I don't understand how the Calories/ net calories works.

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crazykelley
crazykelley Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
It started me out with 1610 calories for the day. I ate some stuff, and went to the gym. When I recorded all of it it said I had "x" number of calories left which was more than when I listed the gym time. I'm not sure I understand how this works. If I get more calories for working out - how do I lose weight?

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  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Because that's the way the site works. You don't have to eat back your exercise calories if you don't want to. Some don't at all, while some eat only partial amounts.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    The site calculates how many calories you burn if you don't workout. Then it subtracts your deficit, 500 for 1 lb/week. So if you do workout, you log it, and you eat back those calories so you don't have too large a deficit.
  • jacqui1612
    jacqui1612 Posts: 128 Member
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    So the 1610 calories allotted to you are the total calories. This already has a deficit built into it. So when you go to the gym and burn some calories they add it to your total calories so that your NET calories will add up to the number MFP gave you (1610).

    So:
    In the morning MFP will say you have 1610 calories for the day. You go to the gym and burn 300 calories. Therefore you will have a total of 1910 calories for the day. Say you eat 1850 calories that day, your NET calories will be 1550 (total calories - exercise calories), and you will have 60 calories left for the day.

    Now not everyone eats their exercise calories back. Some eat all and some eat somewhere in between. Just try different things and see what works for you.
  • crazykelley
    crazykelley Posts: 4 Member
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    So the 1610 calories allotted to you are the total calories. This already has a deficit built into it. So when you go to the gym and burn some calories they add it to your total calories so that your NET calories will add up to the number MFP gave you (1610).

    So:
    In the morning MFP will say you have 1610 calories for the day. You go to the gym and burn 300 calories. Therefore you will have a total of 1910 calories for the day. Say you eat 1850 calories that day, your NET calories will be 1550 (total calories - exercise calories), and you will have 60 calories left for the day.

    Now not everyone eats their exercise calories back. Some eat all and some eat somewhere in between. Just try different things and see what works for you.

    I understand it now - thank you! So if I follow what it tells me then I am "good"? I didn't want to have to figure things out myself, thats why I got this tool haha!
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member
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    I'm glad you posted since I just started today myself. I did the math and figured that's how it worked, but nice to see it verified.

    Kim

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