Calorie amounts

pansyviolet

Should I eat my required calorie amount and what about the bonus amounts?
I keep keeping memos that I am not eating enough. But I feel very satisfied with what I am eating. I log everything and excerise six days a week which includes high aeorobics.
Thanks for all your help.
I am trying to lose 20 pounds and I a very motivated to do so.

Liftng4Lis

Yes

malibu927

Did you set to 2 pounds a week/1200 calories? That's most likely not enough. Set to 1 pound a week and eat back half your exercise calories. Add in calorie dense items (nuts/nut butters, dairy, avocados) if you're having problems eating more.

jacksonpt

Hard to say for certain, but generally speaking...

Going purely by the numbers, yes you should be eating your bonus calories (I assume this means the calories your burn exercising), and yes you should be trying to stay reasonably close to your macros.

In reality, there are a lot of variables at play considering everything we do is based on estimates - total calorie needs, calories consumed, calories burned, etc. If those estimates aren't reasonably accurate, then you may need to tweak the process a bit. But you can't really know that until you've following MFP's recommendations for a month or so and see how it works for you.

terbusha

Without knowing anything else about your nutrition plan, it's hard to say. Certainly, there is a minimum calorie goal that you need to hit because food is fuel for your body. You car won't run right if you don't give it enough gas, and your body is the same way. I don't eat back my calories from exercise. I set my calorie goal based on progress I make towards my fitness goal, and adjust as needed. However, that method takes into account an average calorie burn from your workouts, so I'm doing basically the same thing.