calorie goal

cricketannie

http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
I get it now...

theba2il

Hi:flowerforyou:

K, think of it like this. Let's say your net is 1200 and your calories burned is 600. That leaves you with 600. You may not function properly on 600 calories a day? I eat some or all of my exercise calories back. I don't want my body to hold the weight b/c it thinks it's going into starvation. So if you're not losing eat some of it back. Everyone is different. You'll have to keep track. Some people zigzag calories too.

robin52077

yes, eat ALL your calories every day.

Example: (with made up numbers, I have no clue what yours are, these are approx mine)

Your body requires 2000 calories for your normal day of work and life.
You tell MFP you want to lose 1 lb per week. It gives you a goal number of 1500, (500 deficit * 7 days in a week= 3500 calories in 1 lb)
Eating the 1500 will result in 1 lb per week loss.

If you go burn 500 on a run or at the gym, you have now doubled that deficit to 1000 for the day, instead of 500. That may SOUND good, but you said 1 lb per week and now you are on track for 2, which can be TOO FAST for most people. Consider that you only ate the 1500 and then burned the 500, now you only NET 1000, and that is NOT enough fuel for your body, especially a body that just worked out and burned 500 calories, that body needs adequate nutrition and fuel.

Now think of the person who is already AIMING for a 1000 calorie deficit each day! (2 lb per week goal). That is an extreme goal only safe for the obese. That person who is already undernourished goes and burns 600 calories. Now that person has a 1600 calorie deficit for the day which is UNSAFE for ANYONE unless their doctor specifically told them to and is monitoring them.


Best practice:
Aim for 1 lb per week and eat all your calories.
Once you are down to the last 10-15, change to HALF a pound per week and eat MORE to lose the rest. The last few need to be coaxed off by convincing your body it is safe to do so because you aren't depriving it of anything and it doesn't need that "emergency fat" just in case.