net or total calories. what do you go by?

Im a lil confused. Should I go by my total calories or my net calories? I use fitday and I consume around 950-1100 calories a day, but when I put in my exercise for the day, it drops around 500 calories. Im just concerned that Im not getting enough in. I exercise all the time and eat right but Im not losing. Just discouraged.

My doctor doesn't count calories. He says if I stick with the food plan, I can do it without counting calories.

My nut didn't want me to count calories until maintenance. But...I tracked on dailyplate, and the calories were there, so I know what I've been taking in. Now that I'm in maintenance I pay even more attention to it. My theory is that you need to intake so many calories a day, but the reason you exercise is because you're trying to lose weight, right? If you eat the calories that you're exercising, then you're missing out on those benefits. I look at total calories as my intake. I look at the exercise calories just as a pat on the back to see how the work I did is helping me. Deb

Ditto to what Deb said!!

I choose not to eat back my calories.  I like to know what I am eating ( total cals ) but I like the pat on the back to know what I have burned for my ass kicking work outs.( net cals ).....lmao

I use Fit day too. Ditto what they said, dont eat back your cals!