Net calories under 1200

MichelleAnn10
MichelleAnn10 Posts: 13 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hello, I have read multiple time that you should ALWAYS have your net calories over 1200. The problem is with a calorie goal set at 1200, you can never achieve over 1200 net calories without going over your calorie goal... so whats the deal?

Replies

  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    If you work out, it's easy to net 1200 or more because you're earning extra calories. If your calorie goal is 1200, eat 1200, but if you're working out, you're getting more calories, which brings your NET calories DOWN, which means you HAVE to eat more just to net 1200.

    Consider your net your safe zone. If you're working out, and burning say, 200 calories... and only eat 1200 calories, you just burned 200 calories, so your net is now 1000... your body can't run on that little of calories - especially for a long period of time.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    Hello, I have read multiple time that you should ALWAYS have your net calories over 1200. The problem is with a calorie goal set at 1200, you can never achieve over 1200 net calories without going over your calorie goal... so whats the deal?
    the point of your calorie goal is to hit it, not go under it. Going under isn't always a good thing, even though the site does set it up to seem that way (with the update it posts when you're under your goal and hit enter). Hitting your goal or coming in close to it is preferred!
  • TurnLeftNow
    TurnLeftNow Posts: 171 Member
    at 1200 calories you are already at a calorie deficit. You don't need to eat under that, you need to eat that.
  • kitkatwag
    kitkatwag Posts: 82 Member
    Maybe im not understanding. Net calories is after you have included your workout time. That actually allows you a greater calorie intake once you have added that in
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    Also, you can manually change your goal. You could set it to 1250 so you're not tempted to go under 1200 but still get the little message and feel good about coming in under your goal! it sounds silly but it might work for you!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    the goal is to hit that number, not be under it :) that said, be careful at 1200, it's very low. I tried it for a couple of months last summer and I felt stupid, cranky and hungry all of the time!! I am at 1600 now and I am still losing weight!
  • LovingLisa2012
    LovingLisa2012 Posts: 775 Member
    from the help section on this site

    We set your nutritional target in Net Calories which we define as:

    Calories Consumed (Food) - Calories Burned (Exercise) = Net Calories

    What that means is that if you exercise, you will be able to eat more for that day. For example, if your Net Calorie goal is 2000 calories, one way to meet that goal is to eat 2,500 calories of food, but then burn 500 calories through exercise.

    Think of your Net Calories like a daily budget of calories to spend. You spend them by eating, and you earn more calories to eat by exercising.
  • irenep22
    irenep22 Posts: 59 Member
    Bump
  • wheezybreezy
    wheezybreezy Posts: 313 Member
    Please check out the group Eat More To Weigh Less. The end.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    Your net cals is your intake less your burned cals.

    For example, if your goal is 1,100 and you eat 1,300 and work out 200 cals daily, then your net is 1,100.

    You don't necessarily have to have your net cals over 1,200, but you should certainly be using exercise to get to your cut instead of just eating less. This is common when you are a shorter female without alot to lose.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,251 Member
    Hello, I have read multiple time that you should ALWAYS have your net calories over 1200. The problem is with a calorie goal set at 1200, you can never achieve over 1200 net calories without going over your calorie goal... so whats the deal?
    I get what your saying. MFP gives me a TINY window, if I let it set my goals it says I should eat 1220, (and never eat under 1200). Ha.
    I changed the goal. 1220 isn't enough for me.
    The less you have to lose the smaller that window gets. (and the older you get the smaller that window gets!)
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    Go calculate your TDEE and BMR and eat in between those numbers...
This discussion has been closed.

Categories