your TDEE, then you are no longer following MFP as it was designed to work, and you should not eat back exercise calories. So, forget about the "net" calories. MFP gives you a goal that does not include any planned exercise, which is why you should add that on top. I am assuming that when you calculated your TDEE, you factored in the exercise that you do, so you don't want to count it twice. If you did not count your exercise when you worked out your TDEE, then you should eat back exercise calories and look at the "net" calories.

Ohh ya makes sense now! I wont be eating back exercise calories no wonder i havent been losing much weight!! Thanks

cherriegh

I always eat some if not all of my exercise calories back

So where do i need to set my calories? I'm 26, 5'2, 134lbs and want to get to 122lbs. I exercise 5days a week, 3Xweekly heavy strength for an hour and 15mins cardio, 2Xcardio days where do HIIT or go spinning....Where should i set my calory goals and should i eat back or not eat back calories burnt?

Maybe i'm eating too much but feel free to check my diary

kartikluthra

you take eat colorise something net clorise...and colorise is not your problams...

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

If you have customised your calorie goal as a cut from your TDEE, then you are no longer following MFP as it was designed to work, and you should not eat back exercise calories. So, forget about the "net" calories. MFP gives you a goal that does not include any planned exercise, which is why you should add that on top. I am assuming that when you calculated your TDEE, you factored in the exercise that you do, so you don't want to count it twice. If you did not count your exercise when you worked out your TDEE, then you should eat back exercise calories and look at the "net" calories.

Ohh ya makes sense now! I wont be eating back exercise calories no wonder i havent been losing much weight!! Thanks

This is right IF you factored in your exercise to your TDEE. 1500 seems very very low. Also depending on your weight it may be too ambitious to cut 20% from TDEE. If you've only got a few pounds to lose (that would result in a lower TDEE) you may want to go for 10-15% instead.

hazelohoheight

I think you are correct. I generally choose not to eat back my exercise calories unless I fell like I need them.

JesterMFP

If you have customised your calorie goal as a cut from your TDEE, then you are no longer following MFP as it was designed to work, and you should not eat back exercise calories. So, forget about the "net" calories. MFP gives you a goal that does not include any planned exercise, which is why you should add that on top. I am assuming that when you calculated your TDEE, you factored in the exercise that you do, so you don't want to count it twice. If you did not count your exercise when you worked out your TDEE, then you should eat back exercise calories and look at the "net" calories.

Ohh ya makes sense now! I wont be eating back exercise calories no wonder i havent been losing much weight!! Thanks

This is right IF you factored in your exercise to your TDEE. 1500 seems very very low. Also depending on your weight it may be too ambitious to cut 20% from TDEE. If you've only got a few pounds to lose (that would result in a lower TDEE) you may want to go for 10-15% instead.

^This is a very good point. You are already a healthy weight now (according to BMI anyway) so a 20% cut may be too aggressive.

JesterMFP

I think you are correct. I generally choose not to eat back my exercise calories unless I fell like I need them.

Have you also customised your calorie goal based on a cut from your TDEE? If you are following the standard MFP goal, then you are supposed to eat your exercise calories back. That's how MFP was designed to work.

JesterMFP

I always eat some if not all of my exercise calories back

So where do i need to set my calories? I'm 26, 5'2, 134lbs and want to get to 122lbs. I exercise 5days a week, 3Xweekly heavy strength for an hour and 15mins cardio, 2Xcardio days where do HIIT or go spinning....Where should i set my calory goals and should i eat back or not eat back calories burnt?

Maybe i'm eating too much but feel free to check my diary

Ok, so calculators vary, but using the fitnessfrog one, I got your TDEE to be 2172 - that's with you at "moderate exercise eg. exercising 3-5 days a week). A 20% cut from that gives you 1738 ish calories a day. I think a 20% cut would be too aggressive for you though, so personally I'd aim for something in the region of 1850-1950 a day. That's up to you though. For these numbers, you would not eat your exercise calories back.

1500 definitely seems too low to me if you're not eating your exercise calories back, but would probably be reasonable if you did eat exercise calories back.

cherriegh

I always eat some if not all of my exercise calories back

So where do i need to set my calories? I'm 26, 5'2, 134lbs and want to get to 122lbs. I exercise 5days a week, 3Xweekly heavy strength for an hour and 15mins cardio, 2Xcardio days where do HIIT or go spinning....Where should i set my calory goals and should i eat back or not eat back calories burnt?

Maybe i'm eating too much but feel free to check my diary

Ok, so calculators vary, but using the fitnessfrog one, I got your TDEE to be 2172 - that's with you at "moderate exercise eg. exercising 3-5 days a week). A 20% cut from that gives you 1738 ish calories a day. I think a 20% cut would be too aggressive for you though, so personally I'd aim for something in the region of 1850-1950 a day. That's up to you though. For these numbers, you would not eat your exercise calories back.

1500 definitely seems too low to me if you're not eating your exercise calories back, but would probably be reasonable if you did eat exercise calories back.

I log everything even a nut i eat and I set my calories as per a cut from TDEE, i use to be smaller 12pounds lighter than now but i dont seem to be losing now and 1500 is reasonable for me sometimes i find it hard to reach eating clean and have added cheese and avocado but scared i'll gain more

I'm worried with the heavy lifting im actually gaining size! i tried on my favourite pants and they cudnt fit tighter around the thighs!! When do u start losing with weights!!???