Does Anyone Still Use MFP's Net Calorie Set Up On EM2WL?
slammy1079
Posts: 97
Hey all! My brain really, really likes the "net calorie" set up that MFP provides - does anyone do EM2WL by aiming for a net calorie goal everyday? I know the whole premise is to consistently give your body enough fuel, and I'm not suggesting I'm aiming to net my BMR every day, but I do like the idea of having a baseline amount I shoot for, with more calories allotted if I workout. I have found that when I shoot for a consistent number day after day, I make excuses not to work out. 
I've had a BMF for about a month and consistently burned 2,000 calories on non-workout days even with my sedentary desk job. My stats:
34 years old
5'5
156 lbs
28% BF
My BMR is about 1475. My idea is to focus on netting 1500-1800 daily - 1500 on the days I have very high burns (roller derby practice and longer runs), 1800 on rest days, and the rest in between somewhere. So I'd always be eating at least 1,800 a day.
Thoughts? Does anyone else's brain work this way?
I've had a BMF for about a month and consistently burned 2,000 calories on non-workout days even with my sedentary desk job. My stats:
34 years old
5'5
156 lbs
28% BF
My BMR is about 1475. My idea is to focus on netting 1500-1800 daily - 1500 on the days I have very high burns (roller derby practice and longer runs), 1800 on rest days, and the rest in between somewhere. So I'd always be eating at least 1,800 a day.
Thoughts? Does anyone else's brain work this way?
0
Replies
-
nope, i set mine to my -15% TDEE and eat that everyday whether i work out or not. I continue to log exercise as a way to keep track of things but i either change the calories burned to "1 calorie" or i'll quick add calories in my diet to offset what mfp estimates0
-
I still log my calorie burn, but ignore the "net" calorie listing and just go by the total calories consumed. Granted, I just started this week, but so far it's been easy to track.0
-
Like the others, I do not pay attention to my NET calories.. only to see if I am above my BMR. Other than that my "Net" is actually actual calories consumed. Thats the only number I pay attention to.0
-
I tried to do it that way....with the net cals and eating back exercise cals, but come rest day, I just about died of hunger. So I just eat the same amount every day......and I am still losing....even on rest days.0
-
I do! I tried not doing it, only claiming 1 calorie per workout but I got so bored and unmotivated. My TDEE is between 1700 on rest days and 1900 on workout days. I set my ”goal” to 1500 (cut) and eat back exercise calories AT LEAST until my net is above 1200 (1190 BMR). Most days I'm eating 1700-2000 cal total.0
-
I do!
I took an average of my workout calories since I started MFP - it's consistently around 500/day. So I looked at the scooby calculations for my cut, and then set up the MFP to net 500 less than that to account for the 3500 calories/week I burn.
For me it works out to 1/2 lbs weight loss goal with "lightly active" activity modifier. That gives me a net of 1750 so I end up eating 2250/day on average. I was losing too quickly on 2100/day before, so I just increased it to a 10% cut. I think my TDEE isn't quite right on the scooby thing, but so far this is working.
I like adding in my exercise and I like eating more on my workout days. Sometimes I'll just bank them and go over the next day or on my rest day or whatever. The phone app allows you to look at your net for the week at a time and see how much you're under for the week, so sometimes I'll allow myself room to go over to make up all the days I was under.0 -
I do! I tried not doing it, only claiming 1 calorie per workout but I got so bored and unmotivated. My TDEE is between 1700 on rest days and 1900 on workout days. I set my ”goal” to 1500 (cut) and eat back exercise calories AT LEAST until my net is above 1200 (1190 BMR). Most days I'm eating 1700-2000 cal total.
Yes, EXACTLY! I got so lazy when I was just trying to hit the same amount every day. I guess my old running partner was right when she said, "I'm only in it for the snacks."
Thanks all, I'm going to try this method and see how it goes!0 -
I do!
