Needing some clarification

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So if i am under my calorie intake and i am burning calories with exercise is that when you start losing weight ? Or do i have to burn off all the calories i eat with exercise completely to lose weight? I would love a better understanding of how weight loss really works.

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  • sdewey9
    sdewey9 Posts: 22 Member
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    Eat the calories within your calorie range. Don't eat too much less. MFP gave you that nber for a reason. Stick to it. Also, don't eat too much over. If happen to do so, any exercise you do will help with that.
    And with exercise, you have the option of eating those calories back or not. Depending on the type of food I eat that day(unhealthy voices) I usually don't eat those back.

    Hope this helps!
    Good luck!!!
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    You eat whatever your calorie goal is. If your goal is 1500 calories (without exercise), then you eat 1500 calories. If say, you burn 150 calories from exercising, your goal will change to reflect that and become 1500+150 (1650), so then you eat 1650 calories.

    Your weight loss comes from having a calorie deficit. Fortunately for you (and all of us), MFP includes your deficit in your calorie goal already. So all you need to do is follow your goal and you will lose weight.
  • jojorocksforeva
    jojorocksforeva Posts: 303 Member
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    Basically you need a calorie deficit to lose weight just like if you want to gain weight you have to eat a lot and not be in a calorie deficit years ago i thought i could do it without calorie deficit but was so wrong i started watching 30 bananas a day videos but even those guys have to be in a deficit somehow they exersize more than they let on but got out of that real quick i strictly believe in low calorie low carb but that's just me but 1 thing you must always have is a calorie deficit some who get WLS weightloss surgery can only eat small servings and are most likely eating 900 1000 calories a day it makes you think that calorie deficit is really the key to the whole thing.
  • ammo7
    ammo7 Posts: 188 Member
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    boydljodi wrote: »
    So if i am under my calorie intake and i am burning calories with exercise is that when you start losing weight ? Or do i have to burn off all the calories i eat with exercise completely to lose weight? I would love a better understanding of how weight loss really works.

    Your body already burns many calories every day (it takes a lot of energy to simply live, even without moving!). For example, even if I was in a coma, by body would use about 1350 calories to keep me alive (your number would be different, depending on height/weight etc.) MFP already takes into account how many calories you use each day, and tells you to eat slightly less so that you will lose weight. When you exercise, that adds to the number of calories that you are burning (but be aware that MFP often overestimates the calories burned from exercise by quite a lot).
  • boydljodi
    boydljodi Posts: 15 Member
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    Thanks everyone! You were all a big help!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    Your deficit is already built in. Exercise is a bonus! It makes your heart happy :smiley:
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited September 2015
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Your deficit is already built in. Exercise is a bonus! It makes your heart happy :smiley:
    My heart is selfish, because exercise makes the rest of me sweaty and angry at gravity, friction, humidity, age, and a long list of other things.