net calories

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vkw1
vkw1 Posts: 88
in Health and Weight Loss
can someone please explain net calories?I dont seem to get it... tia

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  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    It's the calories you eat less the calories you used up in exercise.

    Say you eat 1500 calories one day. You go to the gym and burn off 200 calories. So your net intake is 1500-200=1300.

    Thats the basic maths, but I'm guessing your question was a bit more complex than that?
  • vkw1
    vkw1 Posts: 88
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    so the net calories should be the same as the goal? today mine is -40 which I think is bad because its in red
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Yes....but you're never going to hit that goal bang on. I think 100 either way is OK. Your measurements of food and exercise can't be 100% accurate, so allow a bit of tolerance.
  • lockedcj7
    lockedcj7 Posts: 257 Member
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    One pound of fat is about 3500 calories. If you carefully document every calorie that you consume during the week and log all of the calories that you burn, you should have a deficit of 3500 to 7000. That will result in a 1-2 pound weight loss per week which is healthy and sustainable.

    People who aren't losing weight are almost always under counting the calories they eat, logging more calories than they burn, or both. On a side note... I don't like the idea of diets. I was overweight and unhealthy because I was eating too much and the foods I was eating were terrible. I made a permanent change in my eating habits and now I choose foods that are healthier and eat reasonable portions. I also take every opportunity to get more exercise. I take the stairs instead of the elevator and park at the far end of the parking lot. If I'm bored and tempted to snack, I get up and move instead.

    Don't get bent out of shape over daily changes in weight. I can fluctuate a pound or two based on how much salt I've consumed, time of day, etc. It's the trend line over the course of a month that will be more useful and instructive.
  • amariecruz89
    amariecruz89 Posts: 83 Member
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    I'm trying to understand this as well. I am currently 203lbs. I would like to lose 1.5-2 pounds a week. My daily need is around 2600, and told I could do a caloric goal of 1500. So no matter how much I eat or exercise my net by the end of the day should be 1500?

    I realized I'd been paying more attention to the number of my food intake on MFP, but I should really be looking at my NET right?

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