Eating the calories you burn exercising

jasminebri

This might be a crazy question, but on here you start out with 1200 calories (for me) and then when i enter in my exercise for the day...it adds the calories that i burn to the calories that i can eat for the day. Does that defeat the purpose of me exercising if i can eat the calories that i burned???? confused!!!?!?!?!

baisleac

MFP builds in a caloric deficit for you so you will lose weight whether you exercise or not.

If you exercise and do not eat those burned calories back you are increasing the built in deficit to a potentially harmful size.

The purpose of exercise is not to "lose weight" but to become healthier and more fit as you lose weight.

psuLemon

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/282320-caloric-intake-body-fat

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/304983-why-1200

Start by reading those.


It is critical that you eat those calories back. I suggest preplanning so you can eat them throughout the day. Not eating them can lead to plateauing, weight gain or other problems (like muscle loss).