Net calories

lumenosis
lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
When I have a busy day at work I burn easily 4000+ calories in a whole day, MFP adjusts and tells me to eat like 3,200. I'm quite satisfied to eat 1,800 - 2,000 on these busy days but sometimes end up with negative net calories. What does this even mean? 5 ft 9 246 lbs.

Replies

  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    It means you are eating fewer calories than is recommended to maintain the nutritional profile that most women need.

    A few days of that here and there is not really an issue, especially given your stats, but it really is recommended that women eat no less than 1200 calories daily to maintain a minimally optimal nutritional balance.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
    I never eat less than 1,200 calories. I would be a hangry nightmare lol
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Are you adding your work as exercise or is this coming from a fitness tracker? Your work should be part of your activity level and if you're that active be sure your activity level reflects that.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
    It's from an activity tracker, I am set to active on MFP
  • TheMrWobbly
    TheMrWobbly Posts: 2,541 Member
    Do'nt believe the burn it gives for exercise on MFP, I always found they were overstated. Use an independant site such as https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/preventing-heart.../exercise-calorie-calculator . You can 'un-link' your phone so it doesn't automatically deduct for steps.
  • need2belean
    need2belean Posts: 358 Member
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    Are you adding your work as exercise or is this coming from a fitness tracker? Your work should be part of your activity level and if you're that active be sure your activity level reflects that.

    ^^This. If you are active at work, make sure your profile states that you are active so it doesn't add back those exercise calories. I'd only worry about it if you're losing way too fast (like 2-3 lbs a week). If you're not losing weight, than you may be eating too much because you may be eating back those extra exercise calories.
  • need2belean
    need2belean Posts: 358 Member
    I just looked at your profile. Are you new to MFP? Is your activity tracker new? I noticed with my fitbit that it took a few days to accurately total my calorie burn. PS, what do you do that causes you to burn 4000 calories a day? Just out of curiousity. :)
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    If you have negative net calories, then you are using more energy than you are taking in. Even though you may be eating at least 1200 calories, you are burning more than that, so its like you are not eating calories at all.

    As others have said, the fitness trackers on the market today are at best questionable in their accuracy regarding energy (calories) burned, so perhaps it would be worth while to consider reducing the number you eat back.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
    edited April 2017
    My phone is not linked, I USB my Garmin into my laptop and the end of everyday. MFP profile activity is set to active, I don't let MFP calculate calories for any workouts my Garmin HR does all that. While I eat back some fitness calories I have never got close to 3,000.
  • RobD520
    RobD520 Posts: 420 Member
    lumenosis wrote: »
    It's from an activity tracker, I am set to active on MFP

    Setting to "active" and then tracking all activity is double-counting some activity.

  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
    So what do people using fitness trackers set their activity to? It was on sedentary but it was suggested I change it to active.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    Are you losing weight? Are you losing at a high rate of loss or less than 2lb a week?

    Monitor how much and how fast you are losing for a month or so, it's likely your tracker is overestimating as 4000 calories sounds a lot. If you are eating plenty (you say you are eating 1800-2000) getting in the nutrition and not overly fatigued or showing signs of body issues then you are probably ok and it's an over-estimation issue.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    RobD520 wrote: »
    lumenosis wrote: »
    It's from an activity tracker, I am set to active on MFP

    Setting to "active" and then tracking all activity is double-counting some activity.

    I don't think she's tracking any activity separate - she said she just lets Garmin and MFP work it out.

    This is exactly the way I did it when I had a tracker connected. You actually get less calories added because MFP already assumes you're burning a larger number than if you set it to sedentary. When I had it as sedentary I got way too many calories added. OP is already getting a large number added if she changed it to sedentary she'd get even more added. I think OP is doing it correctly.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    RobD520 wrote: »
    lumenosis wrote: »
    It's from an activity tracker, I am set to active on MFP

    Setting to "active" and then tracking all activity is double-counting some activity.

    No, not with synced activity. If you set yourself to active and then sync activity from a tracker you only begin to accrue more calories when you exceed the calories estimated for an active lifestyle.

    Setting it to active just means you begin at a higher baseline than someone who sets it lower. You get activity adjustments after a lot more activity.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    lumenosis wrote: »
    When I have a busy day at work I burn easily 4000+ calories in a whole day, MFP adjusts and tells me to eat like 3,200. I'm quite satisfied to eat 1,800 - 2,000 on these busy days but sometimes end up with negative net calories. What does this even mean? 5 ft 9 246 lbs.

    That's amazing. What the hell do you do?
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
    I am losing weight, not super fast I would say on average 1.5 a week as it does fluctuate with hormones and kittens. I have a physical job and then on workout days or long days with Tball coaching ect 4,000 burn is really not a lot for me.
  • RobD520
    RobD520 Posts: 420 Member
    lumenosis wrote: »
    So what do people using fitness trackers set their activity to? It was on sedentary but it was suggested I change it to active.

    If you are tracking ALL your activity, you should set it to sedentary.

    4000 calories a day is a very large burn for most people. What is your job??
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    lumenosis wrote: »
    I am losing weight, not super fast I would say on average 1.5 a week as it does fluctuate with hormones and kittens. I have a physical job and then on workout days or long days with Tball coaching ect 4,000 burn is really not a lot for me.

    Then I'd say as long as you're getting adequate nutrition you're fine. If you were dropping several pounds a week I'd be concerned.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    lumenosis wrote: »
    I am losing weight, not super fast I would say on average 1.5 a week as it does fluctuate with hormones and kittens. I have a physical job and then on workout days or long days with Tball coaching ect 4,000 burn is really not a lot for me.

    If you are don't maintain on 4000 calories a day, then you are not burning that much.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
    edited April 2017
    I work as a grower in a greenhouse and then 60 min of HIIT or cardio. Lets just say activity hasn't been my problem. Tomorrow is weigh day so we shall see as I have had a busy week. If I have lost more than 2 or not as much as expected I will have reevaluate what I have been doing.
  • need2belean
    need2belean Posts: 358 Member
    lumenosis wrote: »
    I work as a grower in a greenhouse and then 60 min of HIIT or cardio. Lets just say activity hasn't been my problem

    If activity isn't your problem, then I say don't focus on that and only pay attention to the food you're eating as that seems to be the culprit. 90% of the time, I don't eat back any of my exercise calories. So, I have mine set at 1500 calories and say I workout that day with HIIT and lifting and I burn 600ish. I still only eat those 1500. Focus on your food intake and not the calorie burn.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    At your current weight, and losing at 1.5lb/week, it sounds like it's working just fine. I wouldn't mess with a thing for now. Re-evaluate as time moves on.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
    So true!. The food I was eating was terrible. Worst eating habits ever.
    Now I try to do just that, but on days where I don't work my daily burn is way less and I tend to focus on what I can do to burn more calories so I can eat more than 1,500.

    I have a long way to go in permanently getting to a better place mentally food wise.
  • need2belean
    need2belean Posts: 358 Member
    lumenosis wrote: »
    So true!. The food I was eating was terrible. Worst eating habits ever.
    Now I try to do just that, but on days where I don't work my daily burn is way less and I tend to focus on what I can do to burn more calories so I can eat more than 1,500.

    I have a long way to go in permanently getting to a better place mentally food wise.

    If you're losing weight, just keep doing what you're doing. And if the calorie burn is messing with your head, then don't log your exercise at all. Sometimes the numbers mess with me too. That's why I got rid of my fitbit. I was seeing that I burn an extra 1000 calories and I would eat it all back. Surprise surprise, I didn't lose weight. Good luck.
  • lumenosis
    lumenosis Posts: 66 Member
    I ended up losing just over 2 lbs in this week so I know eating about half of my exercise calories back still results in a good deficit.
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