Net Calories: Will someone PLEASE explain it to me?

stacyhagberg
stacyhagberg Posts: 30
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
I obviously understand where the net calorie calculation comes from. My question is this:
If you eat 1200 calories a day, which I hear is the lowest you should eat in order to make sure your body doesn't go into starvation mode, but then workout and burn 1000 calories, should you eat 2200 calories or is only eat 1200 still okay, or will it put me into starvation mode?
I obviously want to eat enough, but I don't want to eat too much either.
Please let me know! :)

Replies

  • jess2308
    jess2308 Posts: 40
    I'd like to hear some thoughts on this as i was just about to post something along the same lines.
    As a full time athlete I burn around 2000 calories a day. Does this mean I have to eat 3200 calories? I try to stay around 1200-1600... would this be too little? I'm pretty confused
  • MiniMichelle
    MiniMichelle Posts: 801 Member
    you eat 1200 cals. You work out 1000 cals, you need to eat the 1000 cals (worked out) back. You would have only net 200 cals if you dont eat back your ex cals-

    Make sense?
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
    net calories = food eaten - exercise

    you shouldn't go below 1200 ESPECIALLY if you are an athlete...you need to eat so your body has fuel
  • superjlau
    superjlau Posts: 5 Member
    i'm pretty sure you're supposed to eat back some of the calories because then your body goes into starvation mode. As long as you stay under the remaining calorie number, you're good!
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
    the "1200" is the minimum you need to maintain basic bodily function.health...so anything you burn you need to Add in order to maintain this level.

    So if you need 1200 and you Burn 1000, you need to eat 2200 that day.

    If you need 1600 and you burn 2000...you need to eat 3600 that day,
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works
  • snakegoddess_3
    snakegoddess_3 Posts: 83
    Just what I was about to say. It already calculates out what you need to lose weight so the rule as I am hearing in here is eat 50 to 75% of your workout calories. Which I am finding a bit difficult to do. But definately make sure your net is around 1200.
  • DKBelle
    DKBelle Posts: 585
    Net calories 1200
    Check out :
    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • david081
    david081 Posts: 489 Member
    Just eat the 1200 - I never eat back all my exercise calories, and think the theory is expounded by fat people who are scared of letting go...
  • Lisa076
    Lisa076 Posts: 78
    This still confuses me also, I hear so many different things. MFP set my calories at 1210 I workout daily (6 days/week) and I don't track my exercise therefore I don't eat back my calories burned. What I am doing is working for me...which confuses me more?!?
  • elsohypes
    elsohypes Posts: 30
    as a full time athlete, burning 200 calories, 1200 is nowhere near enough to keep you going. In order to get your full potential you got to eat more. It wont make you put on weight but eating negatve calories per day just means youre putting stress on your body and itll use muscle to keep it going.
    so basically, any exercise you do is pointless as your body is undoing the muscle earned ( even hear muscle) in order to keep it going.

    1200 net calories s what people aim to go for as it will be neough to keep your bodys vital processes working, as opposed to going on the process of doing exercise and movineg etc
    hope that helps :)
  • Daisydeedee
    Daisydeedee Posts: 8
    Wow, guess we are all in the same boat. I am supposed to have 1200, and I'm having issues with that. I have been having like 1000 to 1100 a day. Then when I exercise i get about 700 or so, so I'm 800 left over. So again, this is starvation mode? Wow... surely dont eat 2000 a day. hmmmmmmm
  • AshleyLauren589
    AshleyLauren589 Posts: 139 Member
    Just what I was about to say. It already calculates out what you need to lose weight so the rule as I am hearing in here is eat 50 to 75% of your workout calories. Which I am finding a bit difficult to do. But definately make sure your net is around 1200.

