Can someone please explain the net & exercise thing to me

natashalynnx
natashalynnx Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Right now mine says:

1212 CALORIES REMAINING
Goal Food Exercise = Net
2213 1250 - 249 1001

I know what goal & food means.
Should my net be negative and exercise be positive.....?

Replies

  • skinnyme47
    skinnyme47 Posts: 792 Member
    It takes the calories for the day and subtracts the calories from the food you ate during the day and adds back the exercise calories. Hope that helps. :smile:
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    If you have 1500 calories and you eat 1500 calories, your net will = zero

    If you have 1500 calories and you burn 500 calories with exercise, you have to eat 2000 calories.

    Your net is the difference between what you start with, what you have already eaten and what more you can eat through calories you've burned.
  • hippylol
    hippylol Posts: 2 Member
    OK newbie here, I'm a little confused.

    Shouldn't we have a deficit in our calories? ie if I have 500 calories for exercise that is weight/fat coming off and if I just go and eat another 500 calories whats the point of exercising?
  • lilteeraw
    lilteeraw Posts: 261
    you never want your net to be negative.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    OK newbie here, I'm a little confused.

    Shouldn't we have a deficit in our calories? ie if I have 500 calories for exercise that is weight/fat coming off and if I just go and eat another 500 calories whats the point of exercising?

    Because the calorie goal already has a deficit built in, so if you exercise you are making the deficit larger. MFP tells you to eat them back so that you keep the original deficit you selected.
  • fatpoppy
    fatpoppy Posts: 36 Member
    That thing about eating back the exercise has me confused too. :grumble:
  • Runs4Pasta
    Runs4Pasta Posts: 28 Member
    It's a balance. It's important to eat enough to support exercise recovery, muscle development, and an efficient metabolism. I don't recommend using the "extra" calories from exercise to eat cake and drink another beer but if you're hungry, low energy after exercise then eat something healthy. It takes time to become attuned to what your body needs vs what your senses/psyche want! Good luck :smile:
  • OnMyWay2STay
    OnMyWay2STay Posts: 144 Member
    You've seen some good advice so far in this thread.

    MFP sets your calorie goal depending on your weight and your weight-loss goal. It isn't recommended to try to drop weight too fast, so whether you need to eat those calories or just consider it a bonus for your weight loss depends on how you set your goals to start.

    If you already set your goal at losing 2 lbs per week, then you really should eat your exercise calories back. Your body needs them to have energy.

    If you want focus on exercising more to lose weight without changing your eating habits (maybe they weren't too bad to begin with), then you should set your goal for "maintain." Then, you don't eat your exercise calories back unless you work out more than usual.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    That thing about eating back the exercise has me confused too. :grumble:

    Then include your exercise in your lifestyle. If you workout 3-4 days a week then set it at lightly active, 5-6 make it moderate. If you have an active job or are a sahm then increase it 1 activity level. Then you dont have to account for exercise calories.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Right now mine says:

    1212 CALORIES REMAINING
    Goal Food Exercise = Net
    2213 1250 - 249 1001

    I know what goal & food means.
    Should my net be negative and exercise be positive.....?

    You generally want to eat between your bmr and tdee... so if you are active then its probably about 1700-2000 calories daily. With 15 tos to lose, the best you can aim for is 1/2 lb per week. Also, if you havent done so already make weight training (heavy weight low rep) a priority. You will see your greatest body changes by doing this.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    MFP asks you a bunch of questions to estimate how much you burn everyday without intentional exercise (so if you have a job which is active it takes that activity into account). Let's say it estimates you burn 1800 calories a day without exercise. It will then subtract 500 calories a day per lb you want to lose, so for 1 lbs it would give you 1300 as your goal. This way you can lose without a set workout.

    The net is what you've eaten minus what you've burned in your workouts. So if you eat 1300 calories but burn off 250, your net will be 1050. Your goal is to get your net to MATCH your goal number (that is, eat your exercise calories). There is some flexibility to this and people find eating some or most but not all to be the most productive for them, but MFP is designed for you to eat these calories.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    That thing about eating back the exercise has me confused too. :grumble:

    It's really just a matter of how MFP is designed as a tool. I know a lot of people get up in arms about it, but it is in line with most weightloss/exercise programs.

    For example, Women's magazines run programs with a proscribed diet plan and accompanying exercise, right? In those, the calories are higher- 1600 or so a day. But it only works with the exercise to bring the net calories back down to 1300. MFP just has you manually account for exercise instead of figuring it in for you ahead of time.
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
    Try using

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Find out your BMR and TDEE figures and discover the correct amount of calories you should be eating daily to achieve and healthy and sustainable weight loss.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Try using

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Find out your BMR and TDEE figures and discover the correct amount of calories you should be eating daily to achieve and healthy and sustainable weight loss.

    This ^^^ It works. You stay healthy. You lose fat. Win/Win/Win

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