guide on calories and what to do

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ak247
ak247 Posts: 12
in Food and Nutrition
ok i've been reading a bit and a lot of people are getting confused with all this calorie business, net calories and exercise calories so it seems logical to make a small guide on the terminology and explain everything

1. to gain weight you need to eat more calories than you burn
2. to lose weight you need to eat less calories than you burn
3. net calories on this site means how many calories you eat in one day (really net calories is used wrongly on this site, and i would like to talk to a moderator about it)

starting off
http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php
that site is a calorie calculator, i'm not sure how the calorie calculator here works, but i know that one is widely accepted as accurate on many forums.

1. first work out your RMR (resting metabolic rate) - that is how many calories you burn each day as standard
2a. after you get that value you get a list of numbers 1.2 1.375 etc, you multiply your RMR and that number together to get your calories burned each day with exercise.
2b. if however your not sure what to multiply that with. you can add on how many calories you burn each day you exercise to your RMR value.

that gives your total daily calories burned with exercise.
if you don't exercise everyday then you need to only use your RMR value on the days you rest

so to lose weight, you need to eat less calories than the values that you have been given
and to gain weight you need to eat more calories than these values

example
day 1 exercise RMR=1200 exercise=800 total = 2000 eat = 1500
day 2 rest RMR = 1200 total = 1200 eat = 900
day 3 exercise RMR=1200 exercise=800 total = 2000 eat = 1500
day 4 rest RMR = 1200 total = 1200 eat = 900
day 5 exercise RMR=1200 exercise=800 total = 2000 eat = 1500
day 6 rest RMR = 1200 total = 1200 eat = 900
day 7 exercise RMR=1200 exercise=800 total = 2000 eat = 1500

as you can see, you eat less than your total calories causing you to lose weight. (the values above are not real, just to demonstrate a negative calorie intake, on average they will be higher than this)

Replies

  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
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    I just spoke with a health consult today who would not agree with everything you have there, whom is certified on an International level. He specifically told me if you are working out, you need to eat a majority of your calories back for proper muscle growth and bodily function.

    Also, eating 900 calories is not a good thing. Most people whom are on 800 calorie diets, or lower for example, are almost always under incredibly close watch of their doctors...For a reason.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Actually, I'm afraid you're misunderstanding how MFP works. MFP uses tried-and-true calculations to give estimates for BMR, activity level and exercise. They include all of these numbers in your daily goal (calories are added for purposeful exercise after it is logged.)

    The Net Calories number on the home page is NOT how many calories you eat. It is cals eaten - cals burned (BMR+activity level + exercise) = Net.

    It may help for you to read these posts that help explain how MFP works and how it gets the numbers it gives.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics
  • bachooka
    bachooka Posts: 719 Member
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    Net calories is used correctly on here... On your paycheck, Net is what you take home... meaning after taxes which in this case is what is left of your calories after exercise.
  • SeasideOasis
    SeasideOasis Posts: 1,057 Member
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    Actually, I'm afraid you're misunderstanding how MFP works. MFP uses tried-and-true calculations to give estimates for BMR, activity level and exercise. They include all of these numbers in your daily goal (calories are added for purposeful exercise after it is logged.)

    The Net Calories number on the home page is NOT how many calories you eat. It is cals eaten - cals burned (BMR+activity level + exercise) = Net.

    It may help for you to read these posts that help explain how MFP works and how it gets the numbers it gives.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    I just wanted to Bump your answer because it is well said.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Close. Technically, the BMR is multiplied by an activity factor that doesn't include exercise to get your RMR. So, if your BMR is 1200 and you multiply by an activity factor of say 1.5 for moderately activity and you get a total of 1800 calories not counting exercise. Then you add in the exercise you do to get the Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Calories are then subtracted from the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (BMR + normal daily activity + exercise) for weight loss. The 500 to 1000 calories per day for 1-2 pounds is a good estimate for people who are extremely over weight and needing to lose a lot of weight. For people who are exercising and wanting to focus on fat loss and maintaining muscle, they should consume no less then 80% of TDEE. So for my clients, I have them multiply their TDEE by 80% and eat between that and the TDEE number to lose weight.
  • MissLuana
    MissLuana Posts: 356
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    People, people, people. Quit making MFP so hard. It tells you how many calories a day to eat to reach your desired goal at your chosen desired rate (.5 lbs to 2 lbs/week). Any excercising just gives you more calories to eat, which is great. The site is pretty much accurate on the calories of different foods, with the exception on homemade foods. But after a while of using MFP, you can recognize entries that don't add up. For example, a piece of mom's famous chocolate cake can't possibly be only 100 calories. So, use your common sense. The machines at the gym show you how many calories you've burned while on it. The amounts and quantities don't have to be 100% accurate in order for you to lose weight. I would imagine anyone using this application is eating less food and excercising more than they were before so naturally they are going to lose weight...even if the amount of calories eaten or burned is a little off. Trust MFP, it works.
  • ohohraptor
    ohohraptor Posts: 205 Member
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    Close. Technically, the BMR is multiplied by an activity factor that doesn't include exercise to get your RMR. So, if your BMR is 1200 and you multiply by an activity factor of say 1.5 for moderately activity and you get a total of 1800 calories not counting exercise. Then you add in the exercise you do to get the Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Calories are then subtracted from the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (BMR + normal daily activity + exercise) for weight loss. The 500 to 1000 calories per day for 1-2 pounds is a good estimate for people who are extremely over weight and needing to lose a lot of weight. For people who are exercising and wanting to focus on fat loss and maintaining muscle, they should consume no less then 80% of TDEE. So for my clients, I have them multiply their TDEE by 80% and eat between that and the TDEE number to lose weight.

