You get extra calories by working out??

I eat most of mine back, and I'm consistently losing!

I've lost 40 lbs eating 1300 cals plus at least some of my exercise calories every day.

What myfitnesspal does is take your base level of activity