Net calories confusion

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Doll483
Doll483 Posts: 21 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Alright, so I am really confused as to the whole net calories idea. Everyone says that we should eat our exercise calories and reach our net cal goal. Well, MFP tells me to consume 1200 net calories a day. But... why should I eat more on the days I exercise? Isn't the amount of exercise I do already accounted for in my BMR and therefore considered in the calorie deficit? Isn't that sort of INCLUDED in the part where we check sedentary/lightly active/moderately active etc? I'm not sure I'm making myself clear enough, I just don't know how else to put this.
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Replies

  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member
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    Yes it is included. You should eat back a portion of your exercise calories but never all. MFP is not the most accurate and if you eat them all back you could go over. i try to only eat back half of mine.
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,139 Member
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    If you type net calories into the search box, you will find lots of answers!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    1200 is to hit your goal assuming you never exercise, once you exercise your body uses some of that 1200, leaving less to fuel your organs and other bodily functions.

    If you eat only 1200 and burn 400 cals from exercise, that would be the same as eating 800 calories (1200-400) and not exercising. and 800 cals is not enough for anyone, this would likely result (over time) in the loss of hair, weak nail, possibly malnutrition, loss of lean muscle mass, slower metabolism etc)

    Even for most people 1200 cals is not enough, even when they don't workout.
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
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    Ummm, exercise is not included in BMR. It is included in TDEE.

    so, you can work it one of two ways:

    1) set yourself up as a sedentary TDEE and eat back most of your exercise calories (I'd say 70% as MFP estimates are high)

    OR

    2) set yourself a more accurate TDEE including all your workouts and then do not eat anything back because they are already factored in. You would then only log a workout which was outside of your normal day to day exercise. i.e. if you run every day you would not eat the cals back, if you went running one day and did a zumba class as a one off you could eat those extra zumba calories.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
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    The deficit MFP calculates does not include exercise (unless you want it to, that is). If you only have 1200 net calories a day, that's too low for someone who exercises regularly. So you need to eat back your exercise calories. That's how MFP is designed to work. The activity level you choose is based on your normal day to day. Any hard workouts on top of that need to be recorded and those calories replenished for the system to work properly.

    Exercise calories are not already included in the MFP calculation, unless you happen to know your daily activity level and did include that into your goal, but then you would have a custom goal and probably wouldn't be so confused. :wink:

    Exercise = Reason to eat more!
  • garysgirl719
    garysgirl719 Posts: 235 Member
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    Some of this depends on what you included when you chose your activity level. For example, I am a teacher. I set my level to lightly active, because I am on my feet all day in the classroom. I did not factor in the time I planned to spend actively exercising. So when I add that in, it is additional to what MFP calculated for. If you set your activity level to include the planned exercise, then MFP is including those calories in. However, I would be cautious to do it that way. I see some people burning 1000 calories in the gym. I doubt MFP factors in that many when they see highly active.
  • Doll483
    Doll483 Posts: 21 Member
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    Umm I just changed it from "active" to "sedentary" and the net cal goal is still the same..
  • sortin
    sortin Posts: 78
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    Umm I just changed it from "active" to "sedentary" and the net cal goal is still the same..
    Probably because it assumes everyone universally needs a minimum of 1200 calories.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Umm I just changed it from "active" to "sedentary" and the net cal goal is still the same..

    The minimum intake anyone should have is 1200 Net. MFP will not allow you to go lower as it is difficult to get the required nutrition on a diet less than 1200 cals. Since the 1200 is the min you should keep your goal as sedentary and log and eat your exercise calories.
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
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    Umm I just changed it from "active" to "sedentary" and the net cal goal is still the same..
    Probably because it assumes everyone universally needs a minimum of 1200 calories.
    What is your weight loss goal? It may be "too aggressive". If you are set to lose 2lbs/week and only have 20lbs to go, the app will put you at the minimum allowable intake (1200calories). I suggest you update your goal to ~1lb/week and when you get to 10-15lbs to go down to 0.5lb/week. This should help you maximize fat loss, while retaining your lean muscle (as best as possible)
  • Doll483
    Doll483 Posts: 21 Member
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    Umm I just changed it from "active" to "sedentary" and the net cal goal is still the same..

    The minimum intake anyone should have is 1200 Net. MFP will not allow you to go lower as it is difficult to get the required nutrition on a diet less than 1200 cals. Since the 1200 is the min you should keep your goal as sedentary and log and eat your exercise calories.

