Trying to figure this out :)

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ConstantStruggle
ConstantStruggle Posts: 89 Member
in Getting Started

Can someone explain to me exactly how this works? So let's just say I am supposed to eat 1600 calories a day...and I burned 1000 today...my diary is saying my net calories is like 2000 or something (numbers not exact). So I am confused...if the calories I supposed to hv in a day are 1600 and I burn 1000 before I eat anything, why wud my calories go up? Sorry I probably sound really stupid but honostly I'm use to just starving myself to lose...trying to do it right this time. Thx in advance ;)

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  • Tubbs216
    Tubbs216 Posts: 6,597 Member
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    ConstantStruggle wrote: »
    Can someone explain to me exactly how this works? So let's just say I am supposed to eat 1600 calories a day...and I burned 1000 today...my diary is saying my net calories is like 2000 or something (numbers not exact). So I am confused...if the calories I supposed to hv in a day are 1600 and I burn 1000 before I eat anything, why wud my calories go up? Sorry I probably sound really stupid but honostly I'm use to just starving myself to lose...trying to do it right this time. Thx in advance ;)
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
    Read this first, then the other threads listed at the top of the Getting Started forum. You can learn everything you need to know to lose weight without starving yourself.
    Good luck!
  • JanelleG0122
    JanelleG0122 Posts: 323 Member
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    The above post is great, but i'll try and give you a quick and easy interval.

    Weight loss is all about calories in verse calories out. If your daily goal is 1200 calories, but you burn 300 calories, than you can eat 1500 calories that day because you burned calories that are needed just to survive. It does seem confusing sometimes because how can you burn calories you have not consumed yet, but the calorie goal is all about what you need to survive.

    Okay maybe it wasn't that simple, but I hope between my post and the discussion board it helps you understand. Good Luck!
  • bobwest185
    bobwest185 Posts: 56 Member
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    Fitnesspal will add your exercise calories to your net calories allowed for the day. So if your target is 1600 calories a day and you have entered exercise worth 1000 calories your target becomes 2600 calories of food to consume that day. Once you start recording food eaten today it will come down. Fitnesspal wants you to eat back exercise calories so the 1600 it calls out as your target is your starting point. It adds exercise to your 1600 because NFP wants to be sure you get enough calories every day. BTW, MFP may overestimate how many calories are burned by exercise but it would be a few hundred, not a thousand.

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