Calories and cardio to lose weight

Getnailedbymel
Getnailedbymel Posts: 7 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
I posted in another thread but I think it was the wrong one... So im trying here...

Where can I find the info for this , on the main page it states cals remaining, as well as Goal, food, exercise, and net.
Can someone explain how this works> I get cals remaining what im not getting is where it says +cals food then - exercise ( which is cals burned) then NET?

Does it add the calories burned to what you have left to consume for the day?

When I total at the end of the night it tells me my cal count is to low, yet its less then 50 from my goal cals. I guess im confussed sorry.

Thanks to who ever can help me with this =)...

Replies

  • superbeffie
    superbeffie Posts: 93 Member
    If you look at the bottom of your food diary it tells you the number of calories you have actually eaten and then then the amount earned from exercise and gives you the net.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
    Your calorie goal is what you should be aiming for with your NET calories. When you exercise, it adds those calories back into your goal because it already has you at a weight loss deficit. If you exercise and do not eat those calories back, it could put you at too large of a deficit which is not healthy or beneficial to you in the long run. The goal is to have the calories remaining be as CLOSE to zero as possible. At the very least, females should aim for a NET goal at or over 1200 and males at or over 1500... hope that helps some...
  • emilyr9602
    emilyr9602 Posts: 51 Member
    everyone has a Daily "Calorie Goal" that you start every day with. When you log foods, the calories in them are subtracted from your calorie goal. If you exercise, you burn calories, so they are added back in to your "Cals remaining"

    example:

    1200 Cal goal - 1500 calories consumed + 150 cals burned w/ccardio exercise = -150 net calories for day...

    meaning, that you went over your goal of consuming 1200.

    Does that help?
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    This is a nice explanation:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/196502-for-the-people-who-work-out-like-crazy-and-are-not-losing?hl=for+people+who+work+out+like+crazy

    quick and dirty: YES, it adds your burned calories to the total you are supposed to eat. You are supposed to eat the exercise calories -- there is already a 500-cal deficit built in whether you exercise or not.

    the reason you eat back exercise calories is because you need to keep your metabolism going.

    If you have a number of calories in GREEN --you still need to eat them! Try not to leave even 100 cals leftover in green. If you see a negative number in RED, you went over. It's ok. tomorrow's another day.

    blessings.
  • Getnailedbymel
    Getnailedbymel Posts: 7 Member
    You guys are amazing and I get it now. Thank you so much for responding.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    so from what I understand, it's not needed to do exercise only if you want to eat more? heehee...
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Now the question is: how do we know how many calories we burned in order to eat them back but still remain at the goal? Everybody is different and burn calories differently,too. How could we trust one number for all? In case of overestimated calories burned, we probably end up eating more than we should because the number told us so? Just thinking loud...
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    so from what I understand, it's not needed to do exercise only if you want to eat more? heehee...

    I don't exercise just to eat. I exercise to be fit and because it feels good, and I love to be strong and accomplish goals. The fact that i get to eat more is a bonus.

    I have a friend from college, same height, same dress size. She weighs 119 and has about 23% body fat--never works out. She starves herself and smokes to stay under 120. Never eats over 1000 calories a day. I weigh 131, have about 18% body fat, work out 6 days a week and I eat as much as 2300 cals a day.

    This is us below (pic taken 2 weeks ago when I weighed 133 lbs-- 14 lbs. more than her). She's on the left, I'm on the right.

    junecandl2-1.jpg


    Why work out? To be leaner, healthier and stronger. To eat instead of smoke when I'm hungry. #WINNING!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Now the question is: how do we know how many calories we burned in order to eat them back but still remain at the goal? Everybody is different and burn calories differently,too. How could we trust one number for all? In case of overestimated calories burned, we probably end up eating more than we should because the number told us so? Just thinking loud...

    I would not necessarily take the numbers on MFP as a guarantee of calories burned. Best bet is to have your V02 max evaluated, monitor your average heart rate during the activity and plug those numbers into a "calories burned" formula.

    That way you can adjust your activity accurately. I can burn anywhere from 450 to 800 in an hour spin class, depending on my effort expended and/or whether I teach the whole class on the bike or if I get off to coach. Once you are familiar with what you're burning in an activity, you will develop an average to use in case you don't want to wear your HRM.

    blessings.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Sleepytexan,
    You look great! seriously, much leaner than your skinnier friend, but of course she looks good, too. :)
    Thank you for your detailed message. When I said "no need to exercise", I was simply speaking from the technical stand point, and of course we need to stay active for our own benefit. :)
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