Think I finally got the hang of this!

Alishia6606

Since forever, counting calories has confused me. I wasn't understanding the "goal" calories vs the exercise part. Correct me if I am wrong please.

The goal is how many calories my body uses without exercise. So therefore I should be eating 1200 calories daily. Any exercise is calories that count toward weight loss?

Sorry. I'm having trouble putting it into words.

Pow377

My understanding is:

MFP shows you your calorie goal for weight loss but doesn't include your additional burns.

So you would eat say 1200 and be in a deficit.
Any exercise calories get added on to that and you should eat back.

However, calories are overstated so most people will eat back a percentage of their exercise calories to be on the safe side.

So for example

MFP gives you 1200 calories
You do 400 exercise

You'd eat say 1500 (75℅ of exercise + base)

Ready2Rock206

The goal calories it gives you is the amount of calories you need to eat to lose whatever amount you said you wanted to lose each week. Except 1200 is the absolute lowest calorie amount so this could also mean your goal is too aggressive - but that's a separate issue. So when you exercise you create a bigger deficit then needed so you can eat those calories back, or at least a portion to account for errors. When you are using the absolute minimum calories possible, which you are, you definitely should eat at least a portion of those calories. So Pow's example above is correct. Goal is 1200 - you burn 400 exercising then 1500 would be a good amount to eat.