What are Net Calories?

amandapye78
amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What are net calories? I am not understanding this. Thanks!

Replies

  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    Net calories are the calories you eat minus the calories you burn from exercise. MFP wants you to NET the calories it tells you to eat every day, thus you have to eat back your exercise calories. You will see a lot of people here who do not eat back exercise calories and think it's stupid to do so. But if you use MFP's numbers, you should.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    So let's say your goal is 1400 calories. But then you go burn 300 at the gym. You've only gotten 1100 NET calories. You'd need to eat back the exercise calories because you want to net your goal.
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
    Net calories are the calories you eat minus the calories you burn from exercise. MFP wants you to NET the calories it tells you to eat every day, thus you have to eat back your exercise calories. You will see a lot of people here who do not eat back exercise calories and think it's stupid to do so. But if you use MFP's numbers, you should.
    Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!
  • lewis350
    lewis350 Posts: 53
    Gross = before exercise calories are taken off
    Net = after exercise
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
    I don't. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat just to bring the net calories up to 1,200. This happens so much of the time, because I work out so much, I almost never can eat enough to offset what I've burned. I'm not going hungry. I eat when I want to eat. I am feeling high-energy and strong, so I'm fairly certain it is doing me no harm to keep on this way.

    I guess you should address whether you meet the MFP net suggestion or not, as you see fit. If you are feeling hungry and haven't met the net calorie goal, eat.
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    Didn't we have exactly the same question and answer session regarding net calories yesterday?
  • nehushtan
    nehushtan Posts: 566 Member
    What are net calories?

    A waste of time. A computer programmer's OCD problem. A number that is computed for no good reason. I've always ignored it.

    The really useful number is found at the bottom of your food diary: Remaining calories.

    IMHO

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