net calories

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dhansen88
dhansen88 Posts: 22
in Fitness and Exercise
my calories a day are 1200 & when i exercise it adds to the calories. do i eat the extra calories & aim to get my net calories to 1200 instead of keeping it under? sorta confused!

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    That is correct. Eat until you get to zero. You work out, you need more fuel.
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 233 Member
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    Yep, eat back your exercise calories with your goal being to net 1200 at the end of the day.
  • jlg6599
    jlg6599 Posts: 162 Member
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    I just posted a topic about this. Aim to have your net calories at 1200. My net has been very low so I am going to make some major changes on the days I know I will exercising.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    When you ladies plateau send me a PM.
    ;D
    Or check out this link http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map
  • dhansen88
    dhansen88 Posts: 22
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    so its not calories in / calories out? i would think that whatever you ate all day you should burn that amount? hahaha im clueless on this stuff
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    so its not calories in / calories out? i would think that whatever you ate all day you should burn that amount? hahaha im clueless on this stuff

    It is calories in/calories out, but MFP does not show your burn for just maintaining bodily functions.
    So your net calories is what you have left your body to run on after you subtract the energy expended by exercising.

    For *most* people, 1200 is a minimum to run the body functionally. Some function well on less, but you should try netting at least that for a while before deciding that you really need less. Assume that you're somewhere near the middle until proven otherwise.
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 233 Member
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    When you ladies plateau send me a PM.
    ;D
    Or check out this link http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map

    Hey Dan, I've read your post before but I guess my reading comprehension is lacking :p Appreciate that info, btdubs.

    My TDEE is 2550 (according to this: http://www.fitnessfrog.com) and the Katch-MacArdle BMR for me is 1721. So at a 30% cut TDEE that would bring me to approx 1575. So basically I should be eating about 400 extra calories/day? I'm losing weight fairly consistently at my current daily average of around 1300. Would you recommend I bump it up now? Or wait until I drop some more weight?


    And I estimate my BF % is around 27% based off of my last caliper measurement.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    At 27% body fat there is no way you should be cutting 30% off your TDEE. You shouldn't be cutting off any more than 15%, I'd say. 27% body fat is the higher end of average for a woman, which means you need a smaller deficit, not a larger one, as you have less excess fat to lose.
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 233 Member
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    At 27% body fat there is no way you should be cutting 30% off your TDEE. You shouldn't be cutting off any more than 15%, I'd say. 27% body fat is the higher end of average for a woman, which means you need a smaller deficit, not a larger one, as you have less excess fat to lose.

    Interesting, thanks for that. My frame is bigger than most women my height (size 11 feet) so I don't have an average build at all. Hence me always thinking I'm fatter than I really am. I'll be interested to see when I drop more weight if I really do need to lose 45 lbs. It may be more like 30...
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/body-fat-chart.php

    Here's a link to a body fat percentage chart. You're currently near the low end of "Acceptable." and 24% is considered "Fit." Obviously the choice to go lower than that is personal preference, but that's something to keep in mind.
  • reneegee23
    reneegee23 Posts: 233 Member
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    Thanks dude :)

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