"Net Calories"

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MOMMYSUSAN3
MOMMYSUSAN3 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I am new to this website... could you explain the Net calories to me... Should it be in the negative... because mine never are, but I always still have calories remaining at the end of the day.

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  • willismack2
    willismack2 Posts: 84
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    I think NET is supposed to equal goal calories. So let's say your goal calories are 1500. Then you exercise for 400 and enter that into the diary. The NET will show how many calories you eat but subtract out the exercise calories. At the end of the day if you ate 1900 calories then NET will show your goal was reached = 1500. If you only ate 1800 then the NET would show 1400 (Goal minus exercise deficit not eaten back) So short answer is NET should equal Goal

    Your NET should never be negative. The only way it would be negative is if you did not eat at least the same number as your exercise calories. So, say you only ate 350 calories for the whole day but entered 400 for exercise. It would show NET -50. This is not good.

    At least this is how my Android app works. HAHA
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Hello! I am new to this website... could you explain the Net calories to me... Should it be in the negative... because mine never are, but I always still have calories remaining at the end of the day.

    Net calories = Calories eaten in food - Exercise calories. Mine was 1170. Can't see why it should be negative - that would mean you ate less than your exercise calories which would be a monster deficit from your total daily calorie expenditure.
  • MOMMYSUSAN3
    MOMMYSUSAN3 Posts: 2
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    Thank you so much! No, mine is not negative... but I thought, from what I have read about net calories, that it should be negative or else you would gain weight.... I am glad to hear that is not the case...
    For example, today, it says..
    Goal 1200 Food 1555 Exercise -500 Net calories 1055 .. I have 145 remaining, but I doubt I will eat anything else...
    Also, what if you are under on calories but over on fat or protein? I am over on fat today.. (I had a BLT for lunch at perkins) and I was over on protein the other day...
    (I am only trying to lose like 10 pounds or, less)
  • jzaz903
    jzaz903 Posts: 306 Member
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    If you're trying to only lose about 10 pounds, you should have your weight loss set to .5 pound a week. Btw. You'll be allowed more calories and it will be better for your body. :)

    And youve done it right there- did you get that 500 from MFP, a gym machine, or an HRM? If its from an HRM, you should eat those 145 calories. If not, I wouldn't worry about the remaining 145- MFP and machines are known for overestimating caloric burns.

    As far as macros goes... The protien level is too low for everyone, don't worry if youre over on that. You might want to lower the fat, unless most of it is from good fats, like nuts, fish, olive oil, etc.

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