negative net.

cianide
cianide Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
okay umm i have -320 calories in my net. Some people say good some say bad. i aim to exercise more than i eat (i want the net to be negative) is this bad?
«1

Replies

  • Lysander666
    Lysander666 Posts: 275 Member
    okay umm i have -320 calories in my net. Some people say good some say bad. i aim to exercise more than i eat (i want the net to be negative) is this bad?

    Always meet your net calorie goal. It is a GOAL, you should hit it.

    Since when has missing a goal been a good thing? You have to hit it, it's that number for a reason.
  • samcorvus
    samcorvus Posts: 112 Member
    If you want to follow mfp's guidelines for weight loss you'll eat back your exercise calories. However I've never really seen the point of this. Why bust my butt for two hours just to turn around and negate all that effort by eating that much more. I tend to keep to my daily goal and not worry about the net effect. Especially since mfp grossly over and under estimates calories consumed and burned.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    open your diary.
  • bnorris2013
    bnorris2013 Posts: 256 Member
    okay umm i have -320 calories in my net. Some people say good some say bad. i aim to exercise more than i eat (i want the net to be negative) is this bad?

    Every body's is different

    If I exercise for 30 minutes or more then I like my net to be around -500

    If I exercise for less then 30 minutes or not at all which is rare i like my net to be -100

    This is what works for my body what works for you might be different so you will need to see what works best for u
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    Eating at a negative net is just plain dangerous in my opinion. I don't care how much you have to lose. Even net 1000 is too low!
  • zenchild
    zenchild Posts: 680 Member
    Congratulations, you're anorexic. Burning off more than you take in means your body will not have enough to sustain itself. And by "sustain" I mean your "keep your organs functioning properly." Time to go see a doctor.
  • lisahewitt22
    lisahewitt22 Posts: 102
    I try not to eat back my exercise calories, but I never exercise so much that my net is negative so I definitely think you should be eating a little more.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    Congratulations, you're anorexic. Burning off more than you take in means your body will not have enough to sustain itself. And by "sustain" I mean your "keep your organs functioning properly." Time to go see a doctor.

    Don't be an asshat.

    What the poster REALLY meant to say is that your behavior IS NOT doing you any favors.

    Do yourself a favor and do a search in the forums for In Place Of A Roadmap. Figure out your TDEE -20%. Live it. Love it. Never worry about exercise calories again...you don't have to track them after that. :)

    Good luck to you.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    For a day here or there, it's fine. Anything more consistent or prolonged than that and it's bad.

    Anyone who says it isn't doesn't know what they are talking about.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    I'm just going to copy this from another post from yesterday -
    When you enter your information into MFP in the beginning, it then creates a calorie goal for you that includes a deficit. This means that if you eat that number of calories and do absolutely zero exercise, you will still lose your selected weight loss goal (with minor fluctuations). So, then, when you do exercise, you create an even larger deficit. Say your calorie goal is 1400 and you selected to lose 1lb a week - 1400 is already a deficit of 500 from the amount of daily calories you use up just to blink and pee and brush your teeth and walk to the mailbox. Now you exercise off another 700 calories, suddenly your body feels "oh, so I only get 700 calories to live on today," and after a while of doing that consistently it freaks out and you stop losing weight - if you ever lost any to begin with. BUT, if you eat back those 700 calories, then your body is happier, feeling "ok, I can work with 1400 net calories," and it more willingly parts with some of its weight. That's the MFP model.
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
    okay umm i have -320 calories in my net. Some people say good some say bad. i aim to exercise more than i eat (i want the net to be negative) is this bad?

    You will most likely always burn more calories than you eat when you are trying to lose weight and based on your calorie goals in MFP - your body burns calories just living as well. Don't discount that. Maybe you burn 500 calories a day doing actual exercise, but don't forget about the possible 1800+ calories you burn in addition the rest of the day by just breathing and keeping your organs alive.
  • ihad
    ihad Posts: 7,463 Member
    This is not something you should strive for. You will wreck your metabolism if you keep that up for any extended period of time, and risk all sorts of serious health issues.

    Here is a simple explanation of how to figure out your caloric meeds.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
  • c8linmarie
    c8linmarie Posts: 358 Member
    In.









    Anybody bring popcorn?!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Wow. Having a negative net calorie balance would be like throwing up yesterday's food and not eating today on days you don't workout. Does that sound healthy or sustainable?

    Depending on your stats/goals, etc., your net should be in the vicinity of 1200-2500 cals for most people.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    In.