    I agree - I don't usually eat ALL of mine back, but it's definitely good to eat SOME back. I've tried eating them all back and find myself using junk food to fill up the calories, which I think is much worse than just being satisfied with SOME exercise calories.
  • drasr
    drasr Posts: 181
    If you eat 1200 calories a day, which I hear is the lowest you should eat in order to make sure your body doesn't go into starvation mode, but then workout and burn 1000 calories, should you eat 2200 calories or is only eat 1200 still okay, or will it put me into starvation mode?
    I obviously want to eat enough, but I don't want to eat too much either.
    Please let me know! :)
    Then you need to eat 2200 calories.
  • stacyhagberg
    stacyhagberg Posts: 30
    Thank you all so much! AFter having it explained like 10 times I think I finally get it. haha.
  • drasr
    drasr Posts: 181
    I'd like to hear some thoughts on this as i was just about to post something along the same lines.
    As a full time athlete I burn around 2000 calories a day. Does this mean I have to eat 3200 calories? I try to stay around 1200-1600... would this be too little? I'm pretty confused
    Yes. 3200 calories to achieve the goal that you have set.
  • jess2308
    jess2308 Posts: 40
    So for example, today I burned around 1400 and ate 1300. This means I'm in negative calories. I've already had dinner and I cant possibly eat anymore today unless I want dessert (which i resisted)... i feel bad even when i eat a tiny square of chocolate.
    Does my net calories mean I am going into starvation mode? Why would I want to eat 3000 calories when i want to lose weight?
  • AshleyLauren589
    AshleyLauren589 Posts: 139 Member
    So for example, today I burned around 1400 and ate 1300. This means I'm in negative calories. I've already had dinner and I cant possibly eat anymore today unless I want dessert (which i resisted)... i feel bad even when i eat a tiny square of chocolate.
    Does my net calories mean I am going into starvation mode? Why would I want to eat 3000 calories when i want to lose weight?

    How many hours are you usually working out? From what I've read if it's for an extended period, you don't need to eat back all the "extra" ones because even if you were sitting on the couch for 3 hours, your body would burn SOME calories.
  • jess2308
    jess2308 Posts: 40
    i work out around 3-5 hours a day, playing tennis and going to the gym
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    If you're not hungry, don't eat. If your weight loss stalls, then reevaluate.
  • wildside79
    wildside79 Posts: 46
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/225765-how-mfp-works

    read the first post, great info. Use your diet to lose the weight, use exercise to get in shape and tone.
  • drasr
    drasr Posts: 181
    So for example, today I burned around 1400 and ate 1300. This means I'm in negative calories. I've already had dinner and I cant possibly eat anymore today unless I want dessert (which i resisted)... i feel bad even when i eat a tiny square of chocolate.
    Does my net calories mean I am going into starvation mode? Why would I want to eat 3000 calories when i want to lose weight?
    You body needs some energy for its normal functioning. Average for girls is around 1200 calories. The calories that you have burnt are not their for the body to use. Just assume your body needs 1200$ each day to maintain itself[House Rent, Loans, Bills etc]. You earn 2600$/day of which 1200$ the body uses and you spend[BURN] the rest of the 1400$ lets say on shopping. But if you only earn 1300$/day and spend 1400$ on shopping, how will your body survive/how will you pay your house rent and bills??
    Is it clear enough?
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    The number MFP sets for you is how many you should eat.

    So, if the number is 1500 and you go to the gym and burn 500, you need to eat 500 more to be back at 1500.

    1500-500=1000+500= 1500.

    If you eat 1500, burn 500 and don't eat the 500 back you're only netting 1000 for the day -- which for most people is way too low.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    Your NET calories (on your home page) should be as close to the daily goal MFP set for you as possible.

    Your REMAINING calories (on your homepage and food diary page) should be as close to zero as possible.

    MFP builds in a deficit for you based on the information you gave it: height, weight, lifestyle, goal weight loss, etc.. All you need to do is follow the calorie goals it gives you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/230930-starvation-mode-how-it-works
  • peytjalmom
    peytjalmom Posts: 76
    If your not hungry after, even the day after, such a high calorie burn (1000+), maybe you're not burning the amount of calories you think you are burning. The MATH is right about eating back the calories burned to make a net of 1200, but the SCIENCE is a bit difficult to determine. Who knows what the individual's metabolism does to compensate for the extra work you re putting it through? You may burn less calories than you think as your body adjusts to an exercise, and that may be why some who don't eat their perceived high amount of calories burned back and still have success.
  • jfrankovich
    jfrankovich Posts: 31 Member
    MFP will give you a warning message if you click "Complete This Entry" on a day where you don't consume 1200 calories ("Based on your total calories consumed for today, you are eating too few calories."). The curious thing is that you will NOT get this same warning message if only your NET is below 1200. So long as you consume more than 1200, no matter how much you burn off from exercise (even with a negative net — I posted a large amount of dummy exercise just to check), you don't get any warning. What's up with that?
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