EATING your net calorie goal..anyone??

I netted roughly 1600 today...and i"m maintaining. So don't let that scare you. One thing I've heard before is "you can't starve your way lean, you have to EAT your way lean" (of course she was talking about the right foods). I've maintained my 70-lb weight loss for over 20 years (except for my failed pregnancy in 1996) and I have never once starved!

Just sent you a request.

I do this almost everyday. My calorie goal is 1280 and if I log exercise I eat back most of those calories to net the 1280. For me personally I would be really hungry all the time netting much less.

I try not to. I work out after 9pm so it's easier for me.

I base my net calories more on weekly results rather than daily, meaning some days I "undereat" (which for me is about 1500-1700 cals) so I can go over on Sunday (my rest day) And still stay on track for the week. That being said, I definitely net 1200/day, if not more. Feel free to add me.

Im in the same boat, honey! I'll add you!:) Work in progress here!!!:)

All that matters is a calorie deficit. This depends on your RMR.

If you are taller you have more room to go up or down. Short women don't have this room to go up.

Comparing your calories to someone else is ridiculous. Those who eat lower probably have lower RMR than you do so they don't have the LUXURY of going up. Everyone comparing calories with everyone else and judging everyone else on calories is absolutely ridiculous. Why not just look at their diaries for healthy ideas on food to eat and then eat just eat the amount you need to eat without judging everyone?

This!!

I lost 90lb, eating back almost everyone of my exercise calories and kept it off for 6mo so far. Most on here do not eat enough. Your body needs the fuel to survive. If you don't give it what it wants, it will hang on to every calorie you give it and either you won't lose weight or you will gain it back rapidly if you do. Losing faster DOES NOT equal losing better.

I'm LOSING eating anywhere from 1700-1900 cal a day depending on if I'm working out. I never NET less than my BMR in fact I aim for an RMR net of 1400.

The only time I've eaten 1200 cal is when I had major surgery back in Feb because I had no appetite.. and again when first joining MFP. That lasted not even 3months and it was a complete failure for me..I lost nothing, had no energy and was simply miserable.

With the help of helloitsdan's road map, the spreadsheet someone else posted and some MFP friends I've been able to find that calorie sweet spot.

BTW Im on the smaller side, 5"2.5 118lbs so size should not be a hindrance for any woman eating more.

I thought I had read that women should never consume less than 1500 calaries per day. Has anyone else heard that? Your intake seems low, especially if you are working out.

Not true. Calorie requirements can vary greatly from person to person. Lots of factors effect calorie needs even from day to day. There is no "rule" for how many calories "women should consume".

You may not be able to fit in all the nutrients and vitamins your body needs with under 1500 cals/day as this is the problem i was having.

I agree, it is confusing. Right now I have an extra 400 plus calories once I logged my workout. There's no snack I'd want to use up those calories at this time of night.

I'm really trying to figure this net thing out. The recommended daily calories for me is 1200. I try and work out doing something 5-6 times a week averaging around a burn of approximately 600+ calories. I do not eat back my exercise calories figuring it will result in a faster weight loss. I'm I wrong. Is eating just the recommended 1200 daily calories the way to go.....I'm confused...any feedback??

It confuses me too!!

Hi all - I'm new to this site, but not new to trying to deal with my weight.

I can say from personal experience that if you are not eating enough calories every day AND you're working out, your body will eventually go into starvation mode and use less calories (your metabolism adapts) - then if you increase your calorie intake and don't keep up with the same amount of exercise, the weight comes right back.

I've been on just about every diet plan out there, including about a dozen tries at WW, but also Atkins, SB, etc. The ONLY time I was able to lose weight and keep it off was when I was eating all of my "points" on WW, and working out for an hour 5 days a week. I'm 5'3" and have always had to fight to keep my weight under control.

With that said, I'm waiting on a body fat scale to figure out what my true calorie needs are and will adjust my caloric intake once I get an idea of how my body responds to working out again and eating healthy.

I'd say that some folks who may have never gone through a few loss/gain cycles could do just fine eating below their daily requirements while others whose metabolism goes into starvation mode readily are going to have to "trick" their body into thinking they're not trying to shake things up

I've got about 35 lbs. to lose and am just getting started but so far I love this site - it's so easy to use and really keeps me motivated.

The phrasing confuses me.

I always eat my normal allotment of calories + exercise calories. I run/bike a lot so this requires me eating a ton of food. I've lost 42 pounds and went from a size 14 to a 2-4. I need all that food to better fuel me for a great workout. Plus to help my body recover from the stress I just put it through.

Best of luck finding your groove. Add me if you want.

I'm really trying to figure this net thing out. The recommended daily calories for me is 1200. I try and work out doing something 5-6 times a week averaging around a burn of approximately 600+ calories. I do not eat back my exercise calories figuring it will result in a faster weight loss. I'm I wrong. Is eating just the recommended 1200 daily calories the way to go.....I'm confused...any feedback??

Your calorie goal is NET. That means if you burn 600 calories then you ought to eat 1800 total. That's because MFP figures your deficit into your calorie allowance already. Now, you're right that netting 600 cals will make you lose faster, but it's not safe/healthy to do it that way because you'll end up losing your muscle. Muscle not only makes you look good, but it burns more calories. That said, MFP is notorious for overestimating your calories burned, so many people choose to only eat back half.