Net Calories

JennaNicoleS
JennaNicoleS Posts: 24 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, MFP tells me that I have a certain amount of net calories after exercise. I guess that's the amount of calories I haven't burned off for the day, but how many is a good amount? How many net calories should be the limit?

Replies

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    If you do the guided option MFP will figure it out for you.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    it's the number of calories you still have remaining to consume for the day. ideally, get as close as you can to the goal number and see if you're losing weight. If not, lower it a bit.
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    NET is calories after you've factored in exercise. So, if you typically eat 1400 calories, but you burn 300 through exercise, you would have to eat 1700 calories total to hit 1400 calories NET.
  • boomhower1820
    boomhower1820 Posts: 86 Member
    Read up on eating back exercise calories and come to your own conclusion on the subject.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    boomhower1820 wrote: »
    Read up on eating back exercise calories and come to your own conclusion on the subject.

    This!^

    I eat 100% of my calories back....but many people eat a smaller portion. Other people eat 0% because they use TDEE (less a %) which includes exercise up front.

    If you have quite a bit of weight to lose, eating calories back won't be as important as those who are closer to goal. Closer to goal and a really large deficit puts you at risk for lean muscle (as well as fat) loss.

    Some people have a good handle on exercise calories.....HRMs and whatever. Others log exercise conservatively to make up for generous estimates. Pick one thing.....be consistent. If you are losing at an appropriate rate....carry on. If you stop losing eat less. If you feel run down....eat more.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    boomhower1820 wrote: »
    Read up on eating back exercise calories and come to your own conclusion on the subject.

    Yes this...when I started I ate them all back and it didn't stop my weight loss at all...but some say it does...try eating back 50-75% of your exercise calories back and if you are still losing feel free to eat back the rest and see how that works.

  • breakyoface
    breakyoface Posts: 160 Member
    I have a question about that too. I have lost 51lbs in 6 months and in the past month or so my weightloss has slowed it seems and since I started I had a 500 deficit with food and 500 with exercise so a total of 1000 cal deficit Monday-Friday and then I ate at goal on weekends. So within the last 2 weeks I upped my cals to 1700 during the weekdays..so eating back about 300 or so and my net is always around higher end of 900-1100. Do you think that could be why my weightloss has slowed? I only have 20-15lbs left to lose
  • KameHameHaaaa
    KameHameHaaaa Posts: 837 Member
    I eat back about half of my exercise calories, sometimes more if I'm hungry. I use a HRM and chest strap to try to get the most accurate calorie count. Even the machines that have you enter your weight aren't always accurate. The elliptical I used yesterday quoted 300+ cals more than my HRM did.

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