MFP maintenance calories gross or net?

NickHall1988
NickHall1988 Posts: 30
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hello,

I'm having a hard time figuring this out. I have reached my goal weight and am trying now to maintain it. I have set MFP to maintain with a 'light' activity modifier. I walk atleast 3 miles every day (Some days 5) and I run at least 5 miles a day 6 days a week. MFP gives me an intake of 2,180 calories. Is that what I should GROSS or NET every single day?

Thanks,

Nhall

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    MFP works on net (assumes you will estimate, add on and eat exercise calories).

    But it's only an estimate.....
    Be accurate with logging, be consistent and over time you will discover YOUR maintenance calories.

    The other way to get a more personal estimate is to reverse calculate it from the last month when you were losing weight.
    i.e. if you consistently had a net of X calories and lost a pound a week your maintenance calories are X + 500 calories a day.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    Agree. MFP is always Net, unless you custom-set your calories.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    I also run a few times a week and I zeroed in on your use of the phrase "at least" to describe your route distances for running and walking. I would also use that phrase because mine vary widely. Unfortunately, that means your consumption will have to vary to meet it. There isn't going to be a magic number.
  • SkinnyMsFitness
    SkinnyMsFitness Posts: 389 Member
    MFP works on net (assumes you will estimate, add on and eat exercise calories).

    But it's only an estimate.....
    Be accurate with logging, be consistent and over time you will discover YOUR maintenance calories.

    The other way to get a more personal estimate is to reverse calculate it from the last month when you were losing weight.
    i.e. if you consistently had a net of X calories and lost a pound a week your maintenance calories are X + 500 calories a day.

    I agree with this guy! ;)
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    Agree. MFP is always Net, unless you custom-set your calories.

    yep.
  • caly_man
    caly_man Posts: 281 Member
    congrats on the 58 lbs lost.

    you prob have a good idea how many cals you need to eat to lose 1 lbs per week.

    in order to maintain, add 500 daily cals to the number above and start there. If you are uncomfortable eating that much, trying upping your cals gradually until you reach your maintenance cals (you can up on a weekly basis)

    keep an eye on the scale

    if you want to use MFP setting, this method means your calories will be net and you eat back some of your exercise cals

    if you want to use TDEE method, you'll have to set-up your daily cals manually and not eat back exercise cals.

    i would probably just use whatever method you are more comfortable with
  • NickHall1988
    NickHall1988 Posts: 30
    Thank you all for your quick responses. In response to 55in13 I use the phrase "Atleast" because while I know how long my route is I occasionally depending upon how I am feeling on a weekly basis wind up taking 2 rest day instead of one. But I understand what you are saying, my intake has to fluctuate with my output.

    Maintaining is even harder to do then loosing the weight to begin with. Not to mention psychologically troubling, I hate the scale. Loosing was easy, cut my intake and make sure to keep it above me BMR and move a bit more....simple. This is far harder.

    I'll keep doing what I have been doing, I'll keep running and today will be my first day at the gym so everyone please wish me luck.

    Now the task of body re-composition begins, no more being skinny-fat!
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
    It is net, which in theory means to eat more on days you work out, but I try to average it out over the week rather than getting caught up on keeping each day within range. Some days when I work out, I'm hungrier, so I naturally want to consume more. On other days, I'm just not hungry, so I don't consume the extra calories which gives me a cushion for another day when my body tells me to eat, but my daily calorie budget says "no," or when I want to go out and have the bread, chips, or dessert with my meal.

    Also, set a range of acceptable weight for maintenance, so you don't sweat the small changes. I have an min & max (either of which prompts corrective action). You will learn what works for you. Otherwise, enjoy your success!
  • Seesawboomerang
    Seesawboomerang Posts: 296 Member
    I custom set mine based on TDEE with light activity. This helps me focus on getting at least 3 workouts done weekly and keep generally active. I try not to eat back the exercise calories that MFP grants but don't stress out if I do. The custom figure is ever so slightly lower than most calculations recommend as that seems to be stable for me.

    I only weigh weekly and keep an eye on trends across 1-2 months. There are constant small adjustments to be made a few times per year, but it's rarely worth going into a panic about misjudgements day to day.

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