Net Calorie Question????

The calorie deficit is coming from the goal that MFP gave you. The calorie deficit is built into that. That is how MFP works. It gives you a goal based on the information you give it - it takes into account your normal daily activity level (not including planned exercise). It gives you a goal based on the assumption that any exercise you do (which is additional to the activity level you told it about) - you log that exercise and eat back those calories. Otherwise, the calorie deficit you have is likely to be too large for good health and sustainable fat loss.

If you told MFP you want to lose 1.5 lbs a week, and it gave you a goal of 1350 (deficit of 750 a day) - then you burn an extra 900 calories - you now have a deficit of 1650 calories a day, which would in theory have you losing more than 3lbs a week. That is far too large a deficit for anyone who is not very obese. For people who are closer to a healthy weight, it's not really possible to lose that much fat in a week. They risk losing far more lean mass than is necessary, as well as damaging their body in other ways.

You are already well within the healthy weight range for your height, so you just can't lose fat as quickly as people who are obese. A large deficit would be a really bad idea.

Editing because I can't read.

You had mentioned your goal with is only 10lbs away. In that case, your goal should be set at 0.5lbs not any higher. The smaller you are the smaller your deficit should be.

The deficit you have is already built into your daily calorie goal. You eat back your exercise calories because your deficit is already there to lose weight. Too large of a deficit and you will lose more muscle than normal. With only 10lbs left until your goal weight, 1.5lbs per week is too high of a goal to strive for as it is giving you too high of a deficit. We all lose muscle along the way but can try to retain muscle/minimize muscle loss, but strength training and having a smaller deficit.

Eat back your exercise calories. You should be netting your BMR. Consistantly consuming too little calories is not giving your body enough fuel to run. You need a certain amount of calories each day just for your body and organs to function while at rest (so if you were to lay in bed all day everyday.. this is your BMR amount). Netting under that consistantly can cause more problems than progress.

Thank you for this answer. I am 5'8 and 145 and very thin frame. At 135 I look almost anorexic. I am 40 and weighed 125 in middle school. But this makes sense about the smaller you are the deficit doesn't need to be that great.

You had mentioned your goal with is only 10lbs away. In that case, your goal should be set at 0.5lbs not any higher. The smaller you are the smaller your deficit should be.

The deficit you have is already built into your daily calorie goal. You eat back your exercise calories because your deficit is already there to lose weight. Too large of a deficit and you will lose more muscle than normal. With only 10lbs left until your goal weight, 1.5lbs per week is too high of a goal to strive for as it is giving you too high of a deficit. We all lose muscle along the way but can try to retain muscle/minimize muscle loss, but strength training and having a smaller deficit.

Eat back your exercise calories. You should be netting your BMR. Consistantly consuming too little calories is not giving your body enough fuel to run. You need a certain amount of calories each day just for your body and organs to function while at rest (so if you were to lay in bed all day everyday.. this is your BMR amount). Netting under that consistantly can cause more problems than progress.

Thank you for this answer. I am 5'8 and 145 and very thin frame. At 135 I look almost anorexic. I am 40 and weighed 125 in middle school. But this makes sense about the smaller you are the deficit doesn't need to be that great.

A small deficit is key to reduce muscle loss and because when you don't have a lot to lose your body doesn't want to get rid of it.

Thank you that makes a lot more sense!

I have also heard people talking about eating 20% less than their TDEE, do you have any insight on which way works better?

It's personal preference - I prefer to use the TDEE less deficit method as I like to eat the same amount of calories through the week, some people prefer to work for their extra calories.