Net calories

izzyesabel · August 2015

can someone please explain to me what net calories are and also is it bad if I'm under my calories goal?

LessofPenny · August 2015

the answer seems self explanatory so I think you might have meant to ask a different question? You start out with the number of calories that is your goal. Mfp subtracts your food that you log and then they add your exercise that you log and that is your NET. Some people choose to not pay any attention to that number....they do not "eat" the calories that were added for exercise. Maybe that was your question? If you go too far under the 1200 calories mfp will alert you that the average person needs a minimum of 1200 calories to be successful with a healthy diet. I hope this helps. Good luck to you on your weight loss or gain journey. yes, there are people on here trying to gain.....I am just not one of them.

BWBTrish · August 2015

NET calories are you calories you have left over after MFP calculated your calorie intake ( in your diary on the bottom) and subtracted your burned ( exercise) calories.

and yes you should try to eat around your allotted calories

malibu927 · August 2015

Net calories = calories eaten - calories burned

It depends on how much under as you should be hitting that goal...50-100 calories? No. 500-600? Yes. You can lose quicker, but you end up losing muscle mass and potentially cause other health risks. Eat the number MFP gives you plus half of your exercise calories, log accurately, and you'll do fine.

MKEgal · August 2015

Net is your estimated calorie intake minus your estimated calorie burn.
That equation shows up at the top of your home page on both the computer version & the app version.

But it's worthless.
My dietician & doctor said to ignore it. Just eat at your actual healthy calorie goal level (not the
one that includes your estimated exercise calories), and treat exercise as a bonus toward weight
loss, plus a big help toward health & fitness.
Most people underestimate calories in, most machines overestimate calories burned.
For most people, most of the time, if you ignore exercise calories those errors cancel out.

Besides, it's easier not to eat 300 calories than it is to exercise it away once it's in your body.

Also, use the search function.
There are many many many many many threads about this exact thing.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/search?adv=&search=net+calories&title=&author=&cat=all&tags=&discussion_d=1&comment_c=1&group_group=1&within=1+day&date=

Here are some useful posts.
At least read sexypants.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1

Goal setting, including weight, calories, and macros
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-setting-goals-667045

MKEgal · August 2015

As for "is it bad if I'm under my calorie goal?"...
yes and no.

Once in a while if you're way under (like when you're sick),
or if you're slightly under (say, less than 100 cal off) a lot of the time, it's not a big deal.
Unless you're a.n.a.l [MFP bleeped that out!] about weighing & measuring your food, you're
probably still at an OK level even if you think you're slightly under.

But if you should be eating 1500 and you're only averaging 1100 (actual calories, not net), that's a problem.

Net calories

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