Net Calories and Eating Back Calories Burned

karebear0610
karebear0610 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I am a bit confused on how MFP calculates Net Calories (NC). To maintain my weight my NC needs to be 0, to gain weight it should be a positive number and to lose weight it should be a negative number. I maintain my calorie intake to 1200-1350 calories daily and burned on average 600 calories a day through exercise. However, MFP is calculating that my Net Calories is a positive number, which means I'm gaining weight? Does anyone know how it calculates Net Calories on MFP.

I Googled the calculation online and it says you need to know your BMR

BMR= 655 + (4.35 * Weight) + (4.7 * Height) - (4.7 * Age)

Weight in pounds
Height in inches

Then incorporate the BMR into your Net Calories calculation

Net Calories = Calories Eaten - Calories Burned - BMR

MY NC according to this calculation is (-749) I don’t know if this is a healthy number. What should my daily NC be?
NC=1350-600-1499

Should I just follow my calculation instead of MFP?

Also, I'm reading that a lot of people are eating back their exercise calories. Do you still lose weight and still maintain a negative net calories? My logic is if you eat back your exercise calories your net Calories would be zero or a positive number (according to the MPF calc)

If anyone can help me understand this concept I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks!

Replies

  • Wickedmeowmer
    Wickedmeowmer Posts: 157
    Its pretty complex, but super basically your body needs calories just to survive (sit on your booty, read, clean, sleep etc.) so you can still be a positive calories number to main/lose weight because your biological actions need energy too.

    I see a lot of people on here only eating 1200-1300 calories but I personally think thats punishment. I cannot exercise on such a low number.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    I am a bit confused on how MFP calculates Net Calories (NC). To maintain my weight my NC needs to be 0, to gain weight it should be a positive number and to lose weight it should be a negative number. I maintain my calorie intake to 1200-1350 calories daily and burned on average 600 calories a day through exercise. However, MFP is calculating that my Net Calories is a positive number, which means I'm gaining weight? Does anyone know how it calculates Net Calories on MFP.

    I Googled the calculation online and it says you need to know your BMR

    BMR= 655 + (4.35 * Weight) + (4.7 * Height) - (4.7 * Age)

    Weight in pounds
    Height in inches

    Then incorporate the BMR into your Net Calories calculation

    Net Calories = Calories Eaten - Calories Burned - BMR

    MY NC according to this calculation is (-749) I don’t know if this is a healthy number. What should my daily NC be?
    NC=1350-600-1499

    Should I just follow my calculation instead of MFP?

    Also, I'm reading that a lot of people are eating back their exercise calories. Do you still lose weight and still maintain a negative net calories? My logic is if you eat back your exercise calories your net Calories would be zero or a positive number (according to the MPF calc)

    If anyone can help me understand this concept I'd really appreciate it.

    Thanks!

    Your NET calories are your calories eaten - exercise calories.

    i.e you eat 2000 calories, you burn off 500, net calories are 2000 - 500 = 1500.

    Your NET calories should be your goal calories, providing your exercise burn is accurate.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    If you are confused how the site works, and what all th eterms mean, I highly recommend reading the stickied threads at the top of the forum, they are great.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    I'm not sure your calculations are OK - a BMR of 655 seems unfeasibly low. Basic Metabolic Rate for a female should be somewhere around the 1200-1800 mark.
  • karebear0610
    karebear0610 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for the link. I will check it out :)
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Sorry, I've just re-read the fomlua - my mistake.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    MFP's definition of Net Calories is different.

    On MFP, your net calories are the number of calories you eat, minus the number of calories you burned through exercise. Your net calories on MFP should be equal to your daily calorie goal.

    It doesn't include the calories you burn through normal daily activity and your metabolic rate.
  • karebear0610
    karebear0610 Posts: 4 Member
    MFP's definition of Net Calories is different.

    On MFP, your net calories are the number of calories you eat, minus the number of calories you burned through exercise. Your net calories on MFP should be equal to your daily calorie goal.

    It doesn't include the calories you burn through normal daily activity and your metabolic rate.

    Thanks for the info. So it doesn't matter if it is a negative or a positive number on MFP, just as long as it falls between 1200-1350 calories
  • 70davis
    70davis Posts: 348 Member
    bump
  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
    Thanks for the info. So it doesn't matter if it is a negative or a positive number on MFP, just as long as it falls between 1200-1350 calories
    [/quote]

    No...not unless you are trying 2 lb per week or you only have a little to lose. Try setting to one pound per week your calorie goal will be much less 'punishing'. Unless you are very short...then never-mind. What I'm getting at is...make sure you plug in your goals realistically. Be honest about your activity level - exercise, then log your exercise. But don't try to go too low cal.
  • myak623
    myak623 Posts: 615 Member
    I am a bit confused on how MFP calculates Net Calories (NC). To maintain my weight my NC needs to be 0, to gain weight it should be a positive number and to lose weight it should be a negative number. I maintain my calorie intake to 1200-1350 calories daily and burned on average 600 calories a day through exercise. However, MFP is calculating that my Net Calories is a positive number, which means I'm gaining weight? Does anyone know how it calculates Net Calories on MFP.

    I Googled the calculation online and it says you need to know your BMR

    BMR= 655 + (4.35 * Weight) + (4.7 * Height) - (4.7 * Age)

    Weight in pounds
    Height in inches

    Then incorporate the BMR into your Net Calories calculation

    Net Calories = Calories Eaten - Calories Burned - BMR

    MY NC according to this calculation is (-749) I don’t know if this is a healthy number. What should my daily NC be?
    NC=1350-600-1499

    Should I just follow my calculation instead of MFP?

    Also, I'm reading that a lot of people are eating back their exercise calories. Do you still lose weight and still maintain a negative net calories? My logic is if you eat back your exercise calories your net Calories would be zero or a positive number (according to the MPF calc)

    If anyone can help me understand this concept I'd really appreciate it.

    Thanks!

    That looks to be the Harris-Benedict formula. It is not very accurate. If you want to calculate your own, I would use the Katch-McArdle formula. BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)
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