Net Calories???

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KristiGuard
KristiGuard Posts: 33 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I am new here and I don't completely understand the net calories. And I looked at my yesterday totals and I had extra calories that I "earned" added to my totals. Can someone explain this?

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  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Your daily calorie goal is calculated as the minimum to keep you alive, without exercise, and a 500 calorie deficit.

    When you log your exercise, MFP add the calories your burned to your daily goal. eating them back still keeps you at enough of a calorie deficit to lose weight.

    Net calories are what you ate minus what you burned in exercise. You want to keep that number above 1200.
  • beatlemom
    beatlemom Posts: 250 Member
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    When you burn calories through exercise, MFP adds those back to your calorie allowance.
  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
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    Ok, so if I have to keep it around 1200 how come in my goals it says my def should be 790?
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
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    Ok, so if I have to keep it around 1200 how come in my goals it says my def should be 790?


    Because your deficit is totally different than your NET calories. Daily NET calories can be found on your home page at the top or, on your food diary you can take your TOTAL calories eaten and subtract your * Extra Cals earned from exercise to give you your net at any given time during the day. Your daily calorie DEFICIT is the calories you burn from normal daily activities (without special exercise) - your net calorie goal. To lose 1 pound per week, you need a total weekly deficit of 3500 calories (500 per day), so you must have yours set to lose 1.5 lbs per week (@5500 cals/week deficit).
  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
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    Ok, so if I have to keep it around 1200 how come in my goals it says my def should be 790?


    Because your deficit is totally different than your NET calories. Daily NET calories can be found on your home page at the top or, on your food diary you can take your TOTAL calories eaten and subtract your * Extra Cals earned from exercise to give you your net at any given time during the day. Your daily calorie DEFICIT is the calories you burn from normal daily activities (without special exercise) - your net calorie goal. To lose 1 pound per week, you need a total weekly deficit of 3500 calories (500 per day), so you must have yours set to lose 1.5 lbs per week (@5500 cals/week deficit).

    Ohhhk, now i get it! lol.
    It was confusing me this whole time. Thanks! That helped a lot :-)
  • KristiGuard
    KristiGuard Posts: 33 Member
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    Doesn't that defeat the purpose? We burn those calories to lose, right? Not to add back in to be able to eat more.
  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
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    Doesn't that defeat the purpose? We burn those calories to lose, right? Not to add back in to be able to eat more.

    You should read the post about starvation mode is real, might be an eye-opener for ya
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    Doesn't that defeat the purpose? We burn those calories to lose, right? Not to add back in to be able to eat more.

    You should read the post about starvation mode is real, might be an eye-opener for ya

    And the eye opener for me was eating them didn't work, never has, never will. I lost tons of weight before by not eating them and gained lean mass by strength training. The Biggest Loser doesnt have them eating exercise calories, although that is an EXTREME example. Pick you side of the argument and see what works for you! Some swear by it and some don't. I don't. That's my 2 cents worth! Good luck!
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    Doesn't that defeat the purpose? We burn those calories to lose, right? Not to add back in to be able to eat more.

    Yes, not eating those calories can help you to lose quicker. However, the program is set up to give you a certain calorie deficit each day so you lose even by eating your exercise calories. For example, let's say that your
    BMR is 1700 and your net calories are set to 1200. You have a deficit of 500 per day. Therefore, you lose 1 pound per week eating 1200 per day. If you workout and burn 500 calories, you can eat 1200 and the 500 burned--you still have a 500 calorie deficit that day--still one pound per week lost. If you don't eat those calories, you have 1000 deficit--2 pound loss.

    People will tell you that if you don't eat your workout calories your body will go into starvation mode. That is a little inaccurate, but I won't get into the science right now. The important thing is to eat enough to keep your metabolism up. Also, eating your exercise calories can help you to stay more satisfied--therefore, you stick with this instead of starving, binging, quitting.
  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
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    Doesn't that defeat the purpose? We burn those calories to lose, right? Not to add back in to be able to eat more.