I took an average of my workout calories since I started MFP - it's consistently around 500/day. So I looked at the scooby calculations for my cut, and then set up the MFP to net 500 less than that to account for the 3500 calories/week I burn.
For me it works out to 1/2 lbs weight loss goal with "lightly active" activity modifier. That gives me a net of 1750 so I end up eating 2250/day on average. I was losing too quickly on 2100/day before, so I just increased it to a 10% cut. I think my TDEE isn't quite right on the scooby thing, but so far this is working.
I like adding in my exercise and I like eating more on my workout days. Sometimes I'll just bank them and go over the next day or on my rest day or whatever. The phone app allows you to look at your net for the week at a time and see how much you're under for the week, so sometimes I'll allow myself room to go over to make up all the days I was under.
^^^ Pretty much exactly how I did it. My average daily exercise burn is 400 and my average TDEE is 1900, hence my 1500 goal. (btw I was wrong, my workout TDEE's are around 1900 occasionally I'll see a 2100, and my rest days are 1500-1600 but I only have 1 actual rest day/week).
It just feels better doing it this way, I enjoy food more when I feel like I've earned it. When I was just eating TDEE, first not only was I way off base (eating at moderate and then strenuous because I workout hard 6+ hours/week....when the other 79 hours I was sedentary and should have chosen the sedentary modifier all along, thank you Fitbit for clearing that up) I was porking up because I was eating too many calories to begin with and then going OVER because it was just too easy, if I didn't ”see” myself earn the first 2000 calories, what does 500 more matter? God no wonder I was gaining. The MFP method keeps me mindful and motivated. I'm just happier this way.
**ps I think everyone should invest in a Fitbit rather than rely on the descriptions in the activity modifier boxes. Fitbit will show you what you ACTUALLY are, no guessing or assuming required. Once I saw how much of a caloric surplus I had been eating over the course of six weeks I decided to go to cut early. :P0 -
^^^ Pretty much exactly how I did it. My average daily exercise burn is 400 and my average TDEE is 1900, hence my 1500 goal. (btw I was wrong, my workout TDEE's are around 1900 occasionally I'll see a 2100, and my rest days are 1500-1600 but I only have 1 actual rest day/week).
I don't understand this at all. Do you have your goal at 1500, log your exercise (let's say it's 400 just for simplicity) then eat back those exercise calories? Surely that means you're actually ending up eating your TDEE of 1900? Or are you in maintenance? That would begin to make sense to me then!
How would someone who's trying to lose use this method?0 -
I let MFP do it but I set it to "lose .5lb a week" and it came out spot on with the scooby calc. I've been adding my calories burned BUT I use those extra as I need it. If I'm hungry, I eat.0
-
^^^ Pretty much exactly how I did it. My average daily exercise burn is 400 and my average TDEE is 1900, hence my 1500 goal. (btw I was wrong, my workout TDEE's are around 1900 occasionally I'll see a 2100, and my rest days are 1500-1600 but I only have 1 actual rest day/week).
I don't understand this at all. Do you have your goal at 1500, log your exercise (let's say it's 400 just for simplicity) then eat back those exercise calories? Surely that means you're actually ending up eating your TDEE of 1900? Or are you in maintenance? That would begin to make sense to me then!
How would someone who's trying to lose use this method?
Yes, I log my workout calories and yes that means I'm eating around TDEE. I'm trying to cut a bit now, so I'm trying to not eat back ALL my exercise calories now. Generally I'm trying to keep my TOTAL FOOD just under TDEE and my NET just over BMR. Does that make sense?0 -
^^^ Pretty much exactly how I did it. My average daily exercise burn is 400 and my average TDEE is 1900, hence my 1500 goal. (btw I was wrong, my workout TDEE's are around 1900 occasionally I'll see a 2100, and my rest days are 1500-1600 but I only have 1 actual rest day/week).
