Will someone please clarify for a dummie

cassiee1234

Okay. So i've been scouring the message boards all morning trying to find the answer to my question but have ended up more confused. Before exercise, MFP recommends that I eat 1200 calories. Now it wasn’t until this morning that I realised this was a generic number given to most people who use MFP. I have used MFP off and on but have always had 1200 calories as my target because each time i’m trying to loose the same amount of weight. I usually have no trouble staying within these guidelines and am definitely not hungry. I would tell you to have a look at my diary but it’s been abit bad lately so this is what I usually eat on an ‘average’ day.

Breakfast: 2 scoops of protein powder with about a 1.5 cups of milk, a handful of mixed frozen berries and a banana
Morning snack: 1 row of peckish thins (Gluten free rice crackers)
Lunch: Salad including lettuce, tomato and a little bit of grated edam cheese. Salad would amount to about 1 cup. With 1 small tin of tuna in spring water or ½ cup of chicken
Afternoon snack: Small toasted pita bread with 1 tbsp of roast capsicum hummus
Dinner: Usually something including veggies and meat. I usually cook my own dinner compared to eating what my mum makes.
Drinks: I try to have as much water as possible but usually forget to log it. I also drink about 3 cups of tea per day if I feel like something ‘sweet’. And the occasional organic juice.

For exercise: As of late I have upped my cardio workout to burn 300 calories. I also do about 10 minutes worth of moves I’d classify as Pilates, along with 4 different weight machines (including leg press, seated row...)

Stats:

Age: 18
Sex: Female
Height: 5.4”
SW: 73kgs
GW: 58kgs

So my questions are as follows;

1. Is eating 1200 calories a day classified as ‘restricting’ I always use pretty much all of my daily calories up and try to eat a balanced diet.
2. Are you supposed to eat back your exercise calories? I’ve read mixed reviews on this and am unsure of the pro’s and con’s of either direction.
3 WHAT ARE NET CALORIES!!!

Any feedback would be appreciated

megsmom2

1200 is what MFP gives you as a bare minimum. You probably told it you want to lose 2 lbs a week...but it wont let you go lower than this caloric level. MFP set me at 1510....and I am losing just fine...without depriving myself in the least. There is nothing magical about 1200 calories.

megsmom2

And yes...to eating your exercise calories. I do, most of them..most of the time.