Success stories eating 1200 net calories

Terpnista84

How has your progress been so far following MFP and netting 1200 calories. Also, what is your workout routine? I work out plenty, probably overdo it sometimes. But I don't eat enough although I am working on making sure my net calories=1200. I eat my BMR at the minimum (1,500) but since I workout so much my net is usually nowhere near my goal (on average I'm 500 under my net). Should I aim for my goal matching my net all the time?

tryinghard71

I am so glad you used the word NET in your post. It is so refreshing. Most of these conversations don't even reference net or gross. To answer your question I am set at 1200 and there are days that I burn enough that even if I eat 1600 calories I have not netted 1200. So my thought is if I am hungry I will eat them. If not I don't. It all works out in the end for me because I have days that I am over calories and then days that I am under. I go by the week not just the day. So I try to hit weekly goal of netting 1200 on average.

Terpnista84

Haha yeah once I figured out net and goal, I was golden

Like I said, I don't come anywhere near my goal and while I am tempted to eat more, I can't. I feel so guilty even consuming 1,800 calories and my net still isn't near my goal. I have been thinking of scaling back on the exercises when I don't want to eat more. I feel more comfortable eating less, exercising less and getting to 1,200 net calories, rather than eating as much as I can in order to get to 1,200 net to balance all the exercising.

tryinghard71

When I first started on MFP I did not get it either and thought I was going to die just eating 1200 gross a day! Once I figured it out and started eating right the weight started falling off. I would just try to get lots of protein and healthy fats. That will help you reach your calorie goal. Like Peanut Butter, Pistachio's etc... I also do a lot of greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Of course my beer habit helps me reach my goals most days. LOL! Good Luck!!

laarae

I try to keep it between 1200-1350 (some days I go over) I don't eat back workout calories (ok once in a while) and so far in 3 years I am down 106 with another 60+ to go - yes 1200 is a sucess at least for me.

AlyssaJoJo

If I burn over 300 calories in a work out (I have hit 1100 calories burned via HRM) I wont force my self to hit a 1200 net. It's just too hard. Also I have a fitbit so I get calories burned from that and I don't eat back those just because that's normal every day walking with some extra.

Terpnista84

When I first started on MFP I did not get it either and thought I was going to die just eating 1200 gross a day! Once I figured it out and started eating right the weight started falling off. I would just try to get lots of protein and healthy fats. That will help you reach your calorie goal. Like Peanut Butter, Pistachio's etc... I also do a lot of greek yogurt and cottage cheese. Of course my beer habit helps me reach my goals most days. LOL! Good Luck!!

I have to stop being afraid of healthy fats. I had to maneuver my food diary because the PB I had planned had sent me over my fat goal. Someone suggested fats to me before to bump my calories up so I guess that is the way to go.

Terpnista84

If I burn over 300 calories in a work out (I have hit 1100 calories burned via HRM) I wont force my self to hit a 1200 net. It's just too hard. Also I have a fitbit so I get calories burned from that and I don't eat back those just because that's normal every day walking with some extra.

When I did a killer workout on Saturday MFP told me I had to eat 1,000 more calories, and this was after I had already entered ALL of my food for the day- I was like "NO WAY" lol. I ate some back but I didn't even come close.

earthdeuxbella

I net out around 1200 most days.. actually eating 1500-1600 and then burning the rest through exercise. I eat a lot of protein.. usually around 125-150g. In the past when I have tried to "diet" I was aiming for around 1500 and for whatever reason I always crashed and burned and binged. I hit the weights hard 4-5 days per week and do cardio in addition to that 1-2 days a week.

I don't know if I'm just in a different mindset or what.. I think a lot of it has to do with me eating the right foods and eating clean this time instead of trying to stuff in 1500 calories of processed, packaged crap.

Are you comfortable at that amount of calories and losing weight? I'd stick with what works. Most days I eat a little over my goal but I'm losing 2-2.5 a week.

edit: also.. when you enter your workout calories in MFP, are you using MFP's estimates or are you using a heart rate monitor? HRM will give you more reasonable estimates whereas MFP tends to overestimate, so you may be closer to your goal than you realize.

omgoozles

So let me get this right so I can hopefully understand. I usually exercise about 600-700 calories per day, sometimes as much as 1200 calories. Sometimes as few as 300. MFP suggests that I eat about 1480 calories a day. You guys are saying that I should be NETTING 1480? I usually NET between 600-900 on average, sometimes less on my 1200 calorie workout days.

klappeh

Can someon explain Net vs. Gross calories to me? I think I understand but I want to make sure

Sarauk2sf

Can someon explain Net vs. Gross calories to me? I think I understand but I want to make sure

Net is your food intake less your exercise burn. Gross is your food intake.

So, if I ate 2,000 calories and did exercise that burnt 300 calories, my gross is 2,000 and my net is 1,700.

