Confused about having to eat the calories you burned off

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amykilloran96
amykilloran96 Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, so when I exercise and the amount of calories i burn is like 220, it says i can eat 220 so it goes up, why does it do that, exercise seems like a waste of time and you have burned off the calories for no reason because you are just eating them again. So what would happen if i just don't eat the extra calories ive burned off?

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  • JWat2020
    JWat2020 Posts: 80 Member
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    The calories you are given by MFP lines up with how much weight you want to lose without exercise (my goal is two pounds a week). When you burn more calories, and you want to maintain the 2 pounds a week you have to eat those extra calories back. If you don't eat them you could possibly lose more per week, but you could also sabotage your weight loss. If you don't eat enough you may have less energy and be less active while not exercising.

    As far as why people exercise if not to have a bigger caloric gap: I tend to use the exercise so I can add a little food to my day. Nothing like a little extra flavor added to a meal because I worked for it. Some people just want to be more healthy so they exercise to build stamina or muscle.
  • MelissaHollingsworth
    MelissaHollingsworth Posts: 4
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    Thank you so much!! I'm glad I found this forum on the website. I've been so confused as to why I have to eat what I burn during exercise. This makes more sense.
  • JWat2020
    JWat2020 Posts: 80 Member
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    No problem. Keep in mind you don't have to eat it all back. The trick is finding the balance that works for you. I find that when I work out I need to burn more as a reward and just because I am hungrier with the extra burn.

    I have always read that 2-3 pounds a week is a healthy weight loss. Losing slow helps you learn to eat healthier gradually and that helps you keep your weight off.

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