Should I Eat 1200 or 1200 net calories?

briannasnyder12
briannasnyder12 Posts: 14 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I am currently 5'4 and ~131-133 pounds. My goal is ~122-125.

I lift weights 3-4x per week, and hike on my off days (every other day). In a typical lifting session, I burn ~200-250 calories, and my hikes burn ~550-600 calories.

I typically have macros of 35%p 45%c 20%f.

Should I be aiming to eat 1200 total calories, or 1200 net calories in order to reach my goal? Is it too hard on your body to consume ~700-1000 net calories per day for one or two months at a time?

Replies

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Net.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,200 Member
    You should be eating 1200 net. 700-1000 calories per day is not healthy.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Net.

    You are strength training. One of the benefits of that is you help keep a larger % of lean muscle mass, but you also need enough fuel to support that effort.
  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
    Im 5'6 and 120. Im maintaining on 1350. I walk 3-5 miles a day-no weight training...i dont "eat back my exercise".
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Net.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    At least 1200 net - given your stats you should only be aiming for a 0.5lbs deficit anyway.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    I maintain on somewhere between 1200 and 1350 - total. And yes I exercise too. I will eat more if it is a particularly active day.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Another vote for at least net. You want to retain muscle, not lose it. If you train hard, you gotta fuel yourself.
  • graphics1125
    graphics1125 Posts: 10 Member
    I'm a newbie. what does it mean to eat "at" or "net"?
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,447 Member
    If you are sedentary you burn about 1900 calories existing. To lose 1 lb a week you should eat 500 less a day so about 1400 +Your exercise calories
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,312 Member
    graphics1125 wrote: »
    I'm a newbie. what does it mean to eat "at" or "net"?

    If you use MFP method of calculating your daily calories it will give you x amount - in OP's case, 1200.

    that is your base calories.

    It then intends you to record your exercise and will allocate you additional calories to make up for the calories burned.

    Eg you burn 100 calories, MFP allocates your daily calories as now being 1300 for the day - you should eat 1300 not the base 1200. (although some people claim exercise calories are over inflated so only eat back, say 1/2 or 3/4 of them)

    ie the 1200 is the net, not the overall total if you add any exercise that day.

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