Should I be at a net calorie intake of 1200?

Megislosingit
Megislosingit Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all, I'm not sure if this has been discussed before but I have a question I hope someone has the answer to.

Ok, So I have been working out and burning around 500 calories a day. MFP tells me my calorie goal is 1280 per day which I have been good about keeping within. When I burn calories I only end up at a net of 800/900 calories. Should my NET calorie goals be 1200 or am I good with working out and not eating those calories back?

Thanks for your help!

Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Yes your net calories should say 1200.

    HOWEVER, please be 100% sure you are truly burning 500 calories working out. A lot of machines and even some MFP exercises are exaggerated. The most accurate estimate is a chest strap HRM.

    If you are using the elliptical for example, I'd log between 50%-80% of your total time to make it more realistic.
  • Megislosingit
    Megislosingit Posts: 26
    I have been using the mapmyrun app rather than using what MFP says. Only issue is Usually the mapmyrun app says more than what MFP says. I have also used the runners world calories burned calculator on their website. That and the mapmyrun app usually add up. Im thinking of getting a fitbit but even that isn't a heart rate monitor
  • SlimJanette
    SlimJanette Posts: 597 Member
    You should get a HRM that has a chest strap to be accurate.
  • runningJenn
    runningJenn Posts: 12 Member
    Just so you're aware, that is the minimum calories you should net in a day. Les than that and your body will go into starvation mode. You need 1200 just to function.
  • p4ulmiller
    p4ulmiller Posts: 588 Member
    I have a fit bit to record my daily walking around. I track exercise with an iPhone app (endomondo) and a Polar H7. They all sync up beautifully.

    Just make sure that you set your activity level to sedentary, otherwise you'll double count.
  • Megislosingit
    Megislosingit Posts: 26
    And maybe that is why my weight loss has been pretty slow. It makes me feel like it is almost pointless for me to workout
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Yes your net calories should say 1200.

    HOWEVER, please be 100% sure you are truly burning 500 calories working out. A lot of machines and even some MFP exercises are exaggerated. The most accurate estimate is a chest strap HRM.

    If you are using the elliptical for example, I'd log between 50%-80% of your total time to make it more realistic.
    ^ This is what I did when I tracked exercise calories. Even HRM are estimates based on averages (although probably more accurate than MFP). I prefer to estimate low and log 60% of the calories instead of all of them. I figure it balances if some of my food is underestimated.
  • SanDoThis
    SanDoThis Posts: 31
    Here is my experience so far, MFP gave me a daily intake of 1300 calories when I started using MFT I was doing great, staying within my daily intake, working out and logging my workout but not eating those calories back and I was losing weight just like it said I would but then I think I made the mistake of buying a fitbit!! it gives me back automatically so many calories for working out, walking, ect and i was loving it as to me it was legit right? well my calorie intake began to increase a long with the numbers on my scale! :( So now I am back to my no more than 1300 calorie diet no matter what my fitbit says!! Hope this helps!
  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
    And maybe that is why my weight loss has been pretty slow. It makes me feel like it is almost pointless for me to workout

    workout to eat more!!! So if you burn 500 cals, you get to eat 1700 cals that day. makes losing weight a much happier place :-) It will ensure you aren't losing your metabolism by eating too less, and it's a lot easier then to see it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet where you're always hungry. I agree with the above posters though, I would get a HRM to be sure how many cals you're burning. Machines, apps etc always over estimate. There's loads in the sales at the moment.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    And maybe that is why my weight loss has been pretty slow. It makes me feel like it is almost pointless for me to workout
    You eat at a calorie deficit to lose weight. You exercise to get fit and look good nekkid. :laugh:
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    MFP expects you to eat calories back because the deficit was built in BEFORE exercise. When you eat too little you risk losing fat+muscle.....instead of just fat.

    Coming up with a calorie burn estimate is tricky. Use the same method for awhile....if you seem to be losing at the pace you expect, then you're good. If not, then tweak the numbers up or down.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    Just so you're aware, that is the minimum calories you should net in a day. Les than that and your body will go into starvation mode. You need 1200 just to function.

    No it won't. I ate less than that for two year and nothing happened. I have since increased my calories and I'm good with that but 2 years eating less than that and no starvation mode for me.....or anyone else. It may not be healthy for you which is the bigger issue but you won't come down with this horribly over exaggerated issue. People are on supervised diets eating less than 1200 and they are fine, medically they are fine
  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
    Just so you're aware, that is the minimum calories you should net in a day. Les than that and your body will go into starvation mode. You need 1200 just to function.

    No it won't. I ate less than that for two year and nothing happened. I have since increased my calories and I'm good with that but 2 years eating less than that and no starvation mode for me.....or anyone else. It may not be healthy for you but you won't come down with horribly over exaggerated issue

    Under eating for a significant period of time has been proven to mess with your metabolism. Everyone reacts differently. I lost weight eating 1700 cals a day, some people can eat 1200 easily.
  • Seesawboomerang
    Seesawboomerang Posts: 296 Member
    Net, minimum, yes.

    How come people come here to lose weight yet repeatedly find it hard to rack up 1200 net? I'm jealous, I'd keep going to 3000 if I could.
  • missbirrell
    missbirrell Posts: 133
    I may have been going wrong here then. My calculated intake is 1200 but my net is very rarely 1200, it's usually 600-1000. I've had fairly steady weightloss with a few plateaus but I was wondering if I was doing it right. I guess I'll try and net 1200 from now on and maybe that'll work better.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    Just so you're aware, that is the minimum calories you should net in a day. Les than that and your body will go into starvation mode. You need 1200 just to function.

    No it won't. I ate less than that for two year and nothing happened. I have since increased my calories and I'm good with that but 2 years eating less than that and no starvation mode for me.....or anyone else. It may not be healthy for you but you won't come down with horribly over exaggerated issue

    Under eating for a significant period of time has been proven to mess with your metabolism. Everyone reacts differently. I lost weight eating 1700 cals a day, some people can eat 1200 easily.
    Messing with your metabolism and starvation mode are two separate issues all together. My metab slowed down hence why I increased my calories.
  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
    Net, minimum, yes.

    How come people come here to lose weight yet repeatedly find it hard to rack up 1200 net? I'm jealous, I'd keep going to 3000 if I could.

    Lol, me too!! I can eat like a man!!! I eat 2000-2500 cals a day, workout and still losing body fat %. 1200 would be my idea of hell!!!
  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
    Just so you're aware, that is the minimum calories you should net in a day. Les than that and your body will go into starvation mode. You need 1200 just to function.

    No it won't. I ate less than that for two year and nothing happened. I have since increased my calories and I'm good with that but 2 years eating less than that and no starvation mode for me.....or anyone else. It may not be healthy for you but you won't come down with horribly over exaggerated issue

    Under eating for a significant period of time has been proven to mess with your metabolism. Everyone reacts differently. I lost weight eating 1700 cals a day, some people can eat 1200 easily.
    Messing with your metabolism and starvation mode are two separate issues all together. My metab slowed down hence why I increased my calories.

    Your body changes its metabolic response when in starvation mode. Either way, it's not good..
  • sstuart6857
    sstuart6857 Posts: 1
    How do you know if you are messing with your metabolism?

Categories