I don't understand this at all. Do you have your goal at 1500, log your exercise (let's say it's 400 just for simplicity) then eat back those exercise calories? Surely that means you're actually ending up eating your TDEE of 1900? Or are you in maintenance? That would begin to make sense to me then!
How would someone who's trying to lose use this method?
Yes, I log my workout calories and yes that means I'm eating around TDEE. I'm trying to cut a bit now, so I'm trying to not eat back ALL my exercise calories now. Generally I'm trying to keep my TOTAL FOOD just under TDEE and my NET just over BMR. Does that make sense?
Yeah that does actually. Thank you for dumbing it down for me - having one of those days! I keep panicking that I haven't set mine up right.. My MFP goal is set to (what I think is) my TDEE-15% (2000 cals) so I eat at least that every day. I log exercise calories, and sometimes eat them back - always aiming for my NET to be somewhere between my BMR (1508) and this TDEE-15% figure (2000). I guess that's kind of similar to what you're doing only you're using full TDEE as you stop-off point rather than the cut figure. Right?
Would my NET have to reach my full TDEE amount in order for me to actually maintain weight, or is it the Gross Cals that matter in this case?0 -
I guess that's kind of similar to what you're doing only you're using full TDEE as you stop-off point rather than the cut figure. Right?Would my NET have to reach my full TDEE amount in order for me to actually maintain weight, or is it the Gross Cals that matter in this case?
Basically yep that's what I'm doing, I just really like to eat so no matter what I set my goal to I always seem to overshoot it by at least 300. When I was on 1200 cal I almost always ate closer to 1500-1600 and then I'd workout until my nets were under 900. I lost weight like crazy and never stopped. Nearly went bald tho. So now my goal is 1500 and I'm trying to eat around 1700 and net around 1200-1300.
If your net is closer to (but not under) your BMR you should lose and if your net is closer to (but not over) your TDEE you should maintain. You need to eat to fuel your body, as long as you're eating enough for everything you're ACTUALLY doing, then your NET will determine whether you gain, lose, or maintain and how healthy you stay. 1500-1600 total calories was an acceptable range for me if I hadn't been led to believe that 1200 was my max and scared into doing 2.5 hours of cardio every day to compensate for what I *thought* I was overeating. For that much exercise I should have been eating more and nets of less than 900I don't think are appropriate for anyone. My workouts are much more sane now that I understand BMR and TDEE.0 -
I have mine set up like some others here so that when I add my exercise calories to my day it comes out at my EM2WL cut value. It works pretty well for me and I don't get people on my feed asking me why I'm burning only 1 calorie per exercise anymore, because the exercise value isn't changed from MFP's standard anymore. Plus it feels nice to feel like you earn your food, I guess!0
-
I have mine set up like some others here so that when I add my exercise calories to my day it comes out at my EM2WL cut value. It works pretty well for me and I don't get people on my feed asking me why I'm burning only 1 calorie per exercise anymore, because the exercise value isn't changed from MFP's standard anymore. Plus it feels nice to feel like you earn your food, I guess!
Ditto. My TDEE cut is 2000, and I set my MFP goal for 1800 to factor my typical *additional* burn for the typical stuff I do beyond my activity already factored into the TDEE (e.g. strength training or a longer walk than my daily one with the dogs).
Even so, though, I don't try to eat beyond 2000 even when I've "earned" more calories unless I'd end up netting under BMR. For me, the consistency of 1800-2000 is helpful.0 -
Would my NET have to reach my full TDEE amount in order for me to actually maintain weight, or is it the Gross Cals that matter in this case?
No it's gross! Don't eat back the exercise calories if you've already figured them into your TDEE. You basically have to make sure you do, in fact, earn them or you'll end up gaining (or at least maintaining). Your total intake needs to be under TDEE to lose weight. Your net intake needs to be over BMR.0 -
Would my NET have to reach my full TDEE amount in order for me to actually maintain weight, or is it the Gross Cals that matter in this case?
