Noob help-- Net cals?

chelso0o
chelso0o Posts: 366 Member
edited October 7 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm on mfp mobile. What is that little box that says "net cals" all about? Is that the amount of calories that you have burned each day?

Replies

  • Sublimely_Self_Righteousreused
    Sublimely_Self_Righteousreused Posts: 935 Member
    Net calories are the amount of calories you have left to consume that day.

    For example:

    Your daily goal is 2,000 calories.

    You burn 550 calories working out.

    You have ate 700 calories that day.

    You have 1850 calories left for the day. That is your net calories.

    2000 calories (goal)
    +550 calories burned
    -700 calories consumed
    1,850 calories remaining (net)
  • christinehetz80
    christinehetz80 Posts: 490 Member
    The way I understand it is that its calories consumed then subtracts calories expended and that is your net calorie. I think its a tool that people that eat more on a weekly basis versus daily calorie goal utilize.
  • christinehetz80
    christinehetz80 Posts: 490 Member
    Net calories are the amount of calories you have left to consume that day.

    For example:

    Your daily goal is 2,000 calories.

    You burn 550 calories working out.

    You have ate 700 calories that day.

    You have 1850 calories left for the day. That is your net calories.

    2000 calories (goal)
    +550 calories burned
    -700 calories consumed
    1,850 calories remaining (net)


    Much better job of describing it than I did!!!!!!! I always was a bad teacher, not good at giving (or following) directions either. . haha!!!!! :)
  • beccadaniixox
    beccadaniixox Posts: 542 Member
    Net calories are how much you've eaten for the day.

    What you ate Calories - Work out calories = Net calories
  • chelso0o
    chelso0o Posts: 366 Member
    So, do you always want to have net cals, or do you want it to be zero if you're trying to lose? The way I'm understanding it, is that you want the net cals to add up to 500 each day for instance if you're trying to lose 1lb/wk. Right?
  • chelso0o
    chelso0o Posts: 366 Member
    Net calories are the amount of calories you have left to consume that day.

    For example:

    Your daily goal is 2,000 calories.

    You burn 550 calories working out.

    You have ate 700 calories that day.

    You have 1850 calories left for the day. That is your net calories.

    2000 calories (goal)
    +550 calories burned
    -700 calories consumed
    1,850 calories remaining (net)

    This isn't what mine is doing though. What you are saying makes sense, but it's not how mine is working because mine is showing up as goal 1410 food 126 exercise 0 net 126
  • pettyy5
    pettyy5 Posts: 17
    on the mobile version, it says your goal amount of calories that you want to aim to eat. those calories should already be lowered by the 500 cal deficit that you want for that pound a week. then as you track your food, all of those calories add up under the food part. net calories will always be the same as the calories you have consumed for the day unless you exercise and log it. once you log exercise, the number of calories you burn will be under the exercise part. thus your net calories will change because it will subtract the calories you have exercised from the calories you have eaten that day. the remaining are obviously the calories you have left for the day. try to go by the calories under the food part because you don't always want to be eating back the calories you have burned for the day.

    Sooooo in conclusion,

    those 1410 calories already have the deficit you need, try to eat all 1410 calories a day (nothing less than 1200). if you burn 200 calories lets say, that will show up under exercise, and subtract it from the food already eaten and your net calories is now the calories (energy) that is put in your body total for the day since you exercised some of it off.

    hope this helped a lot! if you need more clarifying you can PM me!
  • twinmom_112002
    twinmom_112002 Posts: 739 Member
    That is because you have eaten a 126 net calories...

    You are given a certain number of calories to consume a day (1500 in my case). Everything I eat comes out of the amount. If I exercise it adds to the number of calories I can eat during the day.

    Net calories is the calories from the food you have eaten - the calories you earned through exercise. This number is then subtracted from the number of calories that you are allowed a day to give you your calories remaining.

    Goal - 1540
    Food - 1211
    Exercise - 281

    Net = 1211 - 281 = 930
    Calories remaining = 1540 - 930 = 610

    The only number you really need to focus on is the calories remaining. If you are measuring your food really good and are honest about your exercise this number should be 0 every night.
  • pettyy5
    pettyy5 Posts: 17
    in reply to ^^

    if the number is 0 every night then that means that they are eating back the calories. the number should be low only if you did not exercise that day. try not to eat back your calories!! with the deficit you already have plus the exercise you should be losing more than a pound a week. if you exercise, then the remaining calories should be around the calories you exercised!
  • twinmom_112002
    twinmom_112002 Posts: 739 Member
    in reply to ^^

    if the number is 0 every night then that means that they are eating back the calories. the number should be low only if you did not exercise that day. try not to eat back your calories!! with the deficit you already have plus the exercise you should be losing more than a pound a week. if you exercise, then the remaining calories should be around the calories you exercised!

    For women with low calorie goals not eating back exercise calories often drops them below 1200. In addition the best way to lose weight is to lose it slow in a manner that you can sustain (1-2lbs a week which should already be calculated into the daily calorie goal)
  • Taith
    Taith Posts: 21 Member
    Ok.

    I'm more confused after reading this thread.

    Calories Remaining: 1285
    Goal: 1320
    Food: 704
    Exercise: - 669
    Net: 35

    I've been ignoring Net and only looking at remaining. But I don't worry about it much because I track most of this on fitbit.
  • twinmom_112002
    twinmom_112002 Posts: 739 Member
    so you ate 704 calories and burned 669.

    704-669=35

    You put 704 calories in the bank account by eating and took out 669 calories by exercising meaning that you have 35 calories left in the bank. Your goal is to get your balance to 1320 every day.

    I agree though...just look at the calories remaining number. Its the most useful.
  • beccadaniixox
    beccadaniixox Posts: 542 Member
    * Net Calories Consumed = Total Calories Consumed - Exercise Calories Burned

    If your net calories are at zero, then that means you've either eaten nothing today, or you burned off everything you ate.
    MFP logic says your net should be at 1200 or more.

    Calories remaining and net calories are the exact opposite of each other.
  • LovelyLibra79
    LovelyLibra79 Posts: 569 Member
    so you ate 704 calories and burned 669.

    704-669=35

    You put 704 calories in the bank account by eating and took out 669 calories by exercising meaning that you have 35 calories left in the bank. Your goal is to get your balance to 1320 every day.

    I agree though...just look at the calories remaining number. Its the most useful.

    ^^ Great explanation! thanks for the insight.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories