Net calories

gracebridges90
gracebridges90 Posts: 39 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, so I'm a bit confused and I've seen a lot of people say different things about this subject. So I do strength training 3 times a week and straight cardio 2 times a week. So I earn those calories back. Looking at my diary, it says "net" calories. The thing is net calories are different than the calories from food. Which one should I be following ? because I just look at the food I've eaten and don't go over my calorie limitation so I'm left with extra calories. I'm just a bit confused. What are these "net" calories ??

Replies

  • jenhenning219
    jenhenning219 Posts: 385 Member
    Net calories are the calories are the calories consumed after exercise say you have 1200 cal and burn 200 cal then your net cal would be 1000 cal for the day hope this helps you understand a bit you can choose to eat the exercise cal back or not
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    you're supposed to net to your calorie goal with MFP...which means you eat exercise calories back. just make sure you're not overestimating your burn. when you put in your activity level with MFP, you do NOT include exercise activity...you have to account for that activity somewhere...with MFP, that somewhere is when you log it...therefore you get those calories to eat back. other calculators will include that estimate up front in your activity level...either way you're eating them back...it's either happening behind the scenes with other calculators or deliberately with MFP. Here's how it looks using my numbers.

    To maintain my weight with an activity level of "light active" with NO exercise, I require around 2350 calories. So to lose one pound per week with NO exercise MFP would deduct 500 calories...so 2350 - 500 = 1850 calories...that is my net goal.

    Now, I decide working out and getting some exercise is really good for my overall health and well being...so I start doing that and let's say I burn around 300-400 calories per day...I log that and now my calorie goal goes to 1850 + 400 = 2,250...but I still have that 500 calorie deficit because my non exercise maintenance calorie goal now gets larger with exercise activity...2350 + 400 = 2,750 and 2,750 - 2,250 = 500 calorie deficit still.

    The above is a perfect example of what people mean when they say to use your diet for weight control and exercise for fitness. You aren't trying to create your calorie deficit with exercise with MFP...your deficit is built into your calorie goal before any exercise whatsoever.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Ok, so I'm a bit confused and I've seen a lot of people say different things about this subject. So I do strength training 3 times a week and straight cardio 2 times a week. So I earn those calories back. Looking at my diary, it says "net" calories. The thing is net calories are different than the calories from food. Which one should I be following ? because I just look at the food I've eaten and don't go over my calorie limitation so I'm left with extra calories. I'm just a bit confused. What are these "net" calories ??

    MFP gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise. So, when you log a workout MFP adds those calories back. The decision to eat calories back is up to you......................however, please make an educated decision

    Factors to consider.......

    1200 (net) is the lowest MFP will go. It's just a default number.....so a 6' tall woman & a 5' tall woman would get the same number if they set their weekly goal high enough. In other words......if you are already at 1200 (I don't know your settings) ......you may have an aggressive weight loss goal.

    Losing weight too quickly (aggessive weight loss goal)..........you are likley to lose fat+muscle.....as opposed to mostly fat. You mentioned strength training.............to keep muscle you need enough FUEL.....think of eating calories back as fuel.

    Calorie burns are estimates............many people eat a percentage of their calories back (say 60%) .....see how it goes & make adjustments as they go. Eating too little...you may be lethargic....eating too much....your weight loss may stall.

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