JeneticTraining

Back when I was overweight and ate around 1200 calories, it definitely worked. I did lose around 25 pounds - I had reached my goal weight.

mumtoonegirl

I consume between 1000-1100 daily on my workout days. I workout an hour 5x a week. It is 15 minute run, 30 minute weight training, 15 minute metabolics/cardio.... I am always getting 'you are not consuming enough calories' from my entries but I am full, satisfied, lots of proten, lean meat, lots of veggies.... and of course lots of water.

kwilliams386

Can someon explain Net vs. Gross calories to me? I think I understand but I want to make sure

Gross is all the calories you consume that day. Net is the calories you consumes MINUS those your burned off after ADDED exercise not including your normal daily routine.

I am SUPPOSE to eat 1200 calories. I NEVER do! I always eat over. However, I will net 1000-1200 calories a day depending on my exercise. On days like today where I am doing cardio and strength training, I eat about 1800 calories and burn 600-700 calories. Technically I am only netting 1200 calories. I feel fine doing this. I think where people freak out about the "1200 rule" is when they don't eat back their exercise calories, I would feel like I was dying if I did that. I have been losing 0.5-1lb a week with this.

Angimom

The most confusing thing on MFP is if you should eat back your exercise calories or not. Sometimes I will read an entire thread on not eating them back, and other times threads like this that say you should. I have been sticking to eating only 1200 cal in a day, but last week I went over on quite a few days, and not with junk food but with clean good food and I lost, so I am going to try the net calorie thing. Here's to hoping this works and I don't gain a bunch this week.

babydiego87

Fine, I've lost over 10lbs on 1200 calories since the beginning of February. I have had takeaway splurges here and there, and although I haven't 'worked out' (do try and take my dog out for 30 minute walks) in the last two weeks, I try to do cardio at least 3 times a week for an hour if I can. Eat back 80% of my calories.

Terpnista84

As previously stated, MFP already sets up your deficit. For me, my goal calories are 1,200. Assuming I don't exercise that is what MFP suggests I eat. However, as I add exercise MFP gives me more calories to eat. I think the Weight Watchers program has a similar concept. So once you start exercising, that is when the "net' and "goal" comes into play. Without exercise, my goal calories would simply be 1,200 (a deficit from my maintenance calories which would cause me to lose weight).

So when exercise is incorporated you have to eat some calories back. Think of it like this, I need 1,200 calories to sustain my body which I would get from my food. Once I start exercising, those calories I need to sustain my body are burned away, so that's why you are supposed to eat more. So if I workout today, and I only eat 1,200 calories and burn 500, my NET is 700 which is NOT ENOUGH FOR MY BODY TO SUSTAIN ON. If I were to eat 500 more calories, my total calories would be 1,700, then you minus the 500 from exercise and TA-DA!...my net calories are 1,200 and it matches my goal calories.

Terpnista84

I net out around 1200 most days.. actually eating 1500-1600 and then burning the rest through exercise. I eat a lot of protein.. usually around 125-150g. In the past when I have tried to "diet" I was aiming for around 1500 and for whatever reason I always crashed and burned and binged. I hit the weights hard 4-5 days per week and do cardio in addition to that 1-2 days a week.

I don't know if I'm just in a different mindset or what.. I think a lot of it has to do with me eating the right foods and eating clean this time instead of trying to stuff in 1500 calories of processed, packaged crap.

Are you comfortable at that amount of calories and losing weight? I'd stick with what works. Most days I eat a little over my goal but I'm losing 2-2.5 a week.

edit: also.. when you enter your workout calories in MFP, are you using MFP's estimates or are you using a heart rate monitor? HRM will give you more reasonable estimates whereas MFP tends to overestimate, so you may be closer to your goal than you realize.

I'm more comfortable eating 1,500-1,600 and burning 400 calories through exercise versus burning 900 calories and having to eat over 2,000 to net 1,200. I guess when I want to splurge I will do that.

I use MFP estimators which is why I have always been afraid to eat more calories because I was afraid my exercise calories would be overestimated.

Terpnista84

For healthy weight loss and to sustain lean muscle mass you are supposed to net your goal calories. If your goal calories are 1,500 you are supposed to eat those calories when you don't workout. But as you add activity, you have to eat more so that your calories consumed minus your exercise calories equal your goal calories 1,500.

In simpler terms, if you eat 2,000 calories and work out and burn 900 calories, think of it as you only consumed 1,100 calories that day (since you burned 900). That's not enough calories for your body to function. MFP calculates the amount of calories you should eat to achieve whatever weight loss goal you selected. So the deficit is already incorporated in your goal calories. When your net matches your goal, you are still in a healthy deficit to lose weight.

Terpnista84

Back when I was overweight and ate around 1200 calories, it definitely worked. I did lose around 25 pounds - I had reached my goal weight.

It does work but if you are also exercising, you are also burning off muscle mass instead of just fat and screwing with your metabolism. I am trying to do it the healthy way and to sustain the weight loss.

I don't think people understand what I mean by net calories which is not the amount of calories you consumed. If you net 1,200 calories with exercise, it is basically the same as consuming 1,200 calories without exercise (calorically speaking).