Need Advice: Exercising and Eating Back Calories

breviceps

So I started going to the gym last week every day for an hour at a time, using the elliptical as my cardiovascular exercise regimen. I average anywhere from 800-900 calories burned during my session (according to the machine). I really haven't eaten my exercise calories back. I weighed myself this week and noticed that I gained 1-2 lbs. My caloric allocation for the day is 2320 and since going to the gym, I average about 1834 calories/day for the past 10 days.

Is this muscle gain? Or am I starving myself because I'm not eating back my exercise calories? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

86_Ohms

I personally eat to the number provided by MFP, and only do cardio if I'm way over, say 500 calories, from the goal of the day. I've been losing 1lb a week with that philosphy, even at 17% body fat.

Your weight gain could be from anything. When/how you weigh yourself (ie in the morning, before any breakfast or water, naked?), water retention from sodium in your diet, or muscle, as you described.

There's a lot of questions on eating back calories from exercise. I'm sure others can concur that if you stick near your daily goal, maybe +/- 100 calories, that you'll see results with or without cardio.