CONFUSED - need help

Timberknick

I am so confused about how this works.
MFP gives me 1250 calories per day to lose 2lbs a week.
I calulated by BMR and it said i burn 1610 calories just lying in bed all day.
Then i calculated how many calories i need to eat using the harris benedict equation and that said i needed to eat 2,498 calories per day.
So where does MFP get 1250 calories from? shouldnt this number mean that my body holds onto fat (as it is over 1200 less than what i need per day)
And, i know this has been discussed before, but i have read all the replies and i still dont understand - why do i have to eat back my exercise calories? Can someone sorta dumb down the explanation for me?

MrsCon40

HBE factors your average activity level - MFP assumes no activity, just your BMR.

With MFP you calculate your ACTUAL activity by logging exercise so you know more accurately what your caloric deficit should be. This would be more accurate since some days are more active than other, rather than basing your caloric needs on an arbitrary level of activity.

SaraTonin

MFP is a dumb tool. It will let you eat less than your BMR to reach your goal. This is why 1 pound is recommended. 2 pounds weight loss per week is unsustainable for most people.

You should eat between your BMR and your 2498 for your deficit.

NurseChristy3

I wondered the SAME thing so I DID eat back the calories from exercise for 2 weeks...with absolutely NO results! So I decided to try the opposite and eat ONLY my 1200 and sometimes i may go over 10-50 calories into my exercise calories but then some days Im also short 10-100 calories of my 1200 caloric goal...bottom line, when i DONT eat the calories back...I lose weight

Ultimately you have to do what works for YOU

SaraTonin

OH, so eating your exercise calories... A number of reasons.

A) helps you rebuild muscle after exercise
keeps you above your net so you don't starve - think about those 1500 calorie workouts some people do!
C) If you put "sedentary" as your activity level, this means sedentary for someone who does not exercise. When you exercise, you'll need to eat more.
D) boosts your metabolism so that your body burns more calories
E) raises your BMR
F) go on?

SaraTonin

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/153704-myth-or-fact-simple-math-3500-calories-one-pound-eat

Good link with why. You can also burn your muscle mass if you don't eat enough, which leads to a less sustainable weight loss. Remember, you want sustainable weight loss AND to turn your body into a calorie-burning powerhouse. Which means you want a fast metabolism!

Timberknick

I have recalculated for 1lbs per week and it says i should eat 1600 calories a day, which makes me a feel a bit better

MotherofDREAMS

I'm not real good at this & I know that there is more to it than just calories but.....

Generally you need to take in 3500 calories less than your body needs to lose 1 lb of fat.
So -1200 calories per day X 7 days equals 8400 calories per week deficit.
Equal to about 2.4 lbs.