Net Cals

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DrAzathoth
DrAzathoth Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
I am new to myfitnesspal, and am currently trying to maintain a 1600 cal diet. Since joining I have noticed that after logging my food and exercise for the day it say I have calories remaining. I talked with my friend about this and she said that you would eat those calories to maintain weight not to lose. But after reading a few posts in the community, I have noticed people saying this is not the case. Can someone please explain this to me? Sorry if it seems like a dumb question, I'm just new to this.

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  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    This explains it - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    basically, you chose a defict when you set up MFP, and MFP takes a defict from your daily expenditure, thinking you are not doing any exercises.

    if you exercise you are making that defict larger, so you eat them back to maintain the defict you chose.

    But you will NOT maintain your weight, as MFP already has a deficit built in.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
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    When you set up MFP, it asked for your activity level. If you put in your daily activity level EXCLUDING your exercise, then you are meant to log that exercise and eat more (generally, I think eating half to all of your exercise calories is the right thing to do, but it depends on who you ask)

    If you included your exercise when you gave them your activity level, then... it's all already included, and you don't log the exercise and don't eat extra.

    I think which way you go is mostly a preference. Personally, I set myself to about "sedentary" or "lightly active," because I have a desk job that involves a fair amount of walking around all day. Then when I exercise, I log that and eat extra. I like having the reward of being able to eat more when I've worked for it. Some people like the consistency of eating the same amount every day, so they include their exercise in their activity level. So if I did that (and I work out 3ish times a week), I would set myself to "active" or whatever and it would give me slightly more calories to eat each day

    Either way, it should average out to about the same. Either you eat more when you exercise, less when you don't, or you eat a number that's in the middle every day. Does that make sense? Good luck!
  • DrAzathoth
    DrAzathoth Posts: 8
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    Thank you guys so much, that is a lot of help!! I have been here hearing about putting your body into starvation mode which is negative to weight loss, and I have been netting anything from 400 to 800 a day.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    Thank you guys so much, that is a lot of help!! I have been here hearing about putting your body into starvation mode which is negative to weight loss, and I have been netting anything from 400 to 800 a day.

    holy smokes, please eat more! there's few people (if any) who should Net that low.
  • DrAzathoth
    DrAzathoth Posts: 8
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    Thank you guys so much, that is a lot of help!! I have been here hearing about putting your body into starvation mode which is negative to weight loss, and I have been netting anything from 400 to 800 a day.

    holy smokes, please eat more! there's few people (if any) who should Net that low.

    That is why I figured I should ask! Like I said very new to this kind of lifestyle plan. And my friend is also new to it, I got worried after reading some posts in the community. I am very grateful for the feedback!

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