How are the net calories worked out?

marioz49

I have just started on this site and am wondering about the net calories. I try and keep under all the columns with my daily food. It seems that even if some of the columns go over (are minus and show in red), my daily net calories are still showing I have some left? How does it all work???

robin52077

you can go over in one and be under in another, depends on what you eat. If you eat a ton of lean protein you will go red and still have a lot of calories left.

I aim for red in protein, calcium, iron, and fiber, but stay under in calories, fat, and carbs.
It just means you are eating the right foods.
Unless it's RED in FAT and carbs but way under on protein and fiber, that would mean you are eating the WRONG foods.

Over on carbs is good only if you are also high in fiber, the bad carbs don't usually have the fiber, the good carbs do.

Basically, it's ok to be over in some categories, as long as you don't overdo the calories.

Velvetsteel

Each Carb and Protein gram = 4 calories and each Fat gram = 9 calories. MFP sets you up with percentages of each in order to meet your goal, ie: 55% from Carbs, and 30% from Protein and 15% from Fat (you can change these if you like). So with those ratios, and if your goal is set at 1,200 calories, the make up would be as follows: 165g of Carb, 90g of Protein, and 20g of fat.

When you enter a food, it adds up depending on the nutrient makeup of the item. So if you eat a Tollhouse Chocolate Chip cookie, you've used 117 calories, of which 6g were fat (6x9=54), 14g were carbs (14x4=56) and 1g was protein (1x4=4). Note that the extra 3 calories are from rounding.

You eat and log 1 cookie, and it deducts the 117kc/6g fat/14g carb/1g prot from your 1,200 calories.

The goal is to eat foods that will meet but not exceed (by too much) your goals. If you find you are always over in the fat column, you may want to review your eating habits and change some things. Or if you aren't getting nearly enough protein, you may want ot incorporate some higher protein foods into your meals.

Hope this helps some and isn't too terribly garbled.

gabi_ele

OK when you started with MFP you put in all your stats, in order to loose 1 pound you have to eat 3500 calories less a week in order to lose. MFP figures that into you daily allowance, but if you exercise it gives you some calories back . here is an example.
I need 2500 calories a day to live, I want to lose 2 pounds, thats - 1000 calories a day, so I get to have 1500 calories a day. OK now since I put my level as sedentary and I put in my garden and shovel dirt for 1 hour I put that in the exercise data base and it gives me a huge amount of calories back. Now in order to lose weight the right way I'm going to eat most of those calories back. You might ask why? ok for several reasons
1) I like eating and the idea that if I chose to I can have a higher calorie food when I work our for it( I dont feel deprived)
2) if you keep eating under you net calories for a while your metabolism slows down (yes you will still lose, but not as quick and you'll be gaining even quicker when you go back to maintenance)
3) this time I want to keep it off and it teaches me that if I want to eat pizza I have to work for it...
4) if you are constantly low on the net calories your body is more likely to also use your muscles as fuel and that is something I don't want.
On the going over part of fat or protein or carbs. I agree with most of the posts earlier. I don't mind if I go over on protein or healthy carbs, watch the sodium and fat. Sodium is not your friend, it keeps water in your system and you can "gain" 5 pounds after a restaurant meal, anf depending on what kind of fat it might not be the best idea either ( olive oil, fat from nuts, fish and some other sources are fine, fat from animals .... not so much)
My advise take it one day at a time, trust MFP on the calories and enjoy your jurney to being healthy and fit

marioz49

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments. So, in a nutshell, if I keep within 50 calories of my daily calorie intake, without worrying too much about the other columns, then is that OK?

hill242

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments. So, in a nutshell, if I keep within 50 calories of my daily calorie intake, without worrying too much about the other columns, then is that OK?

That's a good way to get started, but eventually you'll want to start researching and understanding macronutrient (fat, carb, protein) ratios and other nutrient amounts. Take it one step at a time first, though, and focus on calories for now.