No it's gross! Don't eat back the exercise calories if you've already figured them into your TDEE. You basically have to make sure you do, in fact, earn them or you'll end up gaining (or at least maintaining). Your total intake needs to be under TDEE to lose weight. Your net intake needs to be over BMR.
Yup, she's right. Sorry.0 -
I have been using this method, aiming to net above BMR. It means I eat more on the days I burn more, which makes sense to me as those are the days I need more energy. My weight has remained stable though so I'm not sure if this is because I'm still not eating enough, because I need to reset or because of some other reason (water retention from weight lifting, lack of consistency, etc). I'm not gaining though and I am losing inches all over so I'm fine with this at the moment.
Now I have my fitbit I'm gathering data from it and trying to get a more accurate idea of my TDEE. From my data over the past week it averages out as 2740. I think I'll give it a couple more weeks of the above method and data gathering and then may consider a reset based on TDEE calculated by my fitbit, eating consistently at that number before cutting by 10% and eating consistently at that number to try and shake a few pounds off (2466 calories for cut based on my TDEE over the past week). I find the thought of that slightly scary though as on a rest day, like yesterday, I only burned around 2100 cals so I'll be eating well over that, even on a cut.0 -
a bump to read later as I'm strill trying to get my head around what figure to aim for daily, my exercise calories more often than not take me under my BMR so I have been looking at trying to net around the 1500 mark.
My BMR is 1461
My TDEE less cut is 1925
yesterdays stats were
2100 consumed
879 burnt
1221 net
Am I right in thinking I needed another 240 to hit my ideal net for the day or is eating 2100 against the cals burnt ok?
thanks in advance if anyone can try untangle the knot I'm in.0 -
a bump to read later as I'm strill trying to get my head around what figure to aim for daily, my exercise calories more often than not take me under my BMR so I have been looking at trying to net around the 1500 mark.
My BMR is 1461
My TDEE less cut is 1925
yesterdays stats were
2100 consumed
879 burnt
1221 net
Am I right in thinking I needed another 240 to hit my ideal net for the day or is eating 2100 against the cals burnt ok?
thanks in advance if anyone can try untangle the knot I'm in.
Geordiegirl - yes, since you burned so many calories you would want to eat enough extra so you're netting your BMR. That's about all I have figured out for myself! 0 -
I eat my exercise calories. If I don't, I don't exercise. And my heart doctor and my internist both say that even if I don't lose a single pound, I HAVE to exercise. So I do. I set my calories at 1,800 and usually end up exercising and eating another 200. Under my TDEE and over my BMR, whether I eat 1,800 or 2,000.0
-
Thank you for this thread! I thought I was the only one doing it this way and couldn't work out if I was breaking the rules or not!
I have my net set as above BMR and log absolutely every scrap of exercise I do. I usually end up eating 1600 - 1800 per day . A lot compared to MFPs short person standard goal of 1200.
Thing is, I wanted to do it this way at least to start with, because I've just started getting into exercise and my burns are small and inconsistant. Some days only a 20 minute walk - some days running (just started) and workout dvd or dancing and I sit at a desk all day long at work. I know what you mean about feeling like you've earned your food too! :laugh:
I may look at doing it with my exercise in when I've gotten more into it, but at the moment this feels like a better fit for me.0 -
slammy- you have the EXACT same stats as me when i started, but im down to 146... to top off our identical stats, i happen to be from vermont as well. haha!0
-
I think i would prefer to log my exercise and eat back the calories because you feel a sense of achievement when you see how many calories you burn
My BMR is 1707 (Harris) or 1568 so average of 1637
Tdee at sedentary (which I am most of the time as I have a desk job) 2048
So I have to net above BMR everyday ???0 -
Its so confusing!0
-
Yup you always want to net above your BMR because that is what is required for you to function, if you go below that in theory you start eating your own muscle because your body is so hungry.
If you just shoot to eat your TDEE everyday you should be good. When you do exercise, check out your net number make sure it's above BMR and you're good to go.
Hope that helped!0
