Do net calories matter if you are over 1200 calories?

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xxstormynightsxx
xxstormynightsxx Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
I guess I can sorta understand eating 1200 calories, exercising and burning 300, and then eating 300 more to hit 1200 to not be in starvation mode. but I thought the whole point of exercising was to lose those calories, not to do a bunch of hard work and then just eat it back. I feel like this is one of the only websites where I see 'net calories' advocated so much, and I was just confused as to why this was the case. I know there are other topics posted for this, but I really am still a bit confused. if someone could please explain this, that would be great, and thanks so much!!

Edit: also, even if net calories are below 1200, as long as you have actually eaten 1200 calories, is that fine then?

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  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
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    I guess I can sorta understand eating 1200 calories, exercising and burning 300, and then eating 300 more to hit 1200 to not be in starvation mode. but I thought the whole point of exercising was to lose those calories, not to do a bunch of hard work and then just eat it back. I feel like this is one of the only websites where I see 'net calories' advocated so much, and I was just confused as to why this was the case. I know there are other topics posted for this, but I really am still a bit confused. if someone could please explain this, that would be great, and thanks so much!!

    Edit: also, even if net calories are below 1200, as long as you have actually eaten 1200 calories, is that fine then?

    There are other sites that expect you to eat back exercise calories, livestrong.com for one. The reason most other sites don't is that, unlike MFP and livestrong, they account for exercise in the calorie recommendation up front based on what you tell them about your activity level. It generally works out to roughly the same total number of calories. The other sites are just less transparent about how they're handling the math and don't differentiate between exercise calories and the other calories you're expected to burn during the day.
  • sophia_grant
    sophia_grant Posts: 4
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    Its just saying that is your goal for a maximum. You could eat less calories. If you eat too less you won't get the nutrition you need. You could eat more than your net calories, but that means you have consumed more calorie than you need if you want to be you selected weight by your selected date. Just try to be around your net calories and you'll be fine!!!!!!!!!
  • xxstormynightsxx
    xxstormynightsxx Posts: 20
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    Thank you all so so much for your kind and helpful answers!!!!!:)
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
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    I also think the consensus is that unless you are using an HRM or other device, reading your elliptical/treadmill will not give you the most accurate count of calories burned, therefore you should try and only eat back 20-40% of your calories burned.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
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    I also think the consensus is that unless you are using an HRM or other device, reading your elliptical/treadmill will not give you the most accurate count of calories burned, therefore you should try and only eat back 20-40% of your calories burned.

    20-40% is the consensus? I don't think I ever seen an exercise calorie recommendation that low before, not counting those who advocate blowing them off entirely.
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
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    I also think the consensus is that unless you are using an HRM or other device, reading your elliptical/treadmill will not give you the most accurate count of calories burned, therefore you should try and only eat back 20-40% of your calories burned.

    20-40% is the consensus? I don't think I ever seen an exercise calorie recommendation that low before, not counting those who advocate blowing them off entirely.

    Like I said, I was accounting for the inaccuracies of a cardio machine estimate, which can be wayyyy off. If you are using an HRM device, you can figure it out at a higher percentage.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    Options
    I also think the consensus is that unless you are using an HRM or other device, reading your elliptical/treadmill will not give you the most accurate count of calories burned, therefore you should try and only eat back 20-40% of your calories burned.

    20-40% is the consensus? I don't think I ever seen an exercise calorie recommendation that low before, not counting those who advocate blowing them off entirely.

    Like I said, I was accounting for the inaccuracies of a cardio machine estimate, which can be wayyyy off. If you are using an HRM device, you can figure it out at a higher percentage.

    80% off? Maybe, but that wouldn't be my first assumption, and it certainly isn't something I'd blindly recommend to someone with a metabolic rate different from mine and with only 6 pounds to lose. She doesn't have much margin for error if she wants to lose fat and not muscle. That "wayyy off" could easily become a self fulfilling prophecy.

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