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"Net calories" vs "total intake"

lets_fly_away
lets_fly_away Posts: 42
edited February 6 in Health and Weight Loss
Am I suppose to ignore the net calories and eat more or just stick to my food limit and not go by the net calories?

Replies

  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    depends if you're doing TDEE - a %age or the default MFP style...?
  • lets_fly_away
    lets_fly_away Posts: 42
    depends if you're doing TDEE - a %age or the default MFP style...?

    I'm not sure what tdee means.. I excercise almost everyday (walking 3 or more miles)
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Go all the way to the food limit. You will want to eat back your exercise calories, and end up with the NET that you are supposed to eat, that MFP set up for you.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I'd suggest just keeping it simple and doing it the way mfp suggests, which means eating more calories when you exercise (that's why they increase your calorie goal when you add in exercise calories burned).
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Except that MFP grossly over estimates most exercise calories so eating 50% back is a far safer choice.
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    depends if you're doing TDEE - a %age or the default MFP style...?

    I'm not sure what tdee means.. I excercise almost everyday (walking 3 or more miles)

    MFP sets you a default of lower cals, and eating back excercise cals. TDEE is your total daily expenditure. This site is good http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx It uses your height, weight and activity level to calculate two numbers. The first is BMR - your basal metabolic rate. This is what your body would burn in a coma. You should never eat under this number. The second, higher number is TDEE. If that's you in your profile pic I'd eat TDEE minus a small amount, maybe 5-10% as you're already pretty thin. For those with more to lose 20-25% is better. If the TDEE - the percentage is less than BMR, it's not good. The calorie intake number should be in between the two. With the TDEE method, net calories aren't as crucial. With the standard MFP yes you should be eating back excercise calories to achieve a higher net.
  • 2fat4knees
    2fat4knees Posts: 25 Member
    If you don't need to eat those exercise-earned calories, then don't. You'll be just that much more "ahead of the game" to lose weight. I used to always eat those extra calories but I try not to anymore or , at least, not all of them. But I am on a very calorie-restricted diet after gastric bypass surgery and so eat only around 800 calories a day.
  • lets_fly_away
    lets_fly_away Posts: 42
    If you don't need to eat those exercise-earned calories, then don't. You'll be just that much more "ahead of the game" to lose weight. I used to always eat those extra calories but I try not to anymore or , at least, not all of them. But I am on a very calorie-restricted diet after gastric bypass surgery and so eat only around 800 calories a day.

    So it's okay if my net calories is around 500 ?? I end up with between 500-1000 net calories depending on the day
  • trudijoy
    trudijoy Posts: 1,685 Member
    If you don't need to eat those exercise-earned calories, then don't. You'll be just that much more "ahead of the game" to lose weight. I used to always eat those extra calories but I try not to anymore or , at least, not all of them. But I am on a very calorie-restricted diet after gastric bypass surgery and so eat only around 800 calories a day.

    So it's okay if my net calories is around 500 ?? I end up with between 500-1000 net calories depending on the day

    no it's not. Sorry to the person posting that they aren't needed but if your net is that low it's because you should be eating more than you are, or excercising less.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Good lord...500 net????? Go eat something!
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    If you don't need to eat those exercise-earned calories, then don't. You'll be just that much more "ahead of the game" to lose weight. I used to always eat those extra calories but I try not to anymore or , at least, not all of them. But I am on a very calorie-restricted diet after gastric bypass surgery and so eat only around 800 calories a day.

    So it's okay if my net calories is around 500 ?? I end up with between 500-1000 net calories depending on the day

    Absolutely not. Being restricted to 800 calories after surgery and doing it completely on your own are NOT the same thing.
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