How does it work??

GettingFitSlim

Okay so i run 3 times a week and burn around 200 calories. Then i workout 6 times a week and burn around 100 calories. I eat 1,200 calories a day, so do I HAVE to eat back the calories i burned on top of those 1,200? Or will I lose more weight if I only eat the 1,200? I almost always have calories leftover at the end of the day and still go to sleep full

cityruss

The lower the net calories, the more weight will be lost. That's how human beings work.

That is not to say that you should net such a low amount of calories. Long term adherence, health and overall nutrition should also be taken in to account.

But yes, as a generalization netting <900 calories (1200 - 300) is probably not the greatest of plans.

rsclause

I found that I lose better at a slight deficit. I like to burn between 600 and 1200 calories on my runs. This allows me to eat more and makes room for wine and beer. I don't diet and I never miss a meal. I think a lot of people don't estimate food calories correctly and use exercise to smooth that out. I tend to overestimate when in doubt so I would eat back most of my exercise calories. If I stayed at or slightly under I would always lose weight. When I was logging my baseline was around 2100 calories before counting exercise.

SezxyStef

Yes you should. That is the way MFP is set up.

It's easy enough to do with food choices.

Instead of low fat or low sugar items choose full fat items.

Have a beer/wine

eat some chips or a chocolate bar or ice cream

add oils, butter, avocado.

Calorie dense foods.