I am a bit confused

lmintek
lmintek Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi I am a 38 year old male. 5 ft 10 and weighing 235 lbs. A bit of background. I am a soldier and for as long as I can remember I weighed 190lbs. Due to complications from a surgery and being able to do nothing for 1 year I reached my heaviest 2 years ago of 317. I made it down to 217 lbs before the summer. I slacked with my diet during the summer and was up to 240 lbs. Since using this app for the past 12 days I have managed to lose 5 lbs.

I am exercising just cardio mostly the treadmill for 1-1.5 hrs 5-6 days a week at a pace of 11 km/hr (yes Canadian lol).

Now my question because I am unsure I am using this app correct. I wake up today and it says my calories is 1720. at the end there is a net and that is 350. I am unsure what that means.Also when I go under food after exercising my calories go from 1720 to around 2700. So I guess I have 2 questions.

1) What is Net.
2) When those calories increase on my food page am I supposed to increase my intake to that? example 1720 workout 1.5 hrs and now reads 2700. Am I now supposed to eat 2700 calories?

I am all over the place with this. Trying to learn as I go and make adjustments. I have been under my calorie intake most days. Although there has been 3 days that I have been well over. Can someone help out this grunt. Thanks in advance

Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Net is your total calorie eaten minus the calories you burned through exercise. Your Net should be as close to your MFP goal as you can be.
    For example, if your daily goal is 1720 and you exercise and burn 300, you should be eating 2020.
    2020 (total eaten) - 300 (calories burned) = a net of 1720

    Many people do not eat all the exercsie calories as there can be an issue with the estimates, however, it is recommended you eat at least a portion of them, espeically if you are doing a lot of exercise.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Net is how many calories you've intook & burned.

    For example, without exercise, say your goal is 1750. You eat 1750 calories. You've NET 1750 Calories.
    Now let's say you exercised 350 calories on a 3 mile run. Your goal is still 1750, minus 350 from exercise.
    1750-350=1400. You've NET 1400 calories.

    The way MFP is designed, after you exercise, your goal will increase. It'll look something like Goal 1750, and you've earned 350 calories from exercise. So your new daily goal for that day will be 1750+350=2100 calorie goal. You are supposed to eat to your new goal. You're meant to eat those 350 exercise calories.

    You may think, "well isn't that counterproductive? Aren't I supposed to create a deficit to lose weight?"
    The answer to that is NO. The way MFP is designed, it works out your deficit for you. It's already been built into your calorie goal. If you follow MFP's calorie goal consistently, you will lose weight.

    Hope that helps.
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
    The Net Calorie figure is your daily calorie goal + actual calories consumed - exercise calories. MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories, that is why they are added back in by the app. Some users will eat back all of them, some a percentage and some don't at all. One issue is that MFP does not accurately estimate exercise calories, so unless you are using a heart rate monitor for your exercise, it is not recommended that you eat back 100% of your exercise calories. Hope this helps and good luck!
  • lmintek
    lmintek Posts: 6 Member
    Thats what I thought. Great answer guys and I think I am clear now. Thanks for the answers and quick responses

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