Net calories

FitnessLover001
FitnessLover001 Posts: 188 Member
edited February 16 in Health and Weight Loss
I have asked this A LOT, but I am still so confused and I feel like it's the reason I am not seeing a weight change. I want to lose 7 pounds and I have recently cut back on my cardio and started more weight lifting with a mixture of cardio. So instead of 90min of cardio, I usually only do about 45min of cardio 5 times a week with weight lifting three days a week (45min). I take a rest day (Saturdays usually), and then on Sundays, I run 10 miles.

I used to have MFP set to lose 2 pounds per week, and I have changed it to lose 1pound per week (since I read that maybe I wasn't eating enough and my body was "starving"). So now my calorie goal is 1580. So far today, my food intake has been 760. It says my net is 382 because I burned off 378 today in the gym.

My question is, what am I supposed to be looking at??? Do I look at food(760) and go with that? Because there is no way I can eat 1198 more calories today, since all I have left is dinner??? Usually after I eat all three meals, I am around 1300+ calories for "food" but my net intake is either 900something or near 1100something. So I'm confused. Is my body still starving itself?? Or because my body has taken in 1,300+ calories (even if some has been burned off) I am okay and my weight will eventually come off??

I do eat healthy and measure out everything I put in my mouth, so my dieting/kitchen skills are not an issue

Replies

  • _Calypso_
    _Calypso_ Posts: 1,074 Member
    Think of your body as a car - it needs fuel to run properly.

    There are many different ways to do it and what works for me may not work for you or the next and vice versa. But the one fact is constant...you need food to survive. You need a set amount of calories just to make sure you organs function properly (BMR) and you need more fuel to maintain muscle.

    So technically you do not *have* to eat back all of your excercise calories. For some that is what worked...others use the TDEE method....others eat only half....and the list goes on. But you should NET your BMR. If you have a very big burn day - you may not get to it. There are days I NET under 1000 bc I had a 1k burn and just can't/ don't want to eat 2400 cal in a day. However, my weeks even out. I have smaller burn days and my NET makes up for my low days.

    Also note you are very close to goal. With only 7lbs to lose it will take longer and be harder to lose. 1lb may actually be too much per week. And you may be exercising too much. WIth only 7lbs to lose that is a LOT of exercise. Unless you truly love 90+ min of exercise 5-6 days a week...you could cut back considerably and still see results (if not faster results)!!

    So in a nutshell - aim to eat at least half your exercise calories. Try not to NET less than 1300 cal per day.
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
    It depends on which way you are doing it ...

    Are you doing TDEE method? Then no, you would just want to consume that many a day, not necessarily NET that many.

    If you are doing the MFP way. You need to eat back some of your exercise calories so that you eat a little more.
  • sarahcav123
    sarahcav123 Posts: 128 Member
    Heyy

    I struggled with this too, for AGES.

    Here is an extremely helpful explanation which explains TDEE along with your BMR and food intake. The author also puts in some handy calculators.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide

    Hope this helps!
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
    Hit your net calories.

    I am given 1410 net calories per day by MFP.

    If I go to the gym and burn 500 calories.

    I now have 1910 for that day.

    Although I usually only eat about 65% of exercise calories back due to inaccuracies.
  • trizzletrix
    trizzletrix Posts: 92 Member
    Whoah that's a lot of exercise haha. You are super fit!! What do you tend to do when you do weight training? I'm intrigued.

    Also, I don't know the 'correct' answer so personally, as far as eating back my exercise calories go I tend to listen to my body.
    If I've done an hour of cardio I won't be hungry for about two or so hours after but then in about 3 hours I'll be STARVING so even if my FOOD IN (not net) is over my MFP goal I don't care, I'll eat more because clearly my body needs it.
    I don't set about eating EXACTLY how many calories I burned back, I just eat until I'm satisfied :D

    Just play around with how much you eat back and see what affect is has on the scales. Obviously always eat over your BMR (food in) and on your sunday (big run) try and eat more (easier with calorie dense foods - dried fruit like dates and stuff, nuts, seeds)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Hit your net calories.

    I am given 1410 net calories per day by MFP.

    If I go to the gym and burn 500 calories.

    I now have 1910 for that day.

    Although I usually only eat about 65% of exercise calories back due to inaccuracies.

    ^This

    Plan on eating exercise calories back..........but also be aware that calorie burns are estimates. MFP does not include exercise in the original equation, so exercise increases the deficit (sometimes too much).

    If you don't like the up/down of MFP method (called NEAT)......look up TDEE method. The TDEE less a % method includes exercise up front....then you get an "average" number of calories to eat.

    See Sarah's post above for TDEE
  • FitnessLover001
    FitnessLover001 Posts: 188 Member
    Whoah that's a lot of exercise haha. You are super fit!! What do you tend to do when you do weight training? I'm intrigued.

    Also, I don't know the 'correct' answer so personally, as far as eating back my exercise calories go I tend to listen to my body.
    If I've done an hour of cardio I won't be hungry for about two or so hours after but then in about 3 hours I'll be STARVING so even if my FOOD IN (not net) is over my MFP goal I don't care, I'll eat more because clearly my body needs it.
    I don't set about eating EXACTLY how many calories I burned back, I just eat until I'm satisfied :D

    Just play around with how much you eat back and see what affect is has on the scales. Obviously always eat over your BMR (food in) and on your sunday (big run) try and eat more (easier with calorie dense foods - dried fruit like dates and stuff, nuts, seeds)

    For weights, i do 5 sets, 8 reps each, and i do:
    leg extension: 120lbs
    leg press: 125lbs
    leg curl: 90lbs
    glute machine: 160lbs
    squats with a 45lb dumbbell: 45lbs

    seated fow: 75lbs
    pectoral fly and rear deltoids: 60lbs
    lat pull down: 75lbs

    Every two weeks, since I only do this three times a week, I go up on the machines with the weights. Yeah, I usually eat more on the days I do long runs, I just never know if I should eat back all my calories, because like you, if I'm hungry, I'm definitely going to eat but if my stomach isn't craving food and I'm not hungry, I don't eat. So I don't know if I should eat back exercise calories or not!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories