NET CALS & WEIGHTLOSS. help mfp!!

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EthanJeremiahsMama
EthanJeremiahsMama Posts: 534 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm confused. Some mfp users told me to make sure my net cals are at least 1,200.

But the 3 days out of the week that I exercise, I burn about 500 cals each time..
So today I burned 500 cals and my net cals is much lower of course due to burning 500 cals. Why do I need to eat til' my net cals are back to 1,200? Isn't that defeating the whole purpose of burning cals & trying to lose weight? It's like my cardio workout went to waste?

Can someone fill me in on this please? Lol i'm lost.

Replies

  • whateverr120
    whateverr120 Posts: 37
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    people say u need at least 1200 to be "healthy" but I do just fine on 1200/day and so does my mom and a lot of my friends.... if you dont want/need to eat more then don't, you'll lose weight much faster. But if you start to feel tired or weak start eating more calories. you should be just fine though!! yo go girl!
  • KimberlyDenice
    KimberlyDenice Posts: 37
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    I am glad someone asked this i have been wandering the same thing since i started.
  • ♥xenawarriorprincess♥
    ♥xenawarriorprincess♥ Posts: 440 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/173853-an-objective-look-at-eating-exercise-calories

    read this it should help you understand better why or why not to eat the exercise calories
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    The world health organization says it is difficult to get a sufficient amount of nutrients if you eat below 1200 calories BUT -- if you are eating a very nutrient dense diet you can eat less I believe not to mention people who fall way below the norm in terms of size (look if you're 4'9" and 80 pounds you do NOT need to eat as much as me at 5'6" and 180 - you just don't).

    People are very cavalier with that number but it IS based in a healthy recommendation.

    I personally cannot eat that little every day, some days I may eat like 1100 but other days I eat 1800. And 1500 days are my norm - and that includes a deficit for weight loss.

    In your case ChristinaaaRene it really really looks like you don't eat enough -- but you seem to make very healthy choices and in your profile pic you look freaking tiny as hell. I would say -- print out your diary for hte last 2 weeks. Take it to your doctor or a nutritionist. Ask them what they recommend.
  • daisyelaine
    daisyelaine Posts: 480 Member
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    1200 is a base number, but it depends on YOUR body. Everybody has BMR ( basal metabolic rate) that is what their body NEEDS to function that is specific to their size. If you're tall, it's higher. If you're heavier, it's higher. For Example, my weight is 190-ish, and my BMR is 1600, so if my net cals is under that, then I'm depleting my body of what it needs. Sure, I might lose weight at the start, but I'll eventually bottom out, have less energy, and gain it back. Anyone that has had any long term success will swear by this.

    Easiest way to explain it-- read these. There's a wealth of info there.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

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


    Mfp has worked out the deficit for you already.. just do some checking and check your numbers as your calorie goals and you'll be fine
  • ConfidenceNMe
    ConfidenceNMe Posts: 41
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    I agree- talk to your doctor, or ahve him refer you to a nutritionalist. The only reason why you get calories back when working out is because if you don't use them it could put your body in starve mode. Your basal metabolic rate or the rate in which it takes to burn calories for your body to function ( without moving an inch ) is calculated this way for women:
    Your weight x 10 = BMR But talk to your doc I agree that you may need to seek a consultation.
  • ConfidenceNMe
    ConfidenceNMe Posts: 41
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    I agree with smalltowngirl!!!
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    MFP has ALREADY given you a calorie deficit without exercise. When you first put your information in when starting, it gives you your daily calories - 1200, 1350, 1430 - whatever. If you eat those calories, you are still already in a deficit to lose weight only because of the way MFP works. That means that when you exercise, you have an even greater deficit, which can be a bad thing for your body nutritionally speaking. So let's say you told MFP that you want to lose one pound a week, it ALREADY calculated that into your daily deficit - so at 1 pound a week you have a 500 calorie a day deficit. If you exercise and burn say 300 calories, you are now at an 800 calories deficit. It is medically recommended that on average a woman should consume around 1200 calories to stay healthy. When you burn 300 and you NET is 900 (or less if you didn't fully eat 1200), you are depriving your body of the fuel it needs to function properly. This is all only because of the way MFP works - it already figures in a calorie deficit for you to lose weight before exercising. You do look tiny in your picture, which might mean you can safely consume fewer than 1200 calories, but that is something to consult a nutritionist about and not a decision to make on your own if you want to make sure you are healthy. Good luck, and check out this link created by an MFPer:

    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
  • portexploit
    portexploit Posts: 378 Member
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    People who have gastric bypass aren't in "starvation mode." I don't know why that goofy silly, ridiculous word is being thrown around. I’ll keep it simple for you, “if you’re hungry, eat. IF you’re not, don’t.” How the “net calories” work on this webpage, Lets say you need 1400 calories to maintain your bodyweight, MFP would tell you to eat 1200 calories. It already has a built in caloric deficit. So lets say you exercise, it will do this 1200 – 500 = 700(net calories) So you et back those 500, and it would put you back at 1200 calories, remembering you need 1600 calories to maintain your weight, so in “THEORY” if you eat back your calories you will lose weight, because like I said MFP already has a caloric deficit built in.
  • EthanJeremiahsMama
    EthanJeremiahsMama Posts: 534 Member
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    People who have gastric bypass aren't in "starvation mode." I don't know why that goofy silly, ridiculous word is being thrown around. I’ll keep it simple for you, “if you’re hungry, eat. IF you’re not, don’t.” How the “net calories” work on this webpage, Lets say you need 1400 calories to maintain your bodyweight, MFP would tell you to eat 1200 calories. It already has a built in caloric deficit. So lets say you exercise, it will do this 1200 – 500 = 700(net calories) So you et back those 500, and it would put you back at 1200 calories, remembering you need 1600 calories to maintain your weight, so in “THEORY” if you eat back your calories you will lose weight, because like I said MFP already has a caloric deficit built in.


    Wow thankyou so much for this response!! I've been eating way too low as far my net calories!! So if I burned 300 today, I should eat those extra 300 cals til' I'm at 1,200 cals because MFP already subtracts cals for losing.
  • adross3
    adross3 Posts: 606 Member
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    People who have gastric bypass aren't in "starvation mode." I don't know why that goofy silly, ridiculous word is being thrown around. I’ll keep it simple for you, “if you’re hungry, eat. IF you’re not, don’t.” How the “net calories” work on this webpage, Lets say you need 1400 calories to maintain your bodyweight, MFP would tell you to eat 1200 calories. It already has a built in caloric deficit. So lets say you exercise, it will do this 1200 – 500 = 700(net calories) So you et back those 500, and it would put you back at 1200 calories, remembering you need 1600 calories to maintain your weight, so in “THEORY” if you eat back your calories you will lose weight, because like I said MFP already has a caloric deficit built in.
    I concur.

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