The calorie limit each day is the net calories. This means to achieve the desired weight loss, one can limit food calories to that amount, or the net calorie limit can be reached by a combination of food calories minus exercise calories.

For example: if the daily net calorie limit is 1200 calories, this can be reached by only consuming 1200 calories of food, or by consuming 1800 calories and doing 600 calories worth of exercise (or any combination of food and exercise that will equal the net calorie limit for the day).