Understanding Net Calories If your net calories is more that zero, you will gain weight over time, and if your net calories is consistently a negative number, you will lose weight.

Negative-calorie foods allegedly take more calories to eat, digest and process than they provide to your body. They’re typically low-calorie vegetables and fruits with a high water content. However, it’s unlikely that any of these foods are truly negative-calorie, though they can be part of a nutritious, healthy diet.

But other than water and diet beverages, there is unfortunately no such thing as a zero-calorie or negative-calorie food, according to Kimberly Lummus, MS, RD, Texas Dietetic Association media representative and public relations coordinator for the Austin Dietetic Association in Austin, Texas.

As a general rule, people need a minimum of 1,200 calories daily to stay healthy. People who have a strenuous fitness routine or perform many daily activities need more calories. If you have reduced your calorie intake below 1,200 calories a day, you could be hurting your body in addition to your weight-loss plans.

Diets of less than 800 calories can lead to numerous complications, according to Jampolis, including heart arrhythmias, which could lead to death. Extreme dieters are also at risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, low blood pressure and high uric acid, which could lead to gout or kidney stones, she says.

If your daily net calories equal zero, you are burning the same number of calories you are taking in, so you maintain your current weight as long as you continue at this rate every day. If your net calories is more that zero, you will gain weight over time, and if your net calories is consistently a negative number, you will lose weight.

Understanding Net Calories. If your daily net calories equal zero, you are burning the same number of calories you are taking in, so you maintain your current weight as long as you continue at this rate every day.

The only truly zero calorie food is water, but low calorie foods are also grouped in. Still, we view eating only zero or negative calorie foods as fad dieting nonsense similar to drinking ice cold water instead of room temperature water (which burns around 5 extra calories per glass, by the way).

The concept of a set minimum amount of net calories to lose weight is a myth. Some people might lose weight while following a 2,500-calorie diet. Other people might need to follow a low-calorie diet of 1,200 calories in order to lose weight.