Net weight....calories remaining....? I'm soooo confused!

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  • alibabes03
    alibabes03 Posts: 9
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    I am also new at this as I have been only doing it for just over a month. After losing 10 pounds I had to reconfigure and now I am down to 1200 calories a day. If i eat less then that I am getting a message that my body will go into starvation mode. I am eating alot and I am not hungry so i don't know why i should eat more if i am not hungry. Can anyone give me some advice to help me out. I have lost 12 pounds so far so i feel like i am doing well but do not want to hinder my weight loss either. Thanks in advance!!

    I don have advice for you, but that I too dont feel hungry so I wont eat.
  • originalkazila
    originalkazila Posts: 200
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    Imagine it's money.

    You deposited $1577 in your calorie bank (by eating.)
    You spent $421 (through exercise.)
    So currently there is only $1156 in your account (your "net")
    Your goal is to have $1290 in your account at the end of the day.
    So to meet your goal, you would need to deposit $134.

    Many folks will say you should really try not to end up with a "net" under 1200, although there is lots of debate about why that is the magic number.

    This is actually one of the best explanations of it that I've seen on here.

    Word. This is perfect.
  • cutchro
    cutchro Posts: 396 Member
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    I just try to eat between 1700-2100 calories per day and don't worry about the rest.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    Your goal was to eat 1290 calories today
    You actually ate 1577 calories today
    You burned 421 calories exercising so they subtract that from what you actually ate leaving you with a "net" of 1156 calories.
    You may still eat 134 calories before meeting your goal of 1290.

    That is my understanding.
    Welcome and good luck!!!!
    Kathy

    exactly!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    MFP sets your calories low. It doesn't assume you are going to exercise until you actually do it. Your calories are calculated so you would lose the weight without exercising.

    Now when you DO exercise, you need to have extra fuel for that, because without it, you have created too large of a calorie deficit.

    Eating too little is just as bad as eating too much, it comes with hazards and consequences. Be eating too few calories, you suppress your metabolism (so you actually burn less calories and that is the opposite of what you need when you want to lose weight). You can throw off hormonal balances, causing stress and other problems. You may create deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals.
  • pandabratt1
    pandabratt1 Posts: 36 Member
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    I still get confused with this too. I almost feel like I shouldnt eat back my calories, well...all of them that is. I understand half but I dont understand why they allow you to eat back all of what you burned? Weird.

    The reason for this is because MFP has already calculated your deficit in your initial daily calorie goal. You should eat the calories back if you are hungry since you are already below what you need to lose weight. If you aren't hungry, then don't eat them, and you will just get to your goal that much more quickly.
  • fancycatlady
    fancycatlady Posts: 20 Member
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    oh noes! I have been under eating! Thanks for posting!
  • womaniam
    womaniam Posts: 104 Member
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    This was such a great thread. I fully understand this now. Thanks for starting it!!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Imagine it's money.

    You deposited $1577 in your calorie bank (by eating.)
    You spent $421 (through exercise.)
    So currently there is only $1156 in your account (your "net")
    Your goal is to have $1290 in your account at the end of the day.
    So to meet your goal, you would need to deposit $134.

    Many folks will say you should really try not to end up with a "net" under 1200, although there is lots of debate about why that is the magic number.

    Nicely put.

    OP...the MFP method does not include exercise in it's accounting for daily activity. It assumes that you aren't doing your exercise or that you aren't doing them consistently so it is set up for you to eat them...or most of them back. The goal (net) that MFP has for you already includes a substantial deficit from your maintenance level of calories built into your goal
  • shayvonnesenechal
    shayvonnesenechal Posts: 3
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    MFP sets your calories low. It doesn't assume you are going to exercise until you actually do it. Your calories are calculated so you would lose the weight without exercising.

    Now when you DO exercise, you need to have extra fuel for that, because without it, you have created too large of a calorie deficit.

    Eating too little is just as bad as eating too much, it comes with hazards and consequences. Be eating too few calories, you suppress your metabolism (so you actually burn less calories and that is the opposite of what you need when you want to lose weight). You can throw off hormonal balances, causing stress and other problems. You may create deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals.

    Can you give me a sample of what I should be eating to reach the 1200 calorie mark? If you add me as a friend you could view my diary and show me where i can adjust. I don't want it to have the opposite affect for sure. I can use all the help I can get as I have been overweight all my life and wants this lifestyle change to work.

    thanks!!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Add some calorie dense foods, things that have more calories but are not a lot of volume of food to eat. Nuts & seeds, cook with olive oil or add it to your salads, use full fat dairy instead of low fat. Peanut butter. Avocado.
  • cassiehayley
    cassiehayley Posts: 142 Member
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    Koldnomore wrote: »
    Net should be Close to goal? Help me understand please!
    Goal : 1230
    Food:1623

    Ex: -1435
    Net: 188. I thought the goal was to get the net to zero?
    Cal remaining 1042. Don't even know what to do with that! Ugh! Frustrating! Thanks!

    This means that MFP has calculated that in order to lose 1-2 lbs a week (whichever you set it up as) you need to eat 1230 calories per day. When you exercise you burn calories and they disappear from your total (1230) like you never ate them in the first place. In your example above it shows that you ate 1623 calories for the day BUT you exercised away 1435 of them (that's a TON).. they disappeared..like you never ate them so what you have left over is 188 calories that your body can use to fuel you and that's all you have. You are 1042 calories SHORT from having enough calories to feed your body. At that rate your body will not be able to sustain you for very long. You may lose a little weight but then it will stop because your body will start to react like you are starving and will fight to hold on to every pound.

    The debate is open on if you should eat back exercise calories and/or how many. It seems that many people agree that if you do not eat close to 1200 (after you subtract your exercise) you soon stop losing weight. In your case it would be suggested that if you work out as hard as you did today you will need to eat WAY more. Alternately, you can just work out less and then you don't need to eat so much!

    Hopefully that makes it more clear ;)

    Great explanation my net for today is 48 yikes not good at all then

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