net calories and wt loss

Frenshan
Frenshan Posts: 44
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
Can anyone explain to me if I am supposed to have a negative net calories everyday to lose my weekly goal wt at the specified rate or is it ok to have your net calories in the positive? Confused?!?

Replies

  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    NET should be as close to your daily goal at the end of the day as possible. After exercise and everything else, these are the calories your body uses to fuel itself and function.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Can anyone explain to me if I am supposed to have a negative net calories everyday to lose my weekly goal wt at the specified rate or is it ok to have your net calories in the positive? Confused?!?

    No you should be at your net goal. If your net goal is 1400 you have to eat 1400 plus all the calories you burn to meet your weekly weight loss goal. the calories goal already factors in a deficit for you to lose your goal amount of weight.
  • TiDinzeo
    TiDinzeo Posts: 309
    You should ideally have your net calories at 0 or as close as possible to 0 in the positive at the end of the day. A negative number means that, for that day, you have eaten over what MFP recommends for the day. It's okay to be in negative numbers occasionally, or even constantly if the numbers are still close to 0 as you'll still be creating a calorie deficit. I read somewhere that MFP gives you a 500 calorie deficit per day to be on target to lose 1 lbs per week.

    I hope this has helped.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    You want to keep your NET calories at whatever your goal is. If you burn through exercise then eat enough to get you back up to your Daily Goal.

    Eat at least your BMR everyday - calculator under Tools - and your BMR plus calories burned on exercise days. The BMR is kind of what you would burn "comatose". This is what your body needs just to function. This number goes up when you get out of bed.

    I don't like the fact that MFP will give you a calorie goal that is under the number you would burn in a coma.
  • Frenshan
    Frenshan Posts: 44
    Oh wow. I thought the NET had to remain low or negative in order to lose wt. So I am supposed to eat my daily goal in addition to the extra that is added on after exercise. I have been doing this incorrectly. I guess I was thinking NET was what you burned off despite of what the daily goal (which I thought BTW was just an indication of the lowest amt of calories you need to consume to sustain normal bodily functions and energy) was. I wonder if I start to increase to what my added NET cals are if I will speed my wt loss? I am new to this. Help!! :) Thanks for the replies.
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    Oh wow. I thought the NET had to remain low or negative in order to lose wt. So I am supposed to eat my daily goal in addition to the extra that is added on after exercise. I have been doing this incorrectly. I guess I was thinking NET was what you burned off despite of what the daily goal (which I thought BTW was just an indication of the lowest amt of calories you need to consume to sustain normal bodily functions and energy) was. I wonder if I start to increase to what my added NET cals are if I will speed my wt loss? I am new to this. Help!! :) Thanks for the replies.

    Not sure if this helps you at all but this is mine. My daily goal is 1250, once I work out that number goes up to 1900-2000+ calories, once I eat back my exercise calories, my NET is back around 1250 or as close as I can get it. I'm still losing weight and inches.

    You figure, such as today, I take in 1988, minus the 698 I burned exercising that brings me to 1250 actual calories my body can use.
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    Oops I forgot I changed my goals so it brings me to 1290 not 1250 , but you get the point.
  • Frenshan
    Frenshan Posts: 44
    Ok my daily goal is 1420. My calories burned during exercise is 1337. My calories is now at 2387. My net is reading -967 so far. so I need to try to eat 2387 calories during the remainder of the day? And that is to get my calorie goal plus calories burned in?
  • Kolohe71
    Kolohe71 Posts: 613 Member
    You should ideally have your net calories at 0 or as close as possible to 0 in the positive at the end of the day. A negative number means that, for that day, you have eaten over what MFP recommends for the day. It's okay to be in negative numbers occasionally, or even constantly if the numbers are still close to 0 as you'll still be creating a calorie deficit. I read somewhere that MFP gives you a 500 calorie deficit per day to be on target to lose 1 lbs per week.

    I hope this has helped.

    This is correct. You need to be defecit about 3500 calories to lose 1 lb. So 500 (daily deficit) X 7 (days) = 3500 (1 lb a week).
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    Ok my daily goal is 1420. My calories burned during exercise is 1337. My calories is now at 2387. My net is reading -967 so far. so I need to try to eat 2387 calories during the remainder of the day? And that is to get my calorie goal plus calories burned in?

    Yes. So you have 2387 calories for the rest of the day. Eat those and it will bring your NET back to 1420, or get as close as you can to that number. Sometimes I'm 20-50 calories under my goal, other times only 1 calorie.
  • pdcarrell
    pdcarrell Posts: 101
    NET should be as close to your daily goal at the end of the day as possible. After exercise and everything else, these are the calories your body uses to fuel itself and function.

    She hit the nail right on the head! Doing this has allowed me to drop weight faster & I get to eat those excersize calories and not feel bad about it!
  • Frenshan
    Frenshan Posts: 44
    I still can't believe that I am allowed to eat all of those extra calories and will still be able to actually lose wt. Thanks so much for your help. I guess basically if I don't eat enough to get back to my calorie goal I will probably slow my metabolism rather than speed wt loss, huh? I had no idea.
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    I still can't believe that I am allowed to eat all of those extra calories and will still be able to actually lose wt. Thanks so much for your help. I guess basically if I don't eat enough to get back to my calorie goal I will probably slow my metabolism rather than speed wt loss, huh? I had no idea.

