We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Exercise calorie credit / net calories

gmeiners2
gmeiners2 Posts: 38 Member
edited December 2024 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)
    [/quote]
This discussion has been closed.

Categories