Calorie Confusion

bigjohn732
bigjohn732 Posts: 15 Member
edited November 30 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been searching for hours and still don't fully understand what my Net calories is.

I used a calorie calculator to find out that my BMR is 2000 a day. I also burned 1000 calories at the gym today. That brings me to a total of 3000 calories burned for the day. If I ate 2000 calories today, does this mean my net calories for the day is 1000, but also that my deficit for the day is 1000? I definitely need to see a nutritionist to figure out a proper number but this is bothering me right now hahah.

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Your BMR might be 2000 but that's the top end, on top of that just living a sedentary lifestyle would take you to 2400. All of these are +/-10% at best. Then you allegedly burned 1000 calories at the gym, which would take you to 3400 (or more likely you burned 600 extra to get you to 3000 total).

    So your TDEE or calories out is somewhere around 2400 - 3400

    If you ate 2000 then your deficit for the day is up to 1400 calories ie 3400 - 2000

    MFP's "net calorie" concept is 2000 calories eaten minus 1000 of exercise, making your net calories 1000.

    "Net calories" are not your deficit that contributes to weight loss.
  • bigjohn732
    bigjohn732 Posts: 15 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    Your BMR might be 2000 but that's the top end, on top of that just living a sedentary lifestyle would take you to 2400. All of these are +/-10% at best. Then you allegedly burned 1000 calories at the gym, which would take you to 3400 (or more likely you burned 600 extra to get you to 3000 total).

    So your TDEE or calories out is somewhere around 2400 - 3400

    If you ate 2000 then your deficit for the day is up to 1400 calories ie 3400 - 2000

    MFP's "net calorie" concept is 2000 calories eaten minus 1000 of exercise, making your net calories 1000.

    "Net calories" are not your deficit that contributes to weight loss.

    Thank you for the very helpful response. This cleared things up :)
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    edited February 2016
    [quote "Net calories" are not your deficit that contributes to weight loss.[/quote]

    ive been making sure that my net stays in the region of 1300 ish... to ensure a loss.

    have i been doing this wrong? do i need to look at my total calories do not go over 1300 and not my net??
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    [quote "Net calories" are not your deficit that contributes to weight loss.


    ive been making sure that my net stays in the region of 1300 ish... to ensure a loss.

    have i been doing this wrong? do i need to look at my total calories do not go over 1300 and not my net?? [/quote]

    Maybe this will help...http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/12031-what-are-net-calories-
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    1000 calories burned at the gym??? Not likely. ;)
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    edited February 2016
    leahcollett1 wrote: »
    "Net calories" are not your deficit that contributes to weight loss.


    ive been making sure that my net stays in the region of 1300 ish... to ensure a loss.


    your goal is 1420 net calories, that has a built-in deficit for weight loss if you set MFP up for a loss.

    So with no logged exercise you would eat 1420

    With 200 cals of logged exercise you would eat 1620 and net 1420

    hope that's clear.
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