Net Calorie Question????

I don't understand why I have to eat back the calories I exercise. Then where is my calorie deficit coming from to lose weight?

My goal is to lose 1.5 lbs per week which means I would have to have about an 800 calorie/day deficit. I have been eating around 1350 calories per day and burning 900 through exercise. When I log everything into MFP at the end of the day it says I have 800 remaining, which is what I need correct to lose the 1.5lbs per week correct?

For reference I am female, my weight is 135, height 5'8" goal weight 125.

Any help is appreciated, thank you!

Replies

  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    The calorie deficit is coming from the goal that MFP gave you. The calorie deficit is built into that. That is how MFP works. It gives you a goal based on the information you give it - it takes into account your normal daily activity level (not including planned exercise). It gives you a goal based on the assumption that any exercise you do (which is additional to the activity level you told it about) - you log that exercise and eat back those calories. Otherwise, the calorie deficit you have is likely to be too large for good health and sustainable fat loss.

    If you told MFP you want to lose 1.5 lbs a week, and it gave you a goal of 1350 (deficit of 750 a day) - then you burn an extra 900 calories - you now have a deficit of 1650 calories a day, which would in theory have you losing more than 3lbs a week. That is far too large a deficit for anyone who is not very obese. For people who are closer to a healthy weight, it's not really possible to lose that much fat in a week. They risk losing far more lean mass than is necessary, as well as damaging their body in other ways.

    You are already well within the healthy weight range for your height, so you just can't lose fat as quickly as people who are obese. A large deficit would be a really bad idea.

    Editing because I can't read.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    You had mentioned your goal with is only 10lbs away. In that case, your goal should be set at 0.5lbs not any higher. The smaller you are the smaller your deficit should be.

    The deficit you have is already built into your daily calorie goal. You eat back your exercise calories because your deficit is already there to lose weight. Too large of a deficit and you will lose more muscle than normal. With only 10lbs left until your goal weight, 1.5lbs per week is too high of a goal to strive for as it is giving you too high of a deficit. We all lose muscle along the way but can try to retain muscle/minimize muscle loss, but strength training and having a smaller deficit.

    Eat back your exercise calories. You should be netting your BMR. Consistantly consuming too little calories is not giving your body enough fuel to run. You need a certain amount of calories each day just for your body and organs to function while at rest (so if you were to lay in bed all day everyday.. this is your BMR amount). Netting under that consistantly can cause more problems than progress.
  • You had mentioned your goal with is only 10lbs away. In that case, your goal should be set at 0.5lbs not any higher. The smaller you are the smaller your deficit should be.

    The deficit you have is already built into your daily calorie goal. You eat back your exercise calories because your deficit is already there to lose weight. Too large of a deficit and you will lose more muscle than normal. With only 10lbs left until your goal weight, 1.5lbs per week is too high of a goal to strive for as it is giving you too high of a deficit. We all lose muscle along the way but can try to retain muscle/minimize muscle loss, but strength training and having a smaller deficit.

    Eat back your exercise calories. You should be netting your BMR. Consistantly consuming too little calories is not giving your body enough fuel to run. You need a certain amount of calories each day just for your body and organs to function while at rest (so if you were to lay in bed all day everyday.. this is your BMR amount). Netting under that consistantly can cause more problems than progress.
    Thank you for this answer. I am 5'8 and 145 and very thin frame. At 135 I look almost anorexic. I am 40 and weighed 125 in middle school. But this makes sense about the smaller you are the deficit doesn't need to be that great.
  • Thank you that makes a lot more sense!

    I have also heard people talking about eating 20% less than their TDEE, do you have any insight on which way works better?
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    You had mentioned your goal with is only 10lbs away. In that case, your goal should be set at 0.5lbs not any higher. The smaller you are the smaller your deficit should be.

    The deficit you have is already built into your daily calorie goal. You eat back your exercise calories because your deficit is already there to lose weight. Too large of a deficit and you will lose more muscle than normal. With only 10lbs left until your goal weight, 1.5lbs per week is too high of a goal to strive for as it is giving you too high of a deficit. We all lose muscle along the way but can try to retain muscle/minimize muscle loss, but strength training and having a smaller deficit.

    Eat back your exercise calories. You should be netting your BMR. Consistantly consuming too little calories is not giving your body enough fuel to run. You need a certain amount of calories each day just for your body and organs to function while at rest (so if you were to lay in bed all day everyday.. this is your BMR amount). Netting under that consistantly can cause more problems than progress.
    Thank you for this answer. I am 5'8 and 145 and very thin frame. At 135 I look almost anorexic. I am 40 and weighed 125 in middle school. But this makes sense about the smaller you are the deficit doesn't need to be that great.

    A small deficit is key to reduce muscle loss and because when you don't have a lot to lose your body doesn't want to get rid of it.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Thank you that makes a lot more sense!

    I have also heard people talking about eating 20% less than their TDEE, do you have any insight on which way works better?

    Do what works best for you.

    However, since you are so close to your goal it will change your body much more if you work on building muscle. So, a slight surplus of calories and lifting heavy weights while consuming a lot of protein.

    Otherwise, have your deficit at about 10-15% from TDEE but always ensure you net your BMR.

    My calories are set at my BMR so I net that each day. I than eat back the majority of my exercise calories which works out to be my TDEE minus 25% (I have a decent chunk of weight to lose so I can have that higher deficit than someone with much less left to lose).
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Thank you that makes a lot more sense!

    I have also heard people talking about eating 20% less than their TDEE, do you have any insight on which way works better?

    It's personal preference - I prefer to use the TDEE less deficit method as I like to eat the same amount of calories through the week, some people prefer to work for their extra calories.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    I have also heard people talking about eating 20% less than their TDEE, do you have any insight on which way works better?
    I think it's a matter of preference in tracking. The benefit of the TDEE approach is that you don't log exercise calories so you eat the same every day (ish). I take that approach because I don't like the idea of eating less on my rest days - I get too hungry! Some people like the idea of earning extra food by exercising more. I don't think one is better than the other because they both have the same outcome. It's just which way works better for you.