Net calories - is this right?

misshpn
misshpn Posts: 70 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys.
I've been really confused by these net calories, and how they effect my daily calorie intake. After browsing through other topics, I think I've come to this conclusion, and i just want to be sure i'm right.

I have to eat 1300 kcal pr. day, if I don't exercise at all. If I exercise and burn off 500 kcal, I'll have to eat 1800 kcal that day, to be able to lose the weight I've set my account to, right? At the end of the day, the important thing is that my goal and net are the same, right? Is it okay if the net is a bit lower than my goal? I usually like not eating back all the kcal I've burned, since I'm afraid to gain, or at least not lose weight.

Have I understood the idea of net calories, or am i completely off?

Replies

  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    That's the idea, yep.
  • 012345emma
    012345emma Posts: 57 Member
    thats what were meant to do only i dont eat all the cals burned through exercise back :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Hi guys.
    I've been really confused by these net calories, and how they effect my daily calorie intake. After browsing through other topics, I think I've come to this conclusion, and i just want to be sure i'm right.

    I have to eat 1300 kcal pr. day, if I don't exercise at all. If I exercise and burn off 500 kcal, I'll have to eat 1800 kcal that day, to be able to lose the weight I've set my account to, right? At the end of the day, the important thing is that my goal and net are the same, right? Is it okay if the net is a bit lower than my goal? I usually like not eating back all the kcal I've burned, since I'm afraid to gain, or at least not lose weight.

    Have I understood the idea of net calories, or am i completely off?

    thats how MFP works!

    but please get the idea of being 'scared to eat more' out of your head... at some point you will be going to maintenance, and you have to eat more then... look at it as something to look forward to, not something to worry about...
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Just so you know, the average women I know is eating 1700-2100 calories to lose. So I don't see how you will gain on 1800 calories. Below is some proof. It's well over 500 post on how much women can eat. Also, as you approach a more normal weight, you need to reduce your deficit as noted below.


    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.



    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506349-women-who-eat-more-than-1800-calories-a-day
  • Joanne_Moniz
    Joanne_Moniz Posts: 347 Member
    What is CRITICAL is the information you give them when you set up your profile.

    They start with a certain amount of calories for you and SUBTRACT calories for your exercise and that is how they come up with the net calories. Net calories is the number they give you to eat.

    IF you exercise more than what you gave them in your information, those calories are yours!

    *******The key is the information you give them. It must be right.
  • flex500
    flex500 Posts: 63
    Hi guys.
    I've been really confused by these net calories, and how they effect my daily calorie intake. After browsing through other topics, I think I've come to this conclusion, and i just want to be sure i'm right.

    I have to eat 1300 kcal pr. day, if I don't exercise at all. If I exercise and burn off 500 kcal, I'll have to eat 1800 kcal that day, to be able to lose the weight I've set my account to, right? At the end of the day, the important thing is that my goal and net are the same, right? Is it okay if the net is a bit lower than my goal? I usually like not eating back all the kcal I've burned, since I'm afraid to gain, or at least not lose weight.

    Have I understood the idea of net calories, or am i completely off?


    all this net calories thing does is throw people off and confuse them. Most people I help with their diets do so so much better starting using katch mccardle formula. Then use an accurate activity multiplier and eat the same calories everyday.

    It's just a thought but in general people seem to do so much better that way from my personal experience.
  • Darmanin
    Darmanin Posts: 75 Member
    The other thing I find on here ... (and I still don't get it all yet) ... is that if you use the preset exercises in here it calculates a calories burned for you. Is this actually based on a formula they use depending on your age, currenty weight, gender etc...

    It seems to me that some of the calories burned for the exercises in the list are very overstated. So if you ate back the calories it says on here you would be over eating yeas? ... I'm still sticking around the 1500 a day (give or take) as I still have a **** load more weight to loose, but I am interested to know so when I get closer to my goal and these numbers will actually make a huge difference to me each week.
    Currently I haven't been eating back exercise calories at all.

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