NET calories

kkent9
kkent9 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm worried that I'm not getting enough NET calories per day. I'm trying to remove the fat off my inner thighs and back/core but everywhere else on me is fairly toned/slender. I workout by playing competitive volleyball in the gym everyday and end up running lines, jumping and doing push-ups as consequences each practice, so I'm getting a solid calorie burn in everyday of about 1175. Today I NET'd more than I have in the past week, 394 calories. After reading online I saw that that wasn't enough but I'm pleased with my meals after I eat them and want to lose this weight fast. Now I'm worried that I should be netting as much as I did today, or more, everyday. Input?

Replies

  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
    It sounds like you have issues with your body composition and not really your weight. I recommend taking up a weight lifting regimen and reduce the cardio. You should be eating substantially more. 1200 NET is a starting point and you can adjust as you see fit but you're definitely undereating. I'm guessing you're eating somewhere around 1600 calories or less which is far too few for your activity level.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    I agree with the previous poster. Incorporate some strength training/weights. You'll lose inches much better that way. And you definitely need to eat more. 394 calories is basically what you're giving your body to function with. It takes more than that for cell growth, moving blood, keeping your heart beating, maintaining healthy organs, etc.

    You don't have to eat junk food to get those calories, but you can start by eating foods that are more calorie dense. Protein, peanut butter, nuts, full fat cheeses, yogurt, avacado, beans, etc.
  • kkent9
    kkent9 Posts: 2 Member
    I feel like I won't lose ANY weight if I'm intaking that many. I can see 500 being a lot. I thought you were supposed to burn more calories than you intake in order to really shed lbs.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I feel like I won't lose ANY weight if I'm intaking that many. I can see 500 being a lot. I thought you were supposed to burn more calories than you intake in order to really shed lbs.

    yes but you burn 1200 or more lying on the couch.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    It sounds like you have issues with your body composition and not really your weight. I recommend taking up a weight lifting regimen and reduce the cardio. You should be eating substantially more. 1200 NET is a starting point and you can adjust as you see fit but you're definitely undereating. I'm guessing you're eating somewhere around 1600 calories or less which is far too few for your activity level.

    ^ This. I was doing cardio 6 days a week and yes I was losing weight but I was still flabby. So I scaled back to 3 days of cardio and added 3 days of heavy lifting per week. What a difference in my body. I HIGHLY recommend adding weights.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    It sounds like you have issues with your body composition and not really your weight. I recommend taking up a weight lifting regimen and reduce the cardio. You should be eating substantially more. 1200 NET is a starting point and you can adjust as you see fit but you're definitely undereating. I'm guessing you're eating somewhere around 1600 calories or less which is far too few for your activity level.

    ^ This. I was doing cardio 6 days a week and yes I was losing weight but I was still flabby. So I scaled back to 3 days of cardio and added 3 days of heavy lifting per week. What a difference in my body. I HIGHLY recommend adding weights.

    I upped my calorie intake quite a bit when I added weights and I am still losing weight and my clothes keep getting looser. You need to fuel your body. I would die on 1200 calories a day.
  • shauner03
    shauner03 Posts: 21 Member
    I'm not sure where you got the impression that you need to burn more calories in a day than you consume in order to lose weight. I mean, you will lose weight but you'll kill yourself along the way. Having negative net calories on a daily basis is not safe.
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
    Love4fitnesslove4food2 Posts: 711 Member
    By "burn" what is meant is your total energy expenditure--not just what you"burn" working out. If you're burning 1100+ working out then your total burn is probably ~2500 or so. So eating 2000 calories a day would be ~a pound or so of weight loss each week.
  • shauner03
    shauner03 Posts: 21 Member
    I should have said "burn through working out" in my reply. I think the OP is forgetting the calories that the body burns naturally through just being alive. But certainly aiming for a net calorie goal of zero (as was implied in the original post) is dangerous.

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