400 Net Calories for the Day: Scary Behavior
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I post this a lot on MFP.
It's a really really helpful explanation of WHY 1200?
http://www.fitsugar.com/Why-1200-Calories-Day-Important-When-Dieting-130808640 -
And then you have those who encourage this, and still others who tip-toe around it and be their crutch because they are afraid of being blunt and getting deleted.....
I honestly don't know what is so hard to understand- join MFP, and eat the calories it tells you too. Plain and simple. People make things too complicated.0 -
Question, What if the person is like me, and we do our work out at the end of the day, I'm talking 7-8pm, the food cut off for me is no later than 7pm. What to do?
Don't rely on that 7pm as religion. I've broken that rule in the entire 20 yrs I've maintained my weight loss!
Agreed! Both me and my husband are thin and healthy. We typically eat at 8:30pm. (that's post gym for me). Works for us to eat late. It's the QUALITY of those calories. No matter the time.0 -
And then you have those who encourage this, and still others who tip-toe around it and be their crutch because they are afraid of being blunt and getting deleted.....
I honestly don't know what is so hard to understand- join MFP, and eat the calories it tells you too. Plain and simple. People make things too complicated.
I'm healthy and active. I can't imagine fueling my healthy 35 year old body with UNDER 1200 (NET).0 -
:happy: I know that this is dangerous but you also don't know if this person is following a certain diet. For example my doctor put me on a very resistricted diet. I actually eat all freakin day.........but its lots of veggies and fruits which most are low calorie. So if they are following something like this their calories may be low, but yet they are eating what is filling them up. Just my two cents! :happy:0
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The MFP plan is very conservative. I wouldn't worry too much about other peoples' diets. Most of us at 1200 are at shallow deficits of 500 or so, so I don't believe there's anything wrong with using exercise to up your deficit to 1000-ish, when you feel like.
How do you guys even know what other people are doing? Monitoring friends or something? I waste a lot of time here but I can't imagine perusing diaries counting up 'net' calories and vegetable 'servings' and all the other things I see threads here about.
Well said.
That's not well said. That's wrong. A 500 deficit is not shallow. Netting under 1200 is wrong and it hurts your body in the long run. Yes, a lot of people on here actually support their friends and check on them to make sure they are not hurting themselves. That's one of the reasons you make friends on here- to keep others in check.0 -
I don't understand how anyone thinks your "net calories" (a term made-up by MFP) matters to your body at all.
It is not 'made up' by MFP (net calories). Science is science. Weight watchers is set up with a similar concept (activity points). Science!0 -
well I never eat the full 1200 calories, not intentional but I cant force myself to eat if im not hungry.. saying that, I dont do much exorcise any more, just a bit of walking.. so I dont work all the calories off... but Id say I eat about 700 calories a day and have been for the last 6 weeks.. I started having a protein shake for breakfast and it just fills me right up! I have started adding a bit more fruit to it to up my calories, but for me its working and helping me loose weight.. and yes if i went back to eating how I did before then yes I would probably gain double the weight back.. BUT i dont want to go back to eating how I was before.. I will NEVER be 225lbs again!0
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I don't understand how anyone thinks your "net calories" (a term made-up by MFP) matters to your body at all. What I ate minus my 'exercise'? All that affects my weight is my deficit. What I burn minus what I ate. My body doesn't care if it burns it up in BMR or the 1.2 multiplier or in the gym or walking the dog or whatever.
Your 'exercise' doesn't subtract from your daily food intake. If you ate 1200 and exercised off 400, you didn't "really take in 800". You really took in 1200. You took in 1200 calories of fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids and satiating food. That's what matters. The caloric deficit is a requirement of weight loss. "Net calories" is a meaningless term.
net calories is NOT made up by MFP. You are a hot mess dude.0 -
I don't understand how anyone thinks your "net calories" (a term made-up by MFP) matters to your body at all.
It is not 'made up' by MFP (net calories). Science is science. Weight watchers is set up with a similar concept (activity points). Science!
When I did Weight Watchers, they told us that eating back activity points was optional.0 -
I don't understand how anyone thinks your "net calories" (a term made-up by MFP) matters to your body at all. What I ate minus my 'exercise'? All that affects my weight is my deficit. What I burn minus what I ate. My body doesn't care if it burns it up in BMR or the 1.2 multiplier or in the gym or walking the dog or whatever.
Your 'exercise' doesn't subtract from your daily food intake. If you ate 1200 and exercised off 400, you didn't "really take in 800". You really took in 1200. You took in 1200 calories of fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids and satiating food. That's what matters. The caloric deficit is a requirement of weight loss. "Net calories" is a meaningless term.
net calories is NOT made up by MFP. You are a hot mess dude.
Thank you. Glad I'm not the only one that knows Net calories is not made up.0 -
I don't understand how anyone thinks your "net calories" (a term made-up by MFP) matters to your body at all.
It is not 'made up' by MFP (net calories). Science is science. Weight watchers is set up with a similar concept (activity points). Science!
When I did Weight Watchers, they told us that eating back activity points was optional.
I think the new WW is set up differently. I could be wrong!0 -
I don't understand how people even function on something that low. 1,200 calories even has me starving!0
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I actually wish I could eat more calories, but since I recently had gastric bypass surgery I can only get in about 300-400 calories per day...no matter how hard I try I just can't get anymore in.
Hopefully in the coming weeks it will increase.0 -
The MFP plan is very conservative. I wouldn't worry too much about other peoples' diets. Most of us at 1200 are at shallow deficits of 500 or so, so I don't believe there's anything wrong with using exercise to up your deficit to 1000-ish, when you feel like.
How do you guys even know what other people are doing? Monitoring friends or something? I waste a lot of time here but I can't imagine perusing diaries counting up 'net' calories and vegetable 'servings' and all the other things I see threads here about.
My thoughts on this are, we are here for support and to give support to others. We are supposed to help keep our friends on track. So yes, when a friend of mine is done for the day I DO in fact look at their diary to make sure they are getting what they need. I do NOT praise anyone for starving themselves but instead try to encourage them to eat properly and be patient. IMHO if you are just praising everyone on your list whether they are being healthy or not then what help are you really?0 -
Bah! I thought by the title that this was going to be about eating only 400 calories daily diet which I recently learned about when a neighbor said she was doing this.0
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IM on 1200 a day, and I do eat that but I choose not to eat back my exercise calories...I know that will upset some but Im almost always right around 1200
I hear alot of people say this.0 -
I saw someone who consistently netted 200 calories and less, and one day actually netted a NEGATIVE number.
What can you do though? Some people are set on doing it this way. All we can do is provide support, advice, and information. The rest is up to them.
Those who are set on doing this do not need the kind of support I see most often, though. There are way too many 'good job', 'atta-girl', "way to go" compliments being given and that just fuels the fire to continue what they are doing. Support, yes. Advice, yes. Solid information, yes. Those are things they need. But let's not congratulate those who are hell bent on doing unhealthy things and getting the results they want (in the beginning, anyway). Others (newbies) look at this and only see the scale number going down. It's better to set a good example rather than an unhealthy one. Just my two cents.0 -
I don't understand how anyone thinks your "net calories" (a term made-up by MFP) matters to your body at all.
It is not 'made up' by MFP (net calories). Science is science. Weight watchers is set up with a similar concept (activity points). Science!
When I did Weight Watchers, they told us that eating back activity points was optional.
I think the new WW is set up differently. I could be wrong!
Nope it's still optional, just like eating your bonus points or whatever they call them now. So as far as WW, "net" really isn't very important to them either, science or no science.0 -
Wow, this topic again??? Seriously why are people so concerned about what other people are doing? Honestly people need to do what's right for them and seek a medical professional about what caloric levels are right for them. It is not our job to police that.
I can tell you that I went to a highly regarded doctor (who ultimately directed me to this site to help track my food consumption for our appointments) who recommended initially that I eat in the 1200 - 1300 calorie range to lose weight. I eat a very clean diet that is high in protein and have lost over 30lbs since Feb. And yes, I have actually gained muscle mass.
People are different. It never ceases to amaze me how worked up people on this site get about other people's food diaries. People should work out with their doctors what's best for them and let others do the same.0 -
HELP ME! I have gained 10 pounds since I started My fitness pal at the request of my doctor. My calorie goal is 1200 but my net calories are often below 0. This is because I play tennis every day for 2 to 3 hours in addition to other activities. One Saturday I played 3 hr 45 minutes singles which showed around a 2000 calorie benefit. Usually the calorie benefit from tennis is anywhere from 600 to 1200. Does this mean I am supposed to eat these calories?
Quite honestly, I had given up because I keep gaining weight. I started on May 14 and worked it till Jul 10 when I gave up.
Please explain what this net calorie thing means.
btw...I eat very healthy.0 -
I'm seriously going to speak my mind then I'm going to go rock my morning workout....
Over the summer (when I have time) I work out 2-3 times a day because I'm bored, I live in florida where it rains almost all summer and don't want to sit at home with nothing to do. I also ENJOY working out! For example: Wednesday between 2 workouts I burned close to 1500 calories.... plus I went swimming which wasn't logged because I didn't have my HRM on.
I TRY not to eat crap in moderation because it doesn't help with my weight loss goals (it may help with yours and I"m not here to judge! I try to eat clean (obviously i'm still TRYING - sometimes with success, sometimes without!) Either way I have plenty of days where I net 400-500 calories and seriously.... I'm ok with that because I literally can't stuff more clean food down my throat!
I just don't understand why everyone is so quick to judge on this site....0 -
HELP ME! I have gained 10 pounds since I started My fitness pal at the request of my doctor. My calorie goal is 1200 but my net calories are often below 0. This is because I play tennis every day for 2 to 3 hours in addition to other activities. One Saturday I played 3 hr 45 minutes singles which showed around a 2000 calorie benefit. Usually the calorie benefit from tennis is anywhere from 600 to 1200. Does this mean I am supposed to eat these calories?
Quite honestly, I had given up because I keep gaining weight. I started on May 14 and worked it till Jul 10 when I gave up.
Please explain what this net calorie thing means.
btw...I eat very healthy.0 -
I put this behavior up with eating junk food, processed food, or restaurant food for every meal.
For example: Granola bar and coffee for breakfast; Applebees ribs with fries for lunch; McDonalds burger with fries for dinner. Now all the person's calories are all used up and they haven't even had a decent fruit or vegetable during that day. Yet, I see several of my friends doing this every day!
This is just as unhealthy as eating less than 1200 because the person is not getting all their nutrients.
I have been considering unfriending these people because I won't support this kind of dieting. I know some people would say that I am being harsh, but I don't feel that way. I just can't bring myself to tell these people 'Great day' or 'You're doing fantastic' when they are, in fact, hurting themselves with their behavior.
As for eating less than the 1200 minimum and exercising to the extreme, which I have also seen, that is the beginning of anorexia nervosa. Totally unhealthy.
Do I go around and read people's diaries? Only if they are on my friends list. Part of supporting each other is to comment on how good the person did for the day. Perhaps the OP does like I do, looks at his friends' diaries before he posts to them that they did great for the day. I know some people just see that the person was under their calorie goal and post that they did great. Yep, I could be under my goal too and eat twinkies all day long, but I wouldn't call that 'great' any more than I would call great eating granola bars and starbucks for breakfast, Applebees for lunch, and McDonalds for dinner.0 -
HELP ME! I have gained 10 pounds since I started My fitness pal at the request of my doctor. My calorie goal is 1200 but my net calories are often below 0. This is because I play tennis every day for 2 to 3 hours in addition to other activities. One Saturday I played 3 hr 45 minutes singles which showed around a 2000 calorie benefit. Usually the calorie benefit from tennis is anywhere from 600 to 1200. Does this mean I am supposed to eat these calories?
Quite honestly, I had given up because I keep gaining weight. I started on May 14 and worked it till Jul 10 when I gave up.
Please explain what this net calorie thing means.
btw...I eat very healthy.
I'll give you an example using my own calories.
My MFP goals are 1200/day.
I often burn 500 calories in an exercise class.
My strategy is to pre-log that exercise so that I can spread the healthy extra calories around during the day to MEET my calorie goals (not fall under).
1200
- 500
700 (NET)
700 Net is not enough to fuel my healthy body so during the day I spread around that 500 to REACH my goal of 1200 by day's end.0 -
I saw someone who consistently netted 200 calories and less, and one day actually netted a NEGATIVE number.
