Net Calories... (confused)

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dolphinstar106
dolphinstar106 Posts: 38
in Health and Weight Loss
I understand how the net calories are calculated. Im just confused about what it should be, in order to reach my goals.

As i stated in a previous post, i thought i had reached a plateau some weeks ago, and as such ive upped my calories intake b about 400 calories (200 a day, per week). So now im back to about 1400 calories, and on average im doing about 700 cals a day in exercise.

I want to lose about a stone all in all. Maybe about a stone and a half, but a stone will be fine for now. What my question is (sorry for labouring the details), what should my net calories be roughly...? I dont want to wear myself out and overdo it, but i also dont want to underdo it, and let my body think its having an easy ride.

Help!?!?!?!?

Thanks all.

Replies

  • samrockrocks
    samrockrocks Posts: 251 Member
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    your net calories should be 1400.. no less than 1200. if you are burning 700 calories, your body is only getting 700. you need to eat back those exercise calories. your body will go into starvation mode otherwise. it sounds weird to say you need to eat to lose, but it's true!
  • DPruneda17
    DPruneda17 Posts: 124 Member
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    What's a stone? I've never heard that...
  • dolphinstar106
    dolphinstar106 Posts: 38
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    Pruneda 1stone = 14lb *lol*.

    Strange. How i understood it was that calorie defecit helped lose weight not the other way around. So... i need more net calories not less? Is the net calories the calorie defecit, or comsumption after exercise?

    New thinking, often confuses me.
  • techcommdood
    techcommdood Posts: 37 Member
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    samrockrocks is dead-on correct. Net Calories are indeed NET calories. If you burn some, you need to replenish them.

    Your caloric goal for the day set in MyFitnessPal takes into account your desired weight loss rate. You are allowed to eat that many net calories every day in order to hit (roughly - this is not an exact science after all) that weight loss rate.

    So you're on 1400 a day, and you burn 700 in exercise a day. Guess what? In order to keep your metabolism going strong and maintain a healthy loss, you then need to eat 1400 + 700 = 2100 calories a day.

    The more you exercise, the more you need to eat. It's a fuel thing, and by not eating what you need to maintain your net caloric needs, you're running on empty all the time, which as samrockrocks explains is forcing your body to go into starvation mode. What that means is that your body - to preserve its own well-being - is lowering its metabolic rate so as not to completely deplete its fat stores too quickly. To put it bluntly, you're undoing the good work from all that exercise.

    Eat what you burn. You'll see a loss.
  • techcommdood
    techcommdood Posts: 37 Member
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    MyFitnessPal does the math for you, so if you want to go by the net calorie totals it generates, just be sure to hit your 1400 every day. If you eat 1500 and you burn 700, your net will show you at 800, which means you still have 600 left to eat for that day.

    Make sense?
  • dolphinstar106
    dolphinstar106 Posts: 38
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    Thanks. :)

    I'm just astounded that it allows me to eat that much! I wasnt doubting whata nyone says here, just i found it too different from my mindset.

    How long do you guys reckon it will take them to lose that amount?
  • CameraGirlBond
    CameraGirlBond Posts: 8
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    When you eat such a pathetic amount of calories, your body starts to realise it’s starving. In order to survive this famine, it slows down your metabolism. Your metabolism is your body’s natural fat burner, so a slower metabolism means less fat burned. Less fat burned means more fat stored.

    What it will do then, is cling onto what food you are feeding it, store it as fat as it has no idea how long this starvation is going to carry on for. Instead, it will start to look to itself and see what it can do without. The first thing to be burned off is your muscle tissue. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue which needs calories to survive. As your body is storing all of the calories you consume as fat, it decides to burn up your lean mass instead. Muscle mass is what regulates your metabolism. So, the more you have, the faster the metabolism and the more food you can eat. The less muscle mass you have the slower the metabolism and the fewer calories your body needs to survive. This is how someone can exist on 1000 calories a day and still not manage to lose weight!
  • techcommdood
    techcommdood Posts: 37 Member
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    What's a stone? I've never heard that...

    It's a British thing. I think it was invented by the Ministry of Silly Walks. ;-)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_(Imperial_mass)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_of_Silly_Walks
  • CameraGirlBond
    CameraGirlBond Posts: 8
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    It took me a long time to get my head around it too. As you don't have much to lose you shouldn't rush it, 1-2 lbs a week is sustainable and not likely to shoot back on again.
  • dolphinstar106
    dolphinstar106 Posts: 38
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    Go on then pick on the Biritish guy.. Lol.

    But thanks guys. You've been a great help.
  • techcommdood
    techcommdood Posts: 37 Member
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    I'm just astounded that it allows me to eat that much! I wasnt doubting whata nyone says here, just i found it too different from my mindset.

    It seems counter-logical at first but it really does make sense. So enjoy all those extra calories you've been missing! :-)
    How long do you guys reckon it will take them to lose that amount?

    I'm not sure I understand the question.
  • dolphinstar106
    dolphinstar106 Posts: 38
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    Sorry i mean to reach my goal. I aim to lose some 14lbs.
  • cfitz10
    cfitz10 Posts: 4
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    Thank you all for sharing this info. I was getting confused by the net calorie thing myself.
  • dolphinstar106
    dolphinstar106 Posts: 38
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    Glad its not just me ciftz.. lol :)
  • techcommdood
    techcommdood Posts: 37 Member
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    Sorry i mean to reach my goal. I aim to lose some 14lbs.

    Everyone's different. I've tried many different tactics over the past 10 (yikes) years and only one worked - WeightWatchers - but I didn't understand why. When I stopped WW, the weight came right back on (slowly but steadily). It turns out I was losing at too quick a rate to be sustainable for me (2+ lbs per week). While it looked great, once I stopped the pattern my body bounced right back. I've been on a pound per week (or less) off and on over the past year. When on, I lose 0 to 1 lbs per week. When off, I don't gain it back. I've been "on" since Jan 1 this year and all's going well.

    Slow and steady wins the race.
  • dolphinstar106
    dolphinstar106 Posts: 38
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    Yeah i concur about the slower is better.

    Im happy gaining a pound or two at the moment, whilst eating more, or even just maintaining whilst my metabolism sorts itself out.

    Im glad im toning whilst exercising, should help in the long run :D
  • CameraGirlBond
    CameraGirlBond Posts: 8
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    Hey I'm a Brit too. We're awesome. !

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