No idea why I can't figure out this calorie thing. Grrr

audreyperry
audreyperry Posts: 1 Member
edited December 3 in Getting Started
So, I'm pretty new to being a regular MFP user and am having trouble figuring out the net calorie idea. When I see green calories remaining, I'm thinking that means I could eat that many more calories for the day and when I see red calories, that means I should exercise more. Is this correct? Please help if you know the answer, I sure would appreciate it. Thank You.

Replies

  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    Green means the number of calories you can still eat today. Red means that you've gone over your daily calorie limit by that many calories.
    Red numbers don't mean you "should" exercise more. It means you overate, according to your goal plan, today. Exercising will give you more calories to eat today, which will reduce the red numbers, though, so if you're in the red by a few calories, you can go for a walk and even things out.

    Hope that helps.

  • worstcaster
    worstcaster Posts: 217 Member
    More or less. If you take in less calories than you burn in the day you will lose weight. You need to eat enough to stay healthy, which is why the app won't let you set your calories below a certain amount. You will lose the weight but it is going to take a while. Think about losing the weight as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. After you meet your goal you can increase your daily calories but should keep tracking your calories to avoid putting the weight back on. Good luck.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    audreyperry wrote: »
    So, I'm pretty new to being a regular MFP user and am having trouble figuring out the net calorie idea. When I see green calories remaining, I'm thinking that means I could eat that many more calories for the day and when I see red calories, that means I should exercise more. Is this correct? Please help if you know the answer, I sure would appreciate it. Thank You.

    Audrey, think of the numbers like a bank account. If the few remaining calories are green, it means your account is good. Red? You've gone into overdraft. ;)

    You have several options when you go over. Add in a bit of exercise, like going for a walk to put you back in the green. But remember that it's just a single day, and it's more the weekly picture that matters. If you are over a bit one day, and then under on another, it balances out. If you consistently find yourself in overdraft, perhaps choosing a less aggressive rate of loss per week is an idea, or else adding more exercise to your day to compensate.
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