Gross calories or net calories?

[ouroborous 519]

So, sleeve gurus, here's one for you.

Should I be tracking gross calories (every calorie I consume during the day), or net calories (the calories I consume, minus the calories I burn)?

If I track gross calories, I lose weight like gangbusters, but I feel like crap if I do almost ANY exercise. It's like 800 calories is the bare minimum my body wants to live on.

If I track net calories, well so far today I've consumed 938 calories, but I've burned 396 calories with a 2.7 mile walk. So according to LiveStrong, I have 258 calories remaining.

Any thoughts? I'm going to see the nutritionist on Thursday, and I'll ask her, but I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on this. I feel much better on more calories when I'm working out so much, but I don't want to sabotage my weight loss!

[ouroborous 519]

Thinking about it, I HAVE to track net calories. If I'm truly burning 396 calories on a fast (3.0-3.5 mph) 2.7 mile walk, and if I'm only eating 800 calories total, then that's only getting me 400 calories to live off of. That's just not enough!

I'll talk to the nutritionist about it, but I'm starting to think that I need to track net calories. When you eat so little, it makes a difference (back when I was eating 3000 calories per day, 400 calories burned was only about 15% of the day's total; now that I'm eating 800 calories per day, 400 calories is 50% of the day's total!)

[Donna4545 13]

You need the nutrients from 800 gross calories for your body to lose weight. How you use them up doesn't matter, except that you will lose more weight if you exercise them off. You don't want to go over 1,200 gross calories, which you would do if you used "net" calorie counting. It's what you put in there, not what you end up with net that is the thing you want to count.

[Jane_J 117]

I do nett calories.

[Lee 19]

I do gross calories and carbs, but enter my exercise into myfitnesspal.com as well.

[ouroborous 519]

I just don't see how 400 net (usable) calories per day is sufficient. I'm going to ask my nut. about it, but I know for a fact that when I eat 800 calories per day and burn 400, I feel miserable. If I eat 1000 calories per day and burn 400, I feel great.

So, with the nutritionist's blessing, I'm going to listen to my body!

Of course, I've been losing about a pound a day even so, so I don't really have anything to worry about.

[wannalise 16]

Its a new idea to listen to our bodies. They know what we need, so if your NUT is on board and you are comfortable with it, go for it! If it doesn't work for you, there is always room to tweak things.

Edited June 2, 2010 by wannalise
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