should i eat back exercise calories???

bandit0609

Hi,
I still new to MFP and when first started i set my daily calorie intake to 1200 and when i exercised i never ate my calories back.
I was always up and down with my weight loss and i started feeling like my body wasnt getting enough fuel.

I have already used the scooby calculators but i'm unsure what they mean, it's very confusing!
these are the results:
BMR: 1611
TDEE: 2498
Daily calories: 1998

So, does that mean i should eat 1998? just seems a bit high.. worried about not losing at all.

Also, for example: I burn 200 cal, why should i eat them back? I thought the whole idea of exercise was to burn calories??

Thanks

determinedbutlazy

Make sure you're including your exercise when calculating your TDEE, minus 20% from it, then do not eat exercise cals back.

If you're going to keep on at 1200, eat them back.

bandit0609

when i did te scooby calculator, it asks me how active i am.. so has that taken my exercise into consideration? and i am not to eat them back?

Nah not sticking to 1200 anymore.. my body needs more food lol

determinedbutlazy

Scooby asks how active you are, you should think about daily activity (job, commute etc) and your exercise. Once you have a final number, minus 20% and you're ready to go. You might show a gain for a couple of weeks but I promise you you will be much happier and you will start to lose. Just remember to keep your food choices as healthy as you can and not make up the extra cals with Big Macs

bandit0609

haha i'll try not too.. normally eat a bunch of chocolate & if im still under my calorie goal i think its ok.. (which i know its not) but i just cant help it lol

ill start fresh monday with my new daily intake..
thanks heaps for clearing that up for me!