Dumb Question, But...

PugBug20

This might sound like a dumb question, but I have heard mixed responses, so I would like to know once and for all:
Let's say that, hypothetically, you are on a 1,200-calorie diet and your goal is to lose weight, not gain or maintain. If you burn, say, 800 calories a day through exercise, should you eat 2,000 calories a day in order to reach your 1,200-calorie target, or should you still only eat 1,200 calories regardless? Again, this is for weight loss. Thank you for any clarification.

VeryKatie

2000 calories as long as you're sure the calorie burn number is accurate (MFP over estimates, most people would eat back 400 to 600 of a "800 calorie burn" as stated by the database)

ETA: If you're sure it was 800 calories of a burn though, you do definitely want to eat back all 800! 1200 calories per day NET is the minimum recommended for you to satisfy your nutritional needs (vitamins, minerals, etc). You burn those off when you exercise too... (pretty sure you must... but I'm no scientist).

ETA 2: And not to worry, 1200 calories a day will still create a large deficit so you will lose weight (unless.. you are very very small. Like less than 5' small and already thin).

TeaBea

Your body is using calories 24/7.....heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.

If you ate only 1200 calories and added exercise on to your regular daily activity.....say 500 calories worth, that would be like giving your body 1200 - 500 = 700 calories.....for heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.

Certain obese (medical patents) can do this (under supervision). But for those of us that are merely overweight this is very inadequate nutrition wise. This is why MFP adds exercise calories back. This just gets you BACK to your original deficit. Remember there are going to be people using MFP who can't/won't exercise.

As VeryKatie pointed out....calorie burns are difficult to estimate. Start by eating back a portion. If you start to feel run down or fatigued...eat more.

miss_rye_

Just throwing this fact out there.

When I upped my calories to around 1700 on work out days, my clothes started to fall off me! The weight was just falling off. Do not be afraid of food. The issue with a lot of mind sets is that less means more. This is not true. I recommend finding out what your personal TDEE is, and make your calorie goals off that.

I am eating almost 1800 a day (even on non work out days) and my weight is dropping super fast!

PugBug20

Thanks for the replies. I haven't been eating back the calories I have been losing from working out, mainly because I have always thought it defeated the purpose of working out in the first place, but I guess I should?