Net calories

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Valkytron1
Valkytron1 Posts: 7 Member
edited May 2019 in Introduce Yourself
Hi everyone :smiley:

I've actually used this since January but more so I can keep track of my eating and staying witin the recommend calorie allowance - so far so good. I started exercise last July and have nearly hit the 3 stone mark YAY. I do work out (combining cardio with weights) around 5 times per week and I also do a lot of walking so i normally burn off between 1000-1200 calories on those days. I've just discovered net calories and I can't get my head around it. If MFP says I should stick to 1200 calories per day and I eat for example 2000 calories but work out and burn 1000, would i need to eat whatever the net readjust itself to? Or just some of it? Or should I count 1200 calories from that? I set my goal for 1 kg weight loss per week and I'm sure I read somewhere you should be on 500 deficit to achieve that???
Really sorry if I'm rambling on but hard to explain when I don't understand myself.
Hope someone can help
Thanks :smile:

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Valkytron1 wrote: »
    Hi everyone :smiley:

    I've actually used this since January but more so I can keep track of my eating and staying witin the recommend calorie allowance - so far so good. I started exercise last July and have nearly hit the 3 stone mark YAY. I do work out (combining cardio with weights) around 5 times per week and I also do a lot of walking so i normally burn off between 1000-1200 calories on those days. I've just discovered net calories and I can't get my head around it. If MFP says I should stick to 1200 calories per day and I eat for example 2000 calories but work out and burn 1000, would i need to eat whatever the net readjust itself to? Or just some of it? I set my goal for 1 kg weight loss per week and I'm sure I read somewhere you should be on 500 deficit to achieve that???
    Really sorry if I'm rambling on but hard to explain when I don't understand myself.
    Hope someone can help
    Thanks :smile:

    If you only ate 1200 calories and burned 1200 calories working out you would have a net intake of ZERO calories which wouldn't be remotely healthy. MFP is designed for you to eat back calories earned from exercise because your calorie target from MFP assume NO exercise as it isn't included in your activity level. Just be careful with inflated calorie burns.
  • Valkytron1
    Valkytron1 Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks so much for the answer but I don't think I've explained it very well - I'll try again; Today 'Goal' is 1200, exercise (so far - although I haven't added walking yet) is 748 which gives me Net 564. Would I now have to eat 636 calories (1200-564) to get up to 1200 'goal' or just some of it? Hope that makes a bit more sense :smile:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
    edited May 2019
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    Valkytron1 wrote: »
    Thanks so much for the answer but I don't think I've explained it very well - I'll try again; Today 'Goal' is 1200, exercise (so far - although I haven't added walking yet) is 748 which gives me Net 564. Would I now have to eat 636 calories (1200-564) to get up to 1200 'goal' or just some of it? Hope that makes a bit more sense :smile:

    Depends on how accurate your calorie expenditure estimates are. Provided reasonable accuracy, then yes...you'd want to eat 636 calories to get to your net GOAL...I emphasize that word.

    You would still be in your 500 calorie deficit since your calorie target is your deficit without exercise...you aren't trying to create a deficit through exercise with MFP.

    To lose 1 Lb per week, MFP will give me a calorie target of 2000 calories per day...MFP is thus estimating my non exercise maintenance calories to be 2500 calories and giving me a 500 calorie deficit. If I go for a ride and burn 500 calories and can then eat 2500 calories per day and still be in a 500 calorie deficit because my maintenance number would also increase to 3000 calories per day.

    Be careful with walking calories...even if set to sedentary, your activity level will include up to about 5,000 steps if I remember correctly.
  • Scottgriesser
    Scottgriesser Posts: 172 Member
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    I think you are confused as to how this site works.

    The goal mfp gives you is your caloric intake with 0 exercise (based on the activity level you chose). So if your goal is 1200 calories and you exercised for 748 then your new goal would be 1948.

  • Scottgriesser
    Scottgriesser Posts: 172 Member
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    in your first example:

    You have a 1200 cal goal. You eat 2000, that puts you 800 over. But then you exercise for 1000, that puts you 200 under for the day.

    1200-2000+1000= 200.

    The goal is to hit 0, so you have 200 more calories to eat.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    what are you doing that burns 1000-1200 cals/day?
    If you are talking about adding walking cals, is that from steps counted? as your normal daily activity would assume 2,000-10,000 steps already, depending on the setting for the acitvity level you chose.
  • Valkytron1
    Valkytron1 Posts: 7 Member
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    That makes a lot more sense and yes you're right, I've really managed to get myself confused along the way. I appreciate the help - Thanks
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited May 2019
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    Valkytron1 wrote: »
    That makes a lot more sense and yes you're right, I've really managed to get myself confused along the way. I appreciate the help - Thanks

    When you get a chance, check out these "Most Helpful Posts", they might make the process a little clearer.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1

    :drinker:
  • sdaugher05
    sdaugher05 Posts: 1 Member
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    So help me understand my screen. If my numbers are showing positive does that mean I should eat more? I exercise regularly so I know that increases how much I should eat and still maintain the deficit. I target 2 lbs a week weight loss goal with a goal of getting to at least l lb a week. (Helps me to stay on track).

    So even though I have the original target of say 1330 calories I don’t beat myself up if I go higher because I’m keeping below 2k a day generally speaking and I exercise to offset when I eat more. This approach has kept me on a steady weight loss for over a year now. And I get how the net calories are calculated. I’m just not understanding what the numbers mean on the screen above. Any help is appreciated.

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