    Oh alright. But my BMR is just 1470, so isn't a 200 cal deficit too little to lose weight? Or am I missing something here?
  • Cntrygal81
    Cntrygal81 Posts: 70 Member
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    Umm I just changed it from "active" to "sedentary" and the net cal goal is still the same..
    Probably because it assumes everyone universally needs a minimum of 1200 calories.

    This - MFP won't advise you to have any fewer than 1,200 calories per day.
  • Doll483
    Doll483 Posts: 21 Member
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    How about this: I just created a fictional account with my stats, but chose "highly active". It STILL set my daily net cal intake to 1200! Shouldn't it be more than that for someone who is highly active?
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
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    Oh alright. But my BMR is just 1470, so isn't a 200 cal deficit too little to lose weight? Or am I missing something here?
    It should be using your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) to calculate the deficit, not BMR.
    How about this: I just created a fictional account with my stats, but chose "highly active". It STILL set my daily net cal intake to 1200! Shouldn't it be more than that for someone who is highly active?
    see my earlier post - I think you probably have your goal set to aggressively. MFP will spit out numbers based on your input, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is the healthiest way to reach your ultimate goal
  • Char_marcus
    Char_marcus Posts: 141 Member
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    Oh alright. But my BMR is just 1470, so isn't a 200 cal deficit too little to lose weight? Or am I missing something here?

    your BMR is the amount of calories your body requires to function if you did NOTHING, your TDEE ( total daily energy expenditure ) is the amount you require to maintain your current weight, you minus the calories from the TDEE not the BMR
  • Doll483
    Doll483 Posts: 21 Member
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    Oh alright. But my BMR is just 1470, so isn't a 200 cal deficit too little to lose weight? Or am I missing something here?

    your BMR is the amount of calories your body requires to function if you did NOTHING, your TDEE ( total daily energy expenditure ) is the amount you require to maintain your current weight, you minus the calories from the TDEE not the BMR

    OH. That makes sense and explains a lot haha, thanks!
  • Doll483
    Doll483 Posts: 21 Member
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    Oh alright. But my BMR is just 1470, so isn't a 200 cal deficit too little to lose weight? Or am I missing something here?
    It should be using your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) to calculate the deficit, not BMR.
    How about this: I just created a fictional account with my stats, but chose "highly active". It STILL set my daily net cal intake to 1200! Shouldn't it be more than that for someone who is highly active?
    see my earlier post - I think you probably have your goal set to aggressively. MFP will spit out numbers based on your input, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is the healthiest way to reach your ultimate goal

    Hmm, I set my goal for 1.5 lbs a week..
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
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    Hmm, I set my goal for 1.5 lbs a week..
    1.5lbs/week = 5250 calories / 7 days = 750 calorie deficit PER DAY.

    The only thing left that MFP uses (besides what was discussed above) is your height and current weight. If you are relatively small already, your BMR (and subsequently TDEE) won't be that high. Assuming your BMR is 1470 (as you said), a sedantary lifestyle would be TDEE ~1760, an active one ~2350. Sorry to throw all this math at you, but more or less, with those numbers and that goal, MFP would set you at 1200-1500 calories.

    As I said before, I would really recommend changing your goal to 1lb/week, that should give you more calories and although you will lose "slower" it will be more maintanable in the future, and should help lower your BF%.

    **EDIT - it seems your intitial question was answered. and once again sorry for all the math, if you'd prefer to discuss this more, feel free to message me.
  • Doll483
    Doll483 Posts: 21 Member
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    Hmm, I set my goal for 1.5 lbs a week..
    1.5lbs/week = 5250 calories / 7 days = 750 calorie deficit PER DAY.

    The only thing left that MFP uses (besides what was discussed above) is your height and current weight. If you are relatively small already, your BMR (and subsequently TDEE) won't be that high. Assuming your BMR is 1470 (as you said), a sedantary lifestyle would be TDEE ~1760, an active one ~2350. Sorry to throw all this math at you, but more or less, with those numbers and that goal, MFP would set you at 1200-1500 calories.

    As I said before, I would really recommend changing your goal to 1lb/week, that should give you more calories and although you will lose "slower" it will be more maintanable in the future, and should help lower your BF%.

    **EDIT - it seems your intitial question was answered. and once again sorry for all the math, if you'd prefer to discuss this more, feel free to message me.

    Thank you so much! I'll chage it to 1 lb/week then :)
  • cheskabrinkley
    cheskabrinkley Posts: 1
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    i too am still confused because it asks how much I plan on working out a week so i figured it was calculating my exercises already for the TDEE....is MFP only calculating my BMR and then giving me that calorie goal as my deficit???

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