Net Calorie Help

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chereec
chereec Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok MFP set up a daily cal goal for me of 1200, I burned 450 calories in exercise so gave me a total of 1650 calories to consume for the day. I have already ate over 1100 calories and have around 534 left. I am no longer hungry so am I just suppose to eat those calories anyway? The main reason I am asking is because I have been told to eat the calories I burn in order to lose weight and I have been eating just about all of them for about a week now and when I weighed myself today I have gained weight.
If I eat all of the calories MFP tells me I won't lose as much as I would if I don't. I'm so confused...
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Replies

  • soontobesam
    soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
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    There are a lot of different viewpoints on this and to be honest you have to put in the time and effort to figure out what is best for YOU as an individual.

    You really shouldn't ever NET below 1200 (but a day here or there won't kill you) but whether or not you eat back your workout calories is up to you. And one week is not even remotely close to long enough for you to determine if any method your trying is working for you.

    I typically eat back most of my calories (but I'm only talking between 200-300) but more importantly I try to net above 1200.

    You found a method to try - give it a month atleast to see if it works. In the mean time you can research other ideas and if this doesn't work for you, you will be ready to try again.
  • Run4UrHealth
    Run4UrHealth Posts: 348 Member
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    I do not eat my exercise calories back but it is a very touchy subject on here. I don't always know the exact calories of everything going in my mouth so mine could be off plus some people have their exercise calories way off also and it will mess it all up...my thing is eat healthy and exercise and listen to your body.
  • angelb1983
    angelb1983 Posts: 160 Member
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    There are different view points on this. I have done it both ways. I would at least eat your 1200 calories, but after that I determine if I am hungry or not. If Im hungry I eat them, if not I dont. I used to hear eat all of them also and I didnt really lose so I tried it this way and now I seem to be losing. I suppose it all depends on the individual though.
  • bizorra
    bizorra Posts: 151 Member
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    my advice is don't eat if you're not hungry, however if this becomes a trend then you should opt for denser calories (ie, full fat dairy and salad dressings)
    flip side, if you met your calories and are starving, eat, and if it becomes a trend choose foods that are more filling for fewer calories (ie, vegetables)
  • SairahRose
    SairahRose Posts: 412 Member
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    If you feel that you're not hungry, then don't eat them back. If you do, then you can use some or all of them.
    That's the rule I go by.

    It is possible to eat all the calories back with healthy foods and lose weight - plenty do. But there are also plenty who don't.

    Do what's right for you, and not what the calculator says, or what anyone else says.

    *hugs loads* You can do it :D
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    MFP does not assume anyone will exercise. So ...... when you exercise you add to the existing calorie deficit.

    When the calore deficit is too large, you will lose fat AND muscle. If you want to preserve muscle mass ..... you will want to eat your exercise calories back***


    *** Calorie burns are "estimates" .... unless you are using a heart rate monitor with a chest strap (these measure your heart rate continuously). Because MFP & many cardio machines over estimate calorie burns ..... most people eat a % of their exercise calories back .... say 75%

    Try a % for a time .... if you feel fatigued .... up the percent .... if you are not losing ..... reduce the percent
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
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    Most people should be eating over 1200 cals, so you might like to check you entered your goals correctly
    especially your height.
    If you set to 2 pounds a week loss you are probably not doing yourself a favour.
    set to 1 pound or even half

    It's ok not to eat your exercise back sometimes, but try to eat at least half most of the time.
    It fuels the engine and helps you exercise more
    I said half because the estimate may be high..

    Your body flucutates about 4 Kg over a day, I just got a scale and can bear witness to the veracity of this theory, so you may not have gained really.
    keep exercising
    keep eating within your goals.

    strangely some people don't do as well with low food intakes in the long run.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    If you're going to go with the bare minimum calories that MFP suggests, you should not regularly be under your net calorie goal for the day. It would be better to be OVER than under.

    Ask me how I damaged my metabolism........
  • aaeros
    aaeros Posts: 157
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    Also, if you exercised and burned 450 calories, MFP gives you those to eat. However, it doesn't adjust for the calories you are allowed based on your BMR.

    In other words, if you normally burn 150 calories / hour from your BMR, you exercise for one hour and burn 450 calories, you really should only get an additional 300 calories, not 450.
  • chereec
    chereec Posts: 10
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    Thanks everyone for your help. I have been feeling very tired lately so I guess I will try to eat all of them back to see if this helps. It just seems like a lot of food.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    If you're going to go with the bare minimum calories that MFP suggests, you should not regularly be under your net calorie goal for the day. It would be better to be OVER than under.

    Ask me how I damaged my metabolism........

    ^ regularly being under calories is not a good thing. A few days won't hurt you, but don't be overly cautious.

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    MFP regularly puts you too low. I originally started with 1200 calories and I wanted to kill a deer and eat it raw. Figure out your numbers here and get a more realistic idea of what you can eat and still lose weight. Drastic changes are hard to adhere to for the long term, and consistency is key. Gradual fat loss is much easier to maintain than dramatic fat loss. You also have a better chance of maintaining your lean body mass if you are making sure to eat enough protein and are not in a severe calorie deficit for a long term.
  • chereec
    chereec Posts: 10
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    Also, if you exercised and burned 450 calories, MFP gives you those to eat. However, it doesn't adjust for the calories you are allowed based on your BMR.

    In other words, if you normally burn 150 calories / hour from your BMR, you exercise for one hour and burn 450 calories, you really should only get an additional 300 calories, not 450.
    Now I'm really confused. So if I am suppose to net 1200 calories and I burn 450 only eat1500 not 1650?
  • chereec
    chereec Posts: 10
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    Ok so let me see if I got this right, eventhough MFP says I should eat 1200 calories and this will keep my numbers in the green, I am suppose to eat over 1200 and leave my net calories in the red? So instead of eating 1200 net calories I should eat at least 1300?
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
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    i eat most of my calories back from exercise, but my goal is not 1200 calories a day but 1850 without exercise. 1850 is like 300 over my BMR.

    Use that fat2fit calculator. You don't need to eat so little to lose weight. Modest deficit is all you need.
  • crazylovergrl
    crazylovergrl Posts: 97 Member
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    If you're not hungry, don't eat them. However, I would bank the extra for a day when I'm hungry over my calorie limit. :)

    Studies have shown that it's all about net calories but I prefer to look at it per week. The mobile app has a handy little weekly chart that shows where you're at for the week. Hope that helps!
  • Healthydiner65
    Healthydiner65 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    Just eat them only if you are hungry and try not to go below 1200.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    Also, if you exercised and burned 450 calories, MFP gives you those to eat. However, it doesn't adjust for the calories you are allowed based on your BMR.

    In other words, if you normally burn 150 calories / hour from your BMR, you exercise for one hour and burn 450 calories, you really should only get an additional 300 calories, not 450.
    Now I'm really confused. So if I am suppose to net 1200 calories and I burn 450 only eat1500 not 1650?

    This isn't true. Don't worry about it. Just use the calculator and manually adjust your calories.
  • Linda_Darlene
    Linda_Darlene Posts: 453 Member
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    I do not eat my exercise calories back but it is a very touchy subject on here. I don't always know the exact calories of everything going in my mouth so mine could be off plus some people have their exercise calories way off also and it will mess it all up...my thing is eat healthy and exercise and listen to your body.

    I have a tendency to over-estimate my calories and under-estimate my exercise. I rarely 'eat-back' all of my exercise calories. Some of them, yes. All of them, no.
  • katamus
    katamus Posts: 2,363 Member
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    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/729141-exercise-calories-to-eat-or-not-to-eat-results
  • katamus
    katamus Posts: 2,363 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

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