MFP calories: Aim for goal or net?

[outwithbenjiboi 227]

My goal calories are 800 per day, per my surgeon/dietician.

Of course, when I exercise (which I do each day) my calorie intake for that day is offset by the calories I burned; the result is that nearly every day, and I still have calories to consume at the end of the day!

So, am I aiming for 800 calories NO MATTER WHAT EXERCISE I DO, or 800 calories NET after the exercise is calculated in?

I'm hitting around 90 grams of Protein every day for the last three days, and I'm hitting 32% carbs, 32% fat and 36% protein for this, my first week. I've only met my NET calorie goal of 800 once -- after my exercise is figured in, my total calories taken in for the day is less than 800 most of the time.

But, with the exercise, MFP wants me to eat 1200 calories or more per day to meet a NET calorie count of 800.

Of course, MFP also tells me each day that I'm risking pushing my body into "starvation mode!"

[aliekat55 157]

I have been fighting the same conundrum. my experience is that MFP overcalculates exercise calories so I dont make them up unless i burned off more than 400 and then I only partially make them up . this has worked well and I find i lose weight better this way. It may be different for you, depending on your exercise, may have to experiment a bit.

[nsquared 232]

I only pay attention to the calorie goal on MFP. I view net as cushion and a contributor to my calorie deficit and I need that for the lbs to keep coming of. I think of 'net' as a nice little bonus.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I say go for actual calories and not net. Any calories lost during exercise is bonus. You need to eat enough to keep your metabolism from falling down the WLS abyss.

[gamergirl 4,610]

MFP lies like a dog. It tells me daily how in 5 more weeks I will be at least 10 lbs down! Yeah yeah. Hasn't happened yet.

I go by net calories but if I'm really low and really hungry I eat a little more. Don't typically eat back all of them.

[dma2013 99]

My nutritionist tells me NOT to add the extra "earned" calories from exercise but that I should definitely goal calories.

[TanyaB 25]

I agree MFP over calculates calories burned. I have seem it say someone burned 400+calories walking for 60 mins but when I put kind I'm for the same speed I get like 200 while my treadmill says about 160. I just wouldn't use the calories burned as an excuse to eat more. Instead use them as a guide to find your own bodies trends.

[LouiseC 1,031]

The calculation I work off is that In order to lose half a kilo a week I need to burn 500 more calories than I eat per day. To do this, I have estimated my daily calorie volume burnt just through existing and then subtract the 500. This equals 1606 calories a day for my age, height, weight and lifestyle. I take this as the absolute base and then consider my working out to be all bonus. Of course, I will have treats within this but stay really focused that each treat needs to be burnt of fine exercise.

I agree as others hVe said that MFP lies! But the formula seems to work for me.

[aliekat55 157]

I mostly agree with the above, using the extra burnt off calories as a bonus. however on my intense workout days i workout over 1000 calories each day and i find that i get too weak and my weight loss slows down if i dont make some of them up.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

MFP lies like a dog. It tells me daily how in 5 more weeks I will be at least 10 lbs down! Yeah yeah. Hasn't happened yet. I go by net calories but if I'm really low and really hungry I eat a little more. Don't typically eat back all of them.

I love how MFP says you are going to die from starvation on a low calorie diet like post WLS. That is when I made a personal decision to not use it.

[gamergirl 4,610]

I love how MFP says you are going to die from starvation on a low calorie diet like post WLS. That is when I made a personal decision to not use it.

To be honeyst I dream of the day when I can export all my data and create a linear regression equation to identify what factors affected my weight loss.

Because i can already tell you, that despite my obsessing about macronutrients? It's likely to be just something as gross as total caloric intake.

[LouiseC 1,031]

To be honeyst I dream of the day when I can export all my data and create a linear regression equation to identify what factors affected my weight loss. Because i can already tell you' date=' that despite my obsessing about macronutrients? It's likely to be just something as gross as total caloric intake. [/quote']

linear regression equation? Awesome.

Does anyone know of an app that counts or tracks macronutrients? I haven't found anything better than MFP for calories, but get frustrated at the inability to set my own goals and track detailed macro intake.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

To be honeyst I dream of the day when I can export all my data and create a linear regression equation to identify what factors affected my weight loss. Because i can already tell you' date=' that despite my obsessing about macronutrients? It's likely to be just something as gross as total caloric intake. [/quote']

I knew Matlab was going to be useful after college. I could create a linear program for you that will help optimize the unknown WLS variables based on what we already know and can model.

[gamergirl 4,610]

linear regression equation? Awesome.

Does anyone know of an app that counts or tracks macronutrients? I haven't found anything better than MFP for calories, but get frustrated at the inability to set my own goals and track detailed macro intake.

So you CAN set your own macronutrients in MFP. Go to goals, and when it asks you, say you want to do Custom goals. And then you can specify percentages. Let me know if you need specific help and i can show you step by step with screenshots or whatever.

[gamergirl 4,610]

I knew Matlab was going to be useful after college. I could create a linear program for you that will help optimize the unknown WLS variables based on what we already know and can model.

Dude! lets do it! seriously. it will be fun.