Many of us focus on cutting calories when it comes to weight loss. While this isn’t a flawed approach, it can often backfire if we aren’t careful. That’s because not all calories are created equal. If we cut too many calories too quickly or focus on the wrong foods, we can lose muscle instead of fat or develop nutrient deficiencies that can harm our health.
This is why understanding net calories is so crucial. Net calories show you how many calories you're left with after accounting for the effects of food on your metabolism and energy levels.
In other words, net calories tell you how many will impact your body and goals, allowing you to make better choices for your weight loss or fitness journey. Understanding this concept what are macros and micros can help you avoid unnecessary pitfalls and stay on track with your goals.
Table of Content
What Are Net Calories
Regarding weight loss, the most critical factor to consider is calories. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories with physical activity than you take in by eating and drinking. The total number of calories you consume minus the total number of calories burned is your net calories. The lower your net daily calories, the more weight you will lose.
Calories Consumed
This refers to the calories you take from all foods and beverages throughout the day.
Calories Burned
This includes:
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
The calories your body burns at rest to maintain essential functions like breathing and circulation.
Activity
The calories you burn through physical activity and exercise.
Net Calories Calculation
Net calories are calculated as:
Calories Consumed - Calories Burned (including BMR and activity) = Net Calories.
Example
If you consume 2000 calories and burn 500 calories through exercise, your net calories are 1500 (2000 - 500 = 1500).
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How to Determine Net Calories
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Calculate Calories You've Eaten
Start with the basics. Simply calculate the total caloric intake from all foods and drinks you've consumed in a day.
Estimate Your Burned Calories
Next, you’ll want to estimate the number of calories you’ve burned. First, calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the number of calories your body needs to perform essential life-sustaining functions like breathing and digestion. The Mifflin-St. Jeor's equation is commonly used to estimate BMR:
For Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5
For Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161
Factor in Your Physical Activity
Next, calculate the calories burned through various activities and exercises performed throughout the day.
The Formula for Net Calories
After you’ve tracked your calorie consumption, estimated your BMR, and factored in your physical activity calories, you can calculate your net calorie total. To do this, simply subtract the total calories burned (BMR + physical activity) from the total calories consumed:
Net Calories = Calories Consumed – (BMR + Calories Burned through Physical Activity)
What Are Net Calories?
Understanding net calories is crucial for weight loss. A positive net calorie balance (consuming more calories than expended) can lead to weight gain. Conversely, a negative net calorie balance (expending more calories than consumed) can result in weight loss.
Active Calories vs Total Calories
What Are Active Calories?
Active calories refer to the calories your body burns during physical activity, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, and lifting weights. They are those that an individual intentionally burns during a workout or other physical activity. This measurement is typically recorded by fitness trackers and exercise machines that monitor heart rate and other physical data.
What Are Total Calories?
Total calories, on the other hand, are the total number of calories an individual burns throughout the day, including both active calories and resting calories. Resting calories are those burned during everyday bodily functions such as breathing, digesting food, and maintaining body temperature.
These calories are burned even when an individual is not physically active. Total calories provide a more comprehensive picture of the number of calories an individual burns throughout the day, including the calories burned during physical activity and rest periods.
Differences: Active Calories and Total Calories
The difference between active and total calories is helpful because it helps individuals understand how much energy they spend throughout the day. This information can create a more accurate picture of an individual's caloric intake and expenditure, which can help with weight management and overall health.
For example, if an individual is trying to lose weight, they may focus on burning more calories by increasing their physical activity. However, if they ignore their total calorie intake and expenditure, they may not see the results they are looking for. By tracking both active and total calories, individuals can better understand the relationship between their calorie intake and expenditure and adjust their lifestyle habits accordingly.
Understanding the difference between active and total calories can help individuals set and achieve fitness goals. For example, if an individual wants to increase their daily activity level, they may set a goal to burn a certain number of active calories daily. However, if they are not tracking their total calorie expenditure, they may not be aware of the additional calories they are burning during rest periods. Tracking active and total calories can help individuals set more realistic and achievable fitness goals.
DietAI transforms calorie counting with our AI calorie counting app. Take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
How Much of a Calorie Deficit is Healthy
What's a Healthy Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss?
A calorie deficit of 300 to 500 calories daily is adequate for healthy and sustainable weight loss. Creating a calorie deficit alongside being physically active may be a more sustainable, safe, and effective weight loss method.
What to Eat to Achieve a Healthy Calorie Deficit?
Eating a well-balanced diet is essential to achieving and maintaining a healthy calorie deficit. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 suggest that a healthy dietary pattern supports your calorie needs and reduces your risk of some health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. A well-balanced, nutritious diet may include: fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, protein, lean meats, poultry, seafood, low or nonfat dairy, and nuts. Here are some tips that may also help you lower your caloric intake without having to count calories:
Avoid drinking your calories.
Alcoholic and sugary beverages like soda, fruit juices, and specialty coffee drinks can contain many calories. However, calories from these beverages don’t provide fullness. In excess, they can lead to weight gain.
Limit highly processed foods.
The sugar, fat, and salt in highly processed foods make them highly palatable and encourage excess consumption. A 2019 study found that people who ate as much or as little as they wanted took in 500 more calories daily on a diet containing highly processed foods compared with a diet containing minimally processed foods.
Try healthy food swaps.
Many healthy alternatives to everyday foods and drinks may help you reduce your calorie intake. For example, you can make coffee creamer, granola bars, and chips instead of consuming store-bought products with high unsaturated fats, sugar, and salt.
Eat home-cooked meals
Eating home-cooked meals is associated with better diet quality, an increased intake of fruits and vegetables, lower body fat levels, and reduced risks of heart disease and diabetes.
The Role of Exercise in a Healthy Calorie Deficit
Weight loss is just one of the many benefits of regular physical activity. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults do 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise. Moderate-intensity exercise may include brisk walking, light bicycling, and yoga, while vigorous exercise may include jogging and fast bicycling.
The guidelines also recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities involving their major muscle groups—including the back, shoulders, chest, arms, and legs—at least two days every week. These activities can help the body prioritize the loss of body fat rather than muscle mass.
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When it comes to food, most people know that it’s made up of calories and nutrients. Nutrients are divided into macronutrients (macros) and micronutrients (micros). Every food contains these two nutrients in different ratios, affecting health and bodily function in various ways. Simply counting calories doesn’t give a complete picture of your diet.
For example, two foods can have the same calories, but one may be far healthier. That’s because they contain different amounts of macros and micros. So, what exactly are macros and micros? Here’s a closer look at each.
What Are Macros?
Macronutrients, or macros, are nutrients the body needs in large amounts for energy and proper function. There are three main types of macros: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Each plays a unique role in health and affects the body differently. For example, carbohydrates are the body's primary energy source, and protein is crucial for building and repairing tissues. Fats help with the absorption of specific vitamins and provide energy.
Each type of macro has a different chemical structure and affects the body differently. For example, while carbs spike blood sugar levels quickly, proteins break down slowly and help regulate blood sugar. All foods contain a combination of macros; depending on your goals, some may be more beneficial. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, protein-rich foods may help you reach your goals faster because they allow you to feel full and maintain muscle mass.
What Are Micros?
Micronutrients, or micros, are vitamins and minerals that are essential to human health. Unlike macros, the body needs them in smaller amounts, but they’re just as important. There are dozens of different vitamins and minerals, and each one helps with specific functions in the body. For example, calcium is crucial for strong bones, while vitamin C helps the immune system function properly. In short, getting enough macros and micros is vital for health. A diet lacking either one can lead to serious health problems.
DietAI transforms calorie counting with our AI calorie counting app. Take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
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