What can you do though? Some people are set on doing it this way. All we can do is provide support, advice, and information. The rest is up to them.
Those who are set on doing this do not need the kind of support I see most often, though. There are way too many 'good job', 'atta-girl', "way to go" compliments being given and that just fuels the fire to continue what they are doing. Support, yes. Advice, yes. Solid information, yes. Those are things they need. But let's not congratulate those who are hell bent on doing unhealthy things and getting the results they want (in the beginning, anyway). Others (newbies) look at this and only see the scale number going down. It's better to set a good example rather than an unhealthy one. Just my two cents.
this (second posting) 0 -
I am new here but I do have to say, like "smileitmakes people wonder..." that some of us were recommended to use this site after having had bariatric surgery. And most of our docs recommend that during the weight-loss phase we keep our goal at 400-600 calories per day. Since we don't feel hunger the same after surgery, and have a restricted ability to take in food, that is actually a reasonable goal. Those of us who were long-time dieters maintaining 1200 calories per day while still being morbidly obese can tell you that what works for one person may not work for someone else. And with a minor in nutrition I knew exactly what I was doing wrong...and what I was doing right. Exericise physiology and nutritional balance are not one-size-fits-all science. Heredity, acquired metabolic changes, physical disabilities, and so on all contribute an influence on what works for an individual. So although the concern might be well-intentioned, trying to save your cohorts from future damage, all you see on here is a surface report and not the whole story of anyone's weight loss journey. Just something to keep in mind...0
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*insert long diatribe here* (So I don't inflict my opinions and experiences on others)
Summation: Everyone, in every way, is different. It doesn't matter if they are your identical twin and share exactly the same DNA, they are still different. Rubber stamping people who are going through a tough time as it is and telling them what professionals tell them to do is wrong is not conducive to helping them. Anyone who feels qualified to instruct me on how I am killing myself, by all means fax me a CV with appropriate accredited collegiate level coursework and I will be more than happy to send them my medical files so they can give their opinion. Anyone who read something once on the internet and took it as gospel should probably read more.0 -
I don't understand how anyone thinks your "net calories" (a term made-up by MFP) matters to your body at all.
It is not 'made up' by MFP (net calories). Science is science. Weight watchers is set up with a similar concept (activity points). Science!
When I did Weight Watchers, they told us that eating back activity points was optional.
I think the new WW is set up differently. I could be wrong!
Nope it's still optional, just like eating your bonus points or whatever they call them now. So as far as WW, "net" really isn't very important to them either, science or no science.
Why would the quantity "what I eat today minus what I expend in the gym today" matter to anything? What about those of us who don't go to the gym, we just live active lives? Do I need to "net out" my BMR multiplier of 1.55 and subtract that from my day's intake?
There's this strange belief here that a person needs to fuel their BMR and their 'exercise' from today's intake. And the only activity left to contribute to your deficit (which we all know needs to happen for weight loss) is your non-BMR, non-exercise activity. So basically what you expend brushing your teeth, clicking the remote, making a sandwich.
To do this keeps many people limited to a deficit of 300ish/day, or losing 3 lbs/month. How handy for MFP that I would need to spend a flippin year here to lose 24 lbs. Any other diet says I can lose that in 12 weeks safely.
I've never seen this 'net calories' concept anywhere but here. I've read most of the mainstream 'diet books' from the last 20 years.0 -
And it's ABSURD!IM on 1200 a day, and I do eat that but I choose not to eat back my exercise calories...I know that will upset some but Im almost always right around 1200
I hear alot of people say this.
Why engage in some miserable diet of deprivation?
I eat around 3000 calories daily and get great results.
Who is having more fun?
Who gets to eat well and enjoy life?
People act like these starvation diet are some way of being a rebel...:laugh:
No, if you want to go against the grain, eat MORE to weigh less.
Starvation diets are miserable, the results short term and they're usually unhealthy.
Go ahead and make yourself miserable - your choice.
As for me?
I just made my weekly weight and am headed to enjoy a Big Breakfast at McDonald's - 1200 + calories...ONE MEAL!
Read it and weep!
:sad: :sad: :sad: :sad:0
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