    Exactly. Even with the amount P90X gave me (1800) it wasn't enough for me. Now that I'm eating anywhere from 1900-2000+ calories a day, I'm losing the last bit of weight and finally losing inches. It's a strange concept to get used to, NEEDING to eat more to lose. But your body will thank you. Feel free to message me if you have other questions.
  • ramosriley
    ramosriley Posts: 32
    so If my net is -407 because I lost 800 with exercise and have eaten 400 in food calorie with a 1200 daily intake, what am I to count or add or subtract or what? I don't alway eat what I loose in exercise to loose more weight. HELP
  • Frenshan
    Frenshan Posts: 44
    I will and thank you so very much!! :)
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    so If my net is -407 because I lost 800 with exercise and have eaten 400 in food calorie with a 1200 daily intake, what am I to count or add or subtract or what? I don't alway eat what I loose in exercise to loose more weight. HELP

    There's a large debate on whether to eat back your exercise calories. However, that is how MFP is set up, so that you eat them back and you still have the deficit that they calculated for you. -407 basically means you didn't eat anything, at least that's how your body will view it. Your NET should be back at 1200 at the end of the day. The 800 isn't the only deficit that you've got, you have the deficit that MFP gave you, which is why your daily intake is 1200. Eat whatever the number of "Calories Remaining" you have to bring your NET back up to your daily goal.
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    I will and thank you so very much!! :)

    You're welcome =]
  • Kolohe71
    Kolohe71 Posts: 613 Member
    so If my net is -407 because I lost 800 with exercise and have eaten 400 in food calorie with a 1200 daily intake, what am I to count or add or subtract or what? I don't alway eat what I loose in exercise to loose more weight. HELP

    Don't worry about the Net number through the course of the day. The important thing is for your Calories Remaining as close to 0 as possible.

    All the Net number is showing is where your are "right now" (Goal - Food Eaten + Exercize), and it has no bearing on where you want to be at the end of the day.
  • Frenshan
    Frenshan Posts: 44
    Thank you so much!! I really had no idea I thought exercise was just added bonus (which in respect it is) but in regard to helping to lose wt I mean. I feel like "duh" right now.
  • ramosriley
    ramosriley Posts: 32
    It has only been about 7 pounds since January 2011 so I tend not to eat all my exercise calorie back but I still don't lose much weight. I do the spin bike for an hr or I run for an hr or both. Is the calorie burn calculation a bit more than norm? Anyway, thank you so much for replying it makes a huge difference. The things that cross my mind when I don't see weight loss is truly scary.
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    It has only been about 7 pounds since January 2011 so I tend not to eat all my exercise calorie back but I still don't lose much weight. I do the spin bike for an hr or I run for an hr or both. Is the calorie burn calculation a bit more than norm? Anyway, thank you so much for replying it makes a huge difference. The things that cross my mind when I don't see weight loss is truly scary.

    A lot have noticed that MFP's calorie burns are not accurate and higher than normal. My stationary bike has a HRM as well as profiles, so it's got my weight, height, age and so on. The more you weigh the more you burn. I had a HRM that said 1000 or more for an hour ride, then when I got my new bike and it incorporated my weight, it was more accurate. I burn around 750 in an hour, which is still a great burn. I eat all of my calories, because I would not be feeding my body right if I didn't. It needs all of them to have the energy for the amount that I work out and to simply function. I'll probably bump my calories up again soon. With the muscle I've got and am still putting on, I want to make sure I give my body the fuel in order to maintain it so that it doesn't in turn USE my muscle for fuel.
  • ramosriley
    ramosriley Posts: 32
    How long have been on MFP and how much have you lost? You sound so "on it" in your answers, thank you.
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    How long have been on MFP and how much have you lost? You sound so "on it" in your answers, thank you.

    I've been on for almost a month. I was eating about 1800 calories before I started and even that wasn't enough I was not getting the results I wanted. I started MFP at about 120-121. At the beginning of this week, I weighed in at 114. Turns out, I needed more around 2000 calories but have been more around 2000+.
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    How long have been on MFP and how much have you lost? You sound so "on it" in your answers, thank you.

    Feel free to message or friend me, if you have any other questions =]
  • ramosriley
    ramosriley Posts: 32
    Guys, I got on the scale that I swear does not work and it claims I lost not even an inch, not even air. Now I just place a free 5pound weight on it and it says it's 5pound, I placed the scale on top of a heavy rug, put the 5pound free weight on it and it still says five pound, I got on it on the heavy rug and it says I gained 10 pound from the weigh in on a flat surface. What should I believe? I am really getting sad here.
  • Kat120285
    Kat120285 Posts: 1,599 Member
    Make sure you're eating your calories and that you're getting enough water to flush out excess water weight.

    Keep your sodium in check.

    If you're not getting enough calories then your body isn't going to want to let go of anything. If you get enough calories then your body doesn't have a need to store fat for fuel same as if you get enough water then your body doesn't have a need to store water for survival.
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