negative calorie?

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jurbi
jurbi Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is it bad to have a negative net calories?? So say my screen looks like this.
1350 goal / 129 food-291 excercise = -162 net
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Replies

  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    At the end of the day, you should see a 0 on the right side of the equal sign. Throughout the day, it really doesn't matter. But by the time you go to bed, you should be pretty close to 0.

    ~Lyssa
  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    So I shouldn't try to have a deficit?? If I got it close to 0 wouldn't I just be maintaining my current weight?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    jurbi wrote: »
    So I shouldn't try to have a deficit?? If I got it close to 0 wouldn't I just be maintaining my current weight?

    Your goal, assuming you got it from MFP, already has a deficit built into it.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    Not necessarily.

    When you set up your profile on MFP, you should have been asked for some information - like current weight, goal weight, and desired rate of loss (ie: lose 1lb/week). Then, MFP gives you a number to eat that factors in the deficit already.

    You do not need to exercise, but can do so if you have the time/want the health benefits/want to eat more. You should log your exercise and eat at least some (25%-75%) of the calories back.

    ~Lyssa
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,912 Member
    edited January 2016
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    jurbi wrote: »
    So I shouldn't try to have a deficit?? If I got it close to 0 wouldn't I just be maintaining my current weight?

    Only if you set your weekly goal to maintain:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    f243be5436819895e81c84fda3eb7173.png

  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    Oh I set my goal as my BMR so that I eat the same amount of calories each day and not eat back any exercise calories at all..
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    jurbi wrote: »
    Oh I set my goal as my BMR so that I eat the same amount of calories each day and not eat back any exercise calories at all..

    If your goal is your estimated BMR, then eating this will put you at a deficit. You will be burning more calories through daily activity and through exercise.
  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    Ok!! I just don't want to eat too few calories for my body to start storing it!!!
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    I checked out your diary. What are you doing for exercise? On friday, you have 16 hours of exercise logged.
  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    I'm wearing a step counter and heart rate monitor so it takes off calories based on my everyday activity plus I go on walks/runs with my kids.. At the end of the day it automatically puts the days worth of calories burned as a total.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    jurbi wrote: »
    I'm wearing a step counter and heart rate monitor so it takes off calories based on my everyday activity plus I go on walks/runs with my kids.. At the end of the day it automatically puts the days worth of calories burned as a total.

    The total calories you burned during the day or the ones that put you above and beyond the activity level you selected?

    If it is the total number of calories you're burning, then you're double-dipping. MFP assumes that you will burn some calories through daily activities and these are already accounted for in your goals. You only want to eat back the ADDITIONAL calories you burn.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    jurbi wrote: »
    So I shouldn't try to have a deficit?? If I got it close to 0 wouldn't I just be maintaining my current weight?

    If you told MFP you wanted to lose weight, then the deficit is built in already. MFP gives you a calorie goal before exercise, because some people won't do any exercise.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    jurbi wrote: »
    I'm wearing a step counter and heart rate monitor so it takes off calories based on my everyday activity plus I go on walks/runs with my kids.. At the end of the day it automatically puts the days worth of calories burned as a total.

    I'm seeing them as individual entries for general cardio. There are 5 separate entries for Friday and many more for Saturday/Sunday. How have you set it up? I have a fitness band that will say a total for the day, so "Fitbit calorie burn: 250" or "Misfit calorie burn: 350".
  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    Right, I'm actually going off of what my garmin is saying and it breaks it down by telling me what is my resting calories and what is my extra calories, it separates it for me. The numbers are a little different but even my garmin is saying that there is a negative calorie and my calorie goal is my BMR..
  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    On my garmin screen it says something like this
    129 consumed-338* active = -209 net
    *Active=total calories-BMR calories
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
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    jurbi wrote: »
    On my garmin screen it says something like this
    129 consumed-338* active = -209 net
    *Active=total calories-BMR calories

    Okay, so for Friday, what did it say?
  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    1489 consumed-905 active=584 net
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    If you're using MFP correctly, your BMR is your "bare-minimum requirements" -- what your body needs for daily functions.
    When you're setting up, you tell MFP what you want to lose and what your activity level is. That will give you a deficit.

    If you're going with the Garmin tracker, use that.
  • jurbi
    jurbi Posts: 25 Member
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    kr1stadee wrote: »
    If you're using MFP correctly, your BMR is your "bare-minimum requirements" -- what your body needs for daily functions.
    When you're setting up, you tell MFP what you want to lose and what your activity level is. That will give you a deficit.

    If you're going with the Garmin tracker, use that.

    I thought that was Basal metabolic rate? Basically resting calories burned
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    jurbi wrote: »
    Ok!! I just don't want to eat too few calories for my body to start storing it!!!

    Your body won't store fat
    because of too few calories consumed. Your nutrition goals won't be made if you under eat, but the whole "starvation mode" thing is a myth. :)

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