Net Calories

caasjb30
caasjb30 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I am not new to myfitness but I have always been confused about net calories. For example I am trying to lose weight and according to my app it states I need to eat 1200 calories I workout about 4-5 times a week and I am trying to lose 10 lbs. Why are my net calories always positive? Aren't they suppose to be negative?

For example yesterday I consumed 1233 calories burned 409 calories but my net is 824. I know how they go the 824 but from my understanding a positive number means eventually weight gain not weight loss. Am I not eating enough or am I eating to much? I need HELP! TIA

Replies

  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    edited April 2015
    Net calories is basically how many calories you've given your body to live off of. So if you've eaten 1200 and done no extra exercise (such as going to the gym), you've netted 1200 calories. If you've eaten 1800 and burnt off 300 through extra exercise, you've netted 1500.

    You need to try to net your goal - in a perfect world it would show 0 each day. Obviously it would be very hard to eat exactly the right amount each day, but you want to be as close as you can. You do not want to net 824 calories in a day, that isn't enough for your body to live off of. You want to net your calorie goal each day (1200 in your case).
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    A positive number doesn't mean weight gain. A number higher than your maintenance level means weight gain.

  • caasjb30
    caasjb30 Posts: 2
    Thanks. From what yall told me and what I understand I am not eating enough to fuel my body. How does someone get a negative number if they burn all the calories they consumed plus more
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    caasjb30 wrote: »
    Thanks. From what yall told me and what I understand I am not eating enough to fuel my body. How does someone get a negative number if they burn all the calories they consumed plus more

    Not really sure what you're asking with the last sentence there, but you can indeed get a negative net if you burn more than you consume. I just tested it out by adding a ridiculous amount of exercise, and now have a status that says I burnt 2,500 calories with 300 minutes on the elliptical. Apparently those statuses don't go away when you delete the activity.
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
    I think everyone is confusing you. You don't want to net a negative number. What MFP tells you is this

    Goal | Food - Exercise = Net

    Your net should be close to your goal. Your goal should give you a weight loss per week of what ever you told MFP you want to lose each week.
  • aprilh576
    aprilh576 Posts: 50 Member
    ruggedshutter wrote: »
    I think everyone is confusing you. You don't want to net a negative number. What MFP tells you is this

    Goal | Food - Exercise = Net

    Your net should be close to your goal. Your goal should give you a weight loss per week of what ever you told MFP you want to lose each week.

    This is more understandale. I didn't make this post but was curious too.

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