Net Calories

anyasants

So I've been using this site for awhile now so I feel kind of silly asking this question but this came up in a conversation that I was having with a friend today and I realized that I might have been making an incorrect assumption.

If my calorie goal is 1200 but I work out and burn say.... 300 calories. Does that mean I'm allowed to eat 1500 calories for the day? I figured that if I'm working out, I'll also get hungry sooner, so I tend to got over the 1200 limit. For example today, I'm at 1350. I'm really happy that my overall fitness level is improving but I'm not loosing the weight! Should I try to stay at 1200 regardless of how much I burn?

herblackwings39

The way MFP is set up you do eat back exercise calories because when you signed up you told them that you're so old, weigh this much, are this tall, do this for your day job, and want to lose x lbs a week. The program gives you a number so you'll lose x lbs a week. There was no mention of exercise in that. So when you work out you eat those calories back to keep your deficit in place. Basically just eat as close to "Your Daily Goal" as you can.

megsmom2

MFP intends for you to eat those burned calories back...because it has already built in a deficit when it sets your calorie goal. So yes...eat those calories. More food, more flexibility, and this makes it easier to stick to long term. It works.