    Anybody bring popcorn?!

    ditto
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    You will most likely always burn more calories than you eat when you are trying to lose weight and based on your calorie goals in MFP - your body burns calories just living as well. Don't discount that. Maybe you burn 500 calories a day doing actual exercise, but don't forget about the possible 1800+ calories you burn in addition the rest of the day by just breathing and keeping your organs alive.

    This! So many people are unaware that our bodies need calories to do basic functions and that can be anywhere from 1000-2500 depending on your gender, height and weight.

    OP, look up your BMR and try not to eat any less than that or you won't be doing yourself any favors in the long run. You may be losing weight and you may even feel ok right now but eventually your extremely low calorie intake will take a toll by slowing down or halting your weight loss and causing you to feel sluggish or even sick.

    Better to be healthy than stick thin, right?

    ETA: That said, there's no need to stuff yourself but plan your eating better. Skip the low-fat, low-cal foods and go for the real less processed foods like full fat dairy, whole grain breads and cereals, etc. Also make sure you're eating plenty of fruits and veggies and protein. Calorie dense foods like eggs and nuts can boost your calories without filling you up much.
  • HelloDan
    HelloDan Posts: 712 Member
    Amazed at all the people that think it's OK.

    I assume it's a reading comprehension issue (Hint: the OP is NOT talking about being a couple of hundred below their goal), rather than that they genuinely think the body is a mystical machine that doesn't need energy.

    Don't really have anything else to say, just had to join in, as this is such a strong first post!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Wow. Having a negative net calorie balance would be like throwing up yesterday's food and not eating today on days you don't workout. Does that sound healthy or sustainable?

    Depending on your stats/goals, etc., your net should be in the vicinity of 1200-2500 cals for most people.

    Agreed.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Amazed at all the people that think it's OK.

    I assume it's a reading comprehension issue (Hint: the OP is NOT talking about being a couple of hundred below their goal), rather than that they genuinely think the body is a mystical machine that doesn't need energy.

    Don't really have anything else to say, just had to join in, as this is such a strong first post!

    Also agreed.
  • Silver14
    Silver14 Posts: 141
    Wow. Having a negative net calorie balance would be like throwing up yesterday's food and not eating today on days you don't workout. Does that sound healthy or sustainable?

    Depending on your stats/goals, etc., your net should be in the vicinity of 1200-2500 cals for most people.

    Agreed.

    This^
  • Kajay
    Kajay Posts: 6 Member
    I'm in the same boat! I am doing good to reach my base calorie intake in day not mention what I burn through exercise.
    I try and eat plenty if fruits, vegetables and nuts through out the day, but I'm just not hungry.

    my weight has stayed within a three pound range for several months, but I have been seeing inches come off.
    I am not food motivated person and have problems eating if I'm not hungry.

    What is suggested for this?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    A couple protein shakes after workouts can add quite a few calories.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I'm in the same boat! I am doing good to reach my base calorie intake in day not mention what I burn through exercise.
    I try and eat plenty if fruits, vegetables and nuts through out the day, but I'm just not hungry.

    my weight has stayed within a three pound range for several months, but I have been seeing inches come off.
    I am not food motivated person and have problems eating if I'm not hungry.

    What is suggested for this?

    Calorie dense foods - full fat dairy, red meats, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, etc.
  • Poofy_Goodness
    Poofy_Goodness Posts: 229 Member
    This is unhealthy.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    oh good, loads of people who dont understand how MFP is designed to work....
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
    shakebrush_zpsfd894e59.gif
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    okay umm i have -320 calories in my net. Some people say good some say bad. i aim to exercise more than i eat (i want the net to be negative) is this bad?

    Always meet your net calorie goal. It is a GOAL, you should hit it.

    Since when has missing a goal been a good thing? You have to hit it, it's that number for a reason.

    .......And here's the reason

    MFP gives you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. When you add exercise you make the deficit larger. Too large a deficit promotes muscle loss.

    You can choose to lose fast (negative net number) ..... this will not decrease your body fat % as much as you want (because you are losing muscle too) OR you can choose to lose in a healthy (moderate pace) ... to keep muscle and lose mainly fat. Your choice.

    "The number" is the calories your body uses for basic function ... heart, lungs, kidneys.
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
    Mfp could be overestimating your calorie burn. I like to consider what I have actually eaten and make sure it is reasonable. Many people here say to just eat back half of the perceived calories burned.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Mfp could be overestimating your calorie burn. I like to consider what I have actually eaten and make sure it is reasonable. Many people here say to just eat back half of the perceived calories burned.

    That may well be the case, but even so most people won't (and certainly shouldn't) end up with a negative net. Even if the number is drastically over estimated.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Eat if you're hungry. One or two days of negative net isn't going to hurt you.

Categories