Okay...I think I'm starting to understand...another calorie

kelscross

after reading post after post and the links, am I understanding this correctly...

The number of calories that MFP has you down for is already a deficit so you need to eat all of those calories in order to not fall into starvation mode on top of your exercise? am I understanding that correctly? The reason I'm asking is I thought I had to have a deficit beyond that so I was eating, I'm not hungry but I'm coming wayyyyy under, like average 700-800 each day and the scale wasn't budging so much. Am I understanding this then?

DrBorkBork

Yes. MFP puts you at a deficit, which is why you should eat ALL of your cals (including exercise)

Think of it this way: If you eat 1200 cals, and burn 600 working out, and don't eat them back, it's like you only fed your body 600 cals for the day.