    So today I should have eaten 2,000 calories?! Wow I was way off... I don't think I can eat anymore today!
  • downtome
    downtome Posts: 529 Member
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    People, people, people. Quit making MFP so hard. It tells you how many calories a day to eat to reach your desired goal at your chosen desired rate (.5 lbs to 2 lbs/week). Any excercising just gives you more calories to eat, which is great. The site is pretty much accurate on the calories of different foods, with the exception on homemade foods. But after a while of using MFP, you can recognize entries that don't add up. For example, a piece of mom's famous chocolate cake can't possibly be only 100 calories. So, use your common sense. The machines at the gym show you how many calories you've burned while on it. The amounts and quantities don't have to be 100% accurate in order for you to lose weight. I would imagine anyone using this application is eating less food and excercising more than they were before so naturally they are going to lose weight...even if the amount of calories eaten or burned is a little off. Trust MFP, it works.

    Well Said! Everyday there is some type on calories/exercise calorie controversy on this subjuct, it gets really old...LOL....Not to say that it's not a confusing subject for some but really, it' not as complicated as people make it out to be. Most woman eat anywhere from 1200 to 1600 calories a day, add exercise for 30-60 minutes and there, you now have the easy formula for losing weight! I personally try not to eat back my exercise calories but some days I will eat more than my alloted 1450 calories a day and I will work them off so technically, on those days I supose I am eating back my calories. I just try and mix it up each week. So really, it's not a complicated issue here. Good luck to everyone on their weightloss journey!

    Also. if you guys read the original post, she says that her weekly calories figures are an "EXAMPLE!!!!!!!!" and only that!
  • ak247
    ak247 Posts: 12
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    i think people are misunderstanding what i wrote, the numbers are just random numbers that fit well together, and are not what your supposed to eat, as i wrote on it.

    secondly, the Net calories you intake should mean how many calories you have taken in your body after everything has been burned, that is what net means if i'm not mistaken, someone gave the example of a paycheck before, the amount you take home. if you have net calories each day then that means you should be gaining weight . . . as you have more calories than burned.

    secondly i said i'm not sure how the mfp calculator works and for this example i will be using a general calculator to get your daily calories burned which you multiply with an activity level to get true calories burned. you then add in any calories you burn through your exercise and you have how many calories you have burned for that day.

    this number you have is the number you need should not surpass if your going to lose weight. tell me if i'm wrong, but i doubht it

    also in the first post i said i was not talking about the mfp one so i'm not sure why people are bringing it up, i'm talking about general calories intake and expenditure

    minor side note, i'm a 19 male at 89kg 10% bodyfat, been weight training for a year and half to support my martial arts i started off at 75kg, dropped to 70 now on increase upto my goal of 93kg at 5-8% bodyfat

    with this thread i merely wanted to tell people that they need to eat less calories than they burn if they are to lose weight and since i'm not sure what MFP accounts for i gave them the one i and many others use as a basis to find out calories. i assume that if you account for all the MFP variables into that calculator, they should roughly be the same. the math behind them is generally identical
  • ak247
    ak247 Posts: 12
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    Close. Technically, the BMR is multiplied by an activity factor that doesn't include exercise to get your RMR. So, if your BMR is 1200 and you multiply by an activity factor of say 1.5 for moderately activity and you get a total of 1800 calories not counting exercise. Then you add in the exercise you do to get the Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Calories are then subtracted from the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (BMR + normal daily activity + exercise) for weight loss. The 500 to 1000 calories per day for 1-2 pounds is a good estimate for people who are extremely over weight and needing to lose a lot of weight. For people who are exercising and wanting to focus on fat loss and maintaining muscle, they should consume no less then 80% of TDEE. So for my clients, I have them multiply their TDEE by 80% and eat between that and the TDEE number to lose weight.

    thanks for that, i wasn't sure if the co-effeicent accounted for exercise done, i'll add that in now

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