I'm confused about calories?!

Simonnnna

Okay so apparently to lose weight you have to eat less calories than you burn, right?
But how come people are saying eat back your exercise calories?
How am I supposed to eat less calories than I burn if I eat back all the calories I burned through exercise?

editorgrrl

If you use the MFP defaults, then your deficit is already built into your calorie goal. You must eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories. (MFP's burns are pretty high, so some people eat back half their exercise calories to compensate.)

People who customize their calorie goal w/ TDEE minus a percentage do not eat back their calories, since TDEE already includes their exercise.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Ready2Rock206

You burn calories just by being alive. Your are always burning calories. Exercise is extra calories. MFP already assumes you're alive and burning calories. If you exercise that's extra calories burned - possibly creating an even bigger deficit than needed.

yarwell

Okay so apparently to lose weight you have to eat less calories than you burn, right?
But how come people are saying eat back your exercise calories?

That's MFP's hamster wheel philosophy where you exercise to get more food - the exercise doesn't increase your calorie deficit that is built into your daily food goal to start with.

lunapetu0311

I know, it was confusing to me at first too.

If MFP tells you that you need to eat 1200 calories to lose 2lbs per day - then you need to end the day at 1200 calories, period. If you eat 1200 calories but then exercise and burn 300 calories - then you are essentially down to 900 calories. But you need to be at 1200 so I need to eat those 300 calories to get it back up to 1200. Hm, sounds better in my head

Of course you don't HAVE to eat the calories back - I usually do though.