Exercise calorie credit / net calories

gmeiners2
gmeiners2 Posts: 38 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I love MFP! It's the best site for tracking everything and full of very supportive people. I've been on a plateau for almost 2 months and finally figured out that I can't take the calorie credit afforded by exercise. The net calorie thing just doesn't work for me...any one else in that situation? I have to completely ignore the calorie burn area in order for my normal food counting calories to work for me.

Replies

  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    I'd suggest that probably one of two things happened:

    a) MFP overestimated your calorie burn enough that you cancelled your deficit.
    b) You used exercise in your activity estimator and then entered it, double-counting it.

    Either of these would easily result in a plateau.

    It's also possible that your body is just awfully efficient w/calories :D

    At any rate, now you know where you maintain, so you can drop down a bit and start losing again :p
  • katieeweiss
    katieeweiss Posts: 185 Member
    There's also the possibility that you're down close to your goal weight. The closer you get the more strict you'll have to be to reach it. :) Or so I've been told lol.
  • sumeetn
    sumeetn Posts: 56
    not just calories also watch the carbs
  • claireyf12
    claireyf12 Posts: 106
    I always go by net calories but everyone is different, it really is finding out what works for you!! good luck :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    How many calories are you eating on average a day? The reason I ask, is that when someone has been on pretty restictive calories (net) then it often works if you give yourself a couple of weeks at maintenance to knock you off that plateau.
  • gmeiners2
    gmeiners2 Posts: 38 Member
    Yea, that's a good point about watching the carbs. I've played around with that and found that if I stay around 100 g or less for the day, I can lose. As soon as I go over that amount, regardless of total calories, I stay the same or even gain. I think that possibly because I'm Type II, I just can't handle the resulting glucose from digested carbs very well. I'm still happy that I have lost 40 lbs and not gaining any more. Thanks to everyone for their input!
  • gmeiners2
    gmeiners2 Posts: 38 Member
    I am averaging around 1500 calories per day. If I can keep it closer to 1300, I start losing again, but that's pretty tough. It's funny how your body seems to know exactly how many calories it needs to maintain. I'm very diligent about tracking everything I consume, so it's pretty easy to tweak my intake either total calories or specifically, protein...carbs...etc.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I am averaging around 1500 calories per day. If I can keep it closer to 1300, I start losing again, but that's pretty tough. It's funny how your body seems to know exactly how many calories it needs to maintain. I'm very diligent about tracking everything I consume, so it's pretty easy to tweak my intake either total calories or specifically, protein...carbs...etc.

    That is very low for a guy. I would really suggest you upping to maintenance for about 4 weeks and then start taking it back down. I am not sure if you do any strength training but I would also suggest that you do as this really helps.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I am averaging around 1500 calories per day. If I can keep it closer to 1300, I start losing again, but that's pretty tough. It's funny how your body seems to know exactly how many calories it needs to maintain. I'm very diligent about tracking everything I consume, so it's pretty easy to tweak my intake either total calories or specifically, protein...carbs...etc.

    That is very low for a guy. I would really suggest you upping to maintenance for about 4 weeks and then start taking it back down. I am not sure if you do any strength training but I would also suggest that you do as this really helps.

    ETA: clarification - you should up to what your maintenance should be based on age, height, BF%, weight etc (as it looks like you may be on maintenance now)
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