    You should read the post about starvation mode is real, might be an eye-opener for ya

    And the eye opener for me was eating them didn't work, never has, never will. I lost tons of weight before by not eating them and gained lean mass by strength training. The Biggest Loser doesnt have them eating exercise calories, although that is an EXTREME example. Pick you side of the argument and see what works for you! Some swear by it and some don't. I don't. That's my 2 cents worth! Good luck!


    You can't have The Biggest Loser as an example, like really?!
    They have trainers, nutritionists and doctors there at all times. They lose so much weight every week, it's insane and so unhealthy. They do it for the SHOW. They don't get taught the tools they need for everyday life. When they go back home it's back to the same old habits and they gain the weight back. There are some exceptions but that's what they are... exceptions.
    Our body needs nutrition ,when we work out we burn nutrition, which means we have to add some so our body gets what it needs.... if not it will think we're not getting enough food and will try to hold on to every ounce of fat we have.
    Granted, obviously not everyone needs the exact same calories everyday, some need more, some need less. But in general this is the way to do it. Eat healthy & when you're hungry and not starve yourself and work out to build muscles.
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
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    Doesn't that defeat the purpose? We burn those calories to lose, right? Not to add back in to be able to eat more.

    Yes, not eating those calories can help you to lose quicker. However, the program is set up to give you a certain calorie deficit each day so you lose even by eating your exercise calories. For example, let's say that your
    BMR is 1700 and your net calories are set to 1200. You have a deficit of 500 per day. Therefore, you lose 1 pound per week eating 1200 per day. If you workout and burn 500 calories, you can eat 1200 and the 500 burned--you still have a 500 calorie deficit that day--still one pound per week lost. If you don't eat those calories, you have 1000 deficit--2 pound loss.

    People will tell you that if you don't eat your workout calories your body will go into starvation mode. That is a little inaccurate, but I won't get into the science right now. The important thing is to eat enough to keep your metabolism up. Also, eating your exercise calories can help you to stay more satisfied--therefore, you stick with this instead of starving, binging, quitting.

    I completely agree! It may "work" for you to NOT eat them, but I personally believe that in the long run you are hurting yourself. I helped screw up my metabolism by crash dieting on less than 1200 net calories in my younger years. We are in this for the long haul, because a lifestyle is never "done" even when you reach your goal or you will end up regaining what you've worked so hard to lose. ..so what's the rush?
  • KristiGuard
    KristiGuard Posts: 33 Member
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    Doesn't that defeat the purpose? We burn those calories to lose, right? Not to add back in to be able to eat more.

    Yes, not eating those calories can help you to lose quicker. However, the program is set up to give you a certain calorie deficit each day so you lose even by eating your exercise calories. For example, let's say that your
    BMR is 1700 and your net calories are set to 1200. You have a deficit of 500 per day. Therefore, you lose 1 pound per week eating 1200 per day. If you workout and burn 500 calories, you can eat 1200 and the 500 burned--you still have a 500 calorie deficit that day--still one pound per week lost. If you don't eat those calories, you have 1000 deficit--2 pound loss.

    People will tell you that if you don't eat your workout calories your body will go into starvation mode. That is a little inaccurate, but I won't get into the science right now. The important thing is to eat enough to keep your metabolism up. Also, eating your exercise calories can help you to stay more satisfied--therefore, you stick with this instead of starving, binging, quitting.

    I completely agree! It may "work" for you to NOT eat them, but I personally believe that in the long run you are hurting yourself. I helped screw up my metabolism by crash dieting on less than 1200 net calories in my younger years. We are in this for the long haul, because a lifestyle is never "done" even when you reach your goal or you will end up regaining what you've worked so hard to lose. ..so what's the rush?



    Thanks for all the responses! I understand now. I am far from starvation mode and I agree that everyone should do what works best for them.

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