Confused re net calories, exercise calories & deficit

Countrygal999
Countrygal999 Posts: 5
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to get my head round the above - reading through LOADS of posts on here is helping but I'm hoping somebody out there can spell it out in black & white for me (I confuse easily!)

My current weight is 264 (unfortunately). My activity level is set as sedentary as my full time job is office/clerical based so I am sat down for the majority of the day. My net calorie goal is 1370 and I am aiming to lose 2lb per week.

Is my net calorie goal set by MFP what I need to eat to LOSE weight, based on my settings (i.e. BMR, current weigh, goals etc)

Therefore, my BMR is what i need to just get by if I stayed in bed all day? I'm guessing then that my BMR is higher than the net and MFP has calculated the difference between the two to allow for weight loss, depending on how much I want to lose (in my case, 2lb per week?)

Is this difference what people are referring to as 'the deficit'?

My OH & I cycle around 3 times per week to work, a 20 mile round journey, which is helping us along the way but I have noted that many people believe eating back the calories burned is beneficial. We burn around 1300 per day when we cycle - so should I be eating twice as much on those days? Or do I need to adjust settings? I'm worried about adjusting settings in the event that for whatever reason we don't cycle as frequently for a period of time.


Could somebody also please clarify - I can't seem to get my head round it :embarassed:

Replies

  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    Are you eating to enough?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


    This is just a part of it! please read the link above


    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


    Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



    Good luck on your journey
  • louiseei
    louiseei Posts: 254 Member
    Is my net calorie goal set by MFP what I need to eat to LOSE weight, based on my settings (i.e. BMR, current weigh, goals etc) - YES

    Therefore, my BMR is what i need to just get by if I stayed in bed all day? I'm guessing then that my BMR is higher than the net and MFP has calculated the difference between the two to allow for weight loss, depending on how much I want to lose (in my case, 2lb per week?) - YES

    Is this difference what people are referring to as 'the deficit'? - YES!

    There are loads of debates on here on the exercise calories issue, but as I see it, you're already set to lose 2lb per week, and if you burn off more by exercising you should eat at least most of these as healthy choices, to fuel your workouts. If you don't, you're trying to survive on just a couple of hundred cals net a day, which would not be sustainable or sensible.

    Good luck!
  • Countrygal999
    Countrygal999 Posts: 5
    Are you eating to enough?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


    This is just a part of it! please read the link above


    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


    Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat



    Good luck on your journey


    Thanks for posting - I've read all of this already but I still cannot get my head round it. Particularly as it doesn't explain exactly what this deficit malarky is!!

    Anyhoo, thanks for louiseei I seem to have gotten my head round it - thanks very much :smile:
  • marianne_s
    marianne_s Posts: 983 Member
    I'm trying to get my head round the above - reading through LOADS of posts on here is helping but I'm hoping somebody out there can spell it out in black & white for me (I confuse easily!)

    Have a read of this - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics
    I think this page sets it all out most clearly
    My current weight is 264 (unfortunately). My activity level is set as sedentary as my full time job is office/clerical based so I am sat down for the majority of the day. My net calorie goal is 1370 and I am aiming to lose 2lb per week.

    Is my net calorie goal set by MFP what I need to eat to LOSE weight, based on my settings (i.e. BMR, current weigh, goals etc)

    Therefore, my BMR is what i need to just get by if I stayed in bed all day? I'm guessing then that my BMR is higher than the net and MFP has calculated the difference between the two to allow for weight loss, depending on how much I want to lose (in my case, 2lb per week?)

    Is this difference what people are referring to as 'the deficit'?

    Yes, so your deficit is 1000 calories per day = 7000 calories per week - to lose 2 lbs
    My OH & I cycle around 3 times per week to work, a 20 mile round journey, which is helping us along the way but I have noted that many people believe eating back the calories burned is beneficial. We burn around 1300 per day when we cycle - so should I be eating twice as much on those days? Or do I need to adjust settings? I'm worried about adjusting settings in the event that for whatever reason we don't cycle as frequently for a period of time.


    How long have been cycling? If it is something that you have been for more than 3 months or more, then I wouldn't count it as exercise as your body is probably used to it. I would instead change your activity setting to lightly active.

    MFP will then give you a bit more calories. If you leave your activity setting on sedentary, then any activity you do that gets your heart beating a bit faster - you should really log as exercise.

    I personally can't be bothered to do that.... too much work.
    I walk from the train station across London Bridge to my office every day (or try to), and also on the way home. This is just under a 2 mile walk, and I burn between 140 - 180 calories doing it. But I don't log it as additional exercise, I've just upped my activity setting


    I hope this helps
  • Countrygal999
    Countrygal999 Posts: 5
    Yes, so your deficit is 1000 calories per day = 7000 calories per week - to lose 2 lbs

    How do you know that? How did you work out my deficit is 1000 per day? (Or did you work it out based on what I said??)
    How long have been cycling? If it is something that you have been for more than 3 months or more, then I wouldn't count it as exercise as your body is probably used to it. I would instead change your activity setting to lightly active.

    MFP will then give you a bit more calories. If you leave your activity setting on sedentary, then any activity you do that gets your heart beating a bit faster - you should really log as exercise.

    We log exercise on MFP each time we cycle - we've been doing it for over 6 months although it started off as once per week and then we had about 3 weeks when we didn't at all, but overall yes we've been doing it quite a while. I think it will therefore be worth upping our activity level. Do we then add the exercise is MFP as well or not (I guess not as it'll be included as part of our 'light activity'?)
    I hope this helps
    Very much, thank you :smile:
  • Countrygal999
    Countrygal999 Posts: 5
    Okay.... I've now confuzzled myself a bit further!

    I've changed my settings, left my activity at sedentary but changed my exercise to 3 x per week for 120 mins each time which has upped my calories to 1400 (an increase only of 30).

    Do I still need to add the exercise after we have cycled and try and eat as many of them as possible? Surely they have not been included in the 30 calorie per day increase?

    Or, shall I leave the exercise (3 x per week @ 120 mins each time) but change from sedentary to light activity or even active?

    HELP! :flowerforyou:
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    How the deficit works:

    To lose half a pound per week: subtract 250 calories

    To lose a pound a week: Subtract 500 Calories

    To lose two pounds a week: Subtract 1000 Calories.

    You need to log you're exercise.. and then MFP will adjust your calories accordingly. That 1400 is what you need to eat to lose weight WITHOUT any exercise. Most people look at exercise calories as a bonus.. there if you need them, but not entirely necessary if you're not hungry.

    I exercise about 3-4 times a week for 30 mintues(60 minutes if I'm seeing my trainer) and I had mine set at sedetary for awhile because I'm a teacher's aid and for the most part I sit with walking to different classes between periods. I recently upped mine to lightly active because I wanted more wiggle room with my calories. If you feel like you're calorie goal is too low, then you can up it.. but try out the 1400 hundred first and see how you feel.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    If you go to your profile page and then click Goals, the numbers used to calculate your calorie goals are there. You are correct that your BMR is the number of calories needed to maintain your weight if you slept all day, yes. Calories needed to maintain your weight in real life are higher than that though, and have been calculated by adding estimated calories burned in your work day to your BMR. As you do not wish to maintain your weight but would like to lose weight, MFP has recommended a calorie goal that is too low to maintain your weight. "Deficit" refers to the difference between your calorie goal and maintenance calories.

    MFP aims to keep you at a consistent calorie deficit whether or not you exercise. This is where "net" calories come into play. If your calorie goal is 1300, that is already considering a calorie deficit to create weight loss. When you exercise, MFP encourages you to eat the calories expended in exercise so that your deficit stays the same from day to day, rather than using exercise to increase your calorie deficit.
  • kctmw
    kctmw Posts: 23 Member
    If you go to your profile page and then click Goals, the numbers used to calculate your calorie goals are there. You are correct that your BMR is the number of calories needed to maintain your weight if you slept all day, yes. Calories needed to maintain your weight in real life are higher than that though, and have been calculated by adding estimated calories burned in your work day to your BMR. As you do not wish to maintain your weight but would like to lose weight, MFP has recommended a calorie goal that is too low to maintain your weight. "Deficit" refers to the difference between your calorie goal and maintenance calories.

    MFP aims to keep you at a consistent calorie deficit whether or not you exercise. This is where "net" calories come into play. If your calorie goal is 1300, that is already considering a calorie deficit to create weight loss. When you exercise, MFP encourages you to eat the calories expended in exercise so that your deficit stays the same from day to day, rather than using exercise to increase your calorie deficit.


    Beautifully spelled out. I didn't ask the question and had a grasp on the whole bmr, net calorie, deficit thing but you broke it down really nicely for her. :) oh and I LOVE your profile pic :)
  • jfinnivan
    jfinnivan Posts: 360 Member
    Be careful putting in the calories MFP gives you for an activity. The numbers are sometimes way off from reality. The best way to be accurate, especially for bike riding, is to get a Heart Rate Monitor. Polar seems to be a favorite brand here. The Polar FT4 is the basic model ($50-$60 on Amazon), and they go up from there. Search for "Heart Rate Monitor" or "HRM" in the discussions here. You'll find a lot of information.
  • innerfashionista
    innerfashionista Posts: 451 Member
    bmp
This discussion has been closed.

Categories