Now I'm confused. :/

Me too girl. I have a feeling the forums are mostly opinions and what works for one may not work for another.

Me too girl. I have a feeling the forums are mostly opinions and what works for one may not work for another.

This! Weight loss isn't linear.

I think it comes from people who each try a different kind of extreme strategy that worked for them and then it automatically becomes the new way to lose weight after the first famous person says yes it works or no it doesn't. Eat what makes you feel good, and do whatever works best for you. If you wake up saying damn i look like hell and feel like crap you probably need to rule that strategy out. And for the question you really wanted to know about .... idk how much is true but it was interesting lol

http://manbicep.com/2012/03/18/gain-muscle-and-lose-fat/

I think the only "fact" you can count on is that no matter the topic, everyone will have a different opinion about what is "true".

Different approaches work for different people. Some people have success eating back exercise calories, some people have success not doing so. The reason it can be so variable is that most people's actual BMR and TDEE are not exactly what the formulas estimate, and most people's actual calories burned from exercise are not exactly what MFP estimates. And to make it even more complicated, the calories you're logging may not be that accurate either.

Trial and error is the only way to figure out what approach will work for you, and it's really best to diligently follow one strategy for at least a few weeks before determining if it works for you or not. Treat it with the same level of exactitude that you would a science experiment (measure, weigh, keep notes of your progress).

But here are my thoughts on each of your questions (note that I am not an expert):

*Starvation mode - I think metabolism can slow on severe calorie deficits. Ensuring that you consume enough protein to supply your muscles with fuel should theoretically prevent that, but generally it's wise not to cut calories too low, mostly because it's harder to sustain as a lifestyle.

*Eating back exercise calories - here's where trial and error is important. My philosophy is that if I do vigorous exercise for more than an hour in a day, you'd better believe I'm going to need to eat more. If I take a walk for twenty minutes, no real need to fuel up.

*A calorie is a calorie - physics will tell you that this is true. Biology will tell you that those calories should be nutritionally dense for optimal health. I eat a lot of unhealthy and fat-laden foods on the weekends because I live in a hotbed of culinary activity and it would be a crime to eat boiled chicken breast and kale every day. But nutritionally dense calories tend to be more filling and make me feel good, so I try to get plenty of those too. Balance between the two keeps me sane (and keeps my cholesterol and blood pressure low!).

*Weight loss speed - I think it's probably wise to think of it more as a % of your total weight rather than pounds. If you weigh 130 pounds and you're trying to lose 5lbs a week, you'd better cut your arm off because it's the only way you'll get there. If you weigh 300 pounds, 5lbs a week is not impossible.

*How much to eat - see Trial and Error mentioned above, but use BMR as a baseline. From 6 months of monitoring my own intake/output, I found that my true BMR was lower than the calculators estimated. The only way to tell is to diligently track and then compare how much you actually lost to what your projected loss would have been over the same several weeks. Then you'll know if you need to adjust calories up or down.

*Can you gain muscle at a calorie deficit? I think so (I have, personally), depending on the composition of the calories you're getting, the timing of when you're eating those calories vs. when you're exercising, and the type of exercise you're doing.

*Cardio - it has its merits... good for endurance, good for heart health. Personally I like a combination of cardio, heavy weights/body weight strength training, flexibility and just plain fun. So one day I'll do zumba (fun/cardio) and then a shoulders & arms weight circuit (strength). Another day I'll do yoga (flexibility) and a leg circuit (strength). Another day I'll swim (cardio) and then go dancing (fun). The workouts you choose should vary based on your goals and based on what's enjoyable to you.

Yes, it's confusing. There are tons of theories, but at the end of the day your personal metabolism does not necessarily match what a calculator is estimating. So monitored trial and error is the best way to tell what is the right strategy for you.

Yes everyone is unique. If you post your height, weight, age, activity level and goals I'm sure you'll get some advice tailored just for you if that's what you are looking for.

One point I'll comment on can you build muscle in a deficit....wel no not really but for ladies we probably don't wan tto build much anyway. I'm proof though that you can tone muscle while in a deficit (if you get enough protein and add some weights to your cardio)which is awesome because you tone what's underneath and as the fat starts to melt away what you are left wiht is 100% better!

So my advice is always do some weights with your cardio...Actually my favorite is boot camp and body weight exercises...I hardly ever lift an actual weight but I can now see defined muscles in my bicepts that I have never seen before.