Net Calories

blpasquarella
blpasquarella Posts: 57 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok everybody. Not looking to get reprimanded here, but I'm just wondering if EVERYONE eats back the calories they burn. I've lost about 45 lbs over the last 2 years or so, and I've never gone by net calories. I've always eaten 1200 calories a day and then put in anywhere between a half hour and an hour at the gym (about 5 times a week probably.)

Since joining MFP, I've been really curious about net calories. I've always been the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" type, but I want to be healthy and do things the right way.

(Plus, I just started Insanity!)

So, what's the consensus?

Replies

  • DB_1106
    DB_1106 Posts: 154 Member
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    I custom set my calories and macros in MFP by using this spread sheet @ 20% calorie reduction and I very rarely eat back my exercise calories. Half the time I do not even log my exercise.
  • nickyrobinson
    nickyrobinson Posts: 161 Member
    It IS the way MFP is designed, but a reasonable number of people say they don't lose if they eat back exercise calories.

    The one thing there seems to be consensus on is that the calories are overestimated if you just put in the number of minutes. A number of us only log 1/2 to 2/3 of the time we spend. Many others use a HRM, which gives more accurate calorie burns.

    A fair number of people seem to do fine without eating back calories until they plateau and get frustrated.

    Personally, I don't lose if I don't eat my exercise calories, but... 1) I am WAY, WAY above 1200 calories. I'm at my BMR of 1900 calories. 2) I log 2/3 of my exercise time 3) I am not consistent in my exercise... some days (when I play hockey) I burn as much as 1500 calories, some days I walk for 1/2 an hour (150 calories) and other days, nothing. 4) My lifestyle is definitely sedentary (desk job).
  • blpasquarella
    blpasquarella Posts: 57 Member
    Thanks for replying! I think what I really need to do is just eat (something healthy, of course) when I'm hungry. I tend to get frightened about upping calories or anything of that sort because I worry I won't lose the weight, but my body probably knows what it needs and I'm pretty good at telling hunger from cravings.
  • MizSaz
    MizSaz Posts: 445 Member
    I very rarely end up eating all of mine back.
  • DB_1106
    DB_1106 Posts: 154 Member
    A slow and steady approach is the way to go for weight loss. Depending on how much you need to lose, aim for 1 - 1 1/2 pounds a week. Some people who are 10 pounds from goal weight put 2 pounds as their weekly loss when they weigh 130 pounds and end up starving themselves and plateauing.

    Eat. Figure out your BMR, estimate your TDEE conservatively, drop 500 - 750 calories from TDEE and stick with it.

    When you go off this structure and eat somewhat clean, that is alot of food to eat. You will not go hungry.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    My goal is set at 1700 calories a day. I try to burn off at least 600 calories on the treadmill and let myself eat back up to 300 calories. I feel like I'm eating plenty, and I'm still slowly losing weight, so I guess it's working.
  • brandynicole28
    brandynicole28 Posts: 102 Member
    I personally eat back some of my exercise calories, especially on days when I workout vigorously. On days when I do not workout I stay around 1200 even though my allowed cals on MFP is 1390. That is what works for me. I did find that when I begin to consume some of my workout calories back I lost more consistently. Another note, when I did 40 days of INSANITY, my weight plateaued. I was only eating 1200 and with INSANITY if you are going all out you can burn an enormous amount of calories!! I was seeing definition and toning but the weight wasn't moving. When I realized I wasn't eating enough, I began to refuel after the workouts and the weight began to move again. AGAIN, this is what worked for me.

    My advice is find what works for you!! If you plateau, eat a little more and see what happens!! Good luck, and DIG DEEP! :)
  • astoneking
    astoneking Posts: 1
    I have also began insanity, I am finishing my third week. I eat 1200calories. My weight has not gone down. I have hypothyroid and was recently put on metformin. Wondering if that is the cause of not losing weight. You are going to love insanity but it is crazy!
  • tehzephyrsong
    tehzephyrsong Posts: 435 Member
    I view exercise calories as "extra," sort of a buffer to keep me in the black/keep me from going too far into the red, just in case circumstances are such that I can't make the best possible food choices - e.g., Dad decides at the last minute he doesn't want to cook anything tonight, so let's just go to the Chinese buffet instead.

    I don't always eat my exercise calories, but when I do, it's because I have to. Honestly, it's not a race; all that will happen if you eat on a deficit AND don't eat your exercise calories back is that you'll lose the weight ever so slightly faster. As long as the difference between the calories in and calories out is negative, your body will burn fat.
  • bodiva88
    bodiva88 Posts: 308 Member
    I want to lose slowly and hopefully keep it off this time (after twice losing 100 and gaining back more than I lost). I've just begun, but using net calories has made the transition a lot easier. I'm getting used to be mindful of what I eat without having to really bust it and I'm losing. As I lose more, MFP will reduce my allowed calories and I'll gradually get used to eating less and less. It just seems to work better for me than the eating so little and thinking every day, "Oh my God. I have to eat like this forever?" I don't eat back all my exercise calories. But I do make sure that if I have a special event/family dinner to go to I get a decent cardio time in that day so I can comfortably eat without worrying about going over for the day.

    This isn't some kind of contest about how fast I can lose 159 pounds. It's a marathon in which I need to be comfortable losing 159 pounds in three years and not give up because I'm starving myself.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    I've done it both ways. About 7 years ago, I lost 15 pounds in 10 weeks by eating 1600 calories a day, every day, and putting about 1 1/2 to 2 hours in at the gym 5-6 days a week.

    Now, I'm at a lower net (1420), but I eat back my exercise calories. I still exercise 5-6 days a week, though only 30-60 minutes a day. The weight is coming off more slowly (I have it set to -1/2 lb a week) but I feel like this is something I can maintain long term, and thus keep the weight off. (It crept back on after the last time, then came faster in the last couple of years).

    Both work. It's just a matter of your preference.
  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
    I usually go to the gym after work & am REALLY hungry for dinner when I get home ...... if I'm up late, I'll have a small snack before bedtime ....... I'm eating about 75% of my exercise calories ...... and losing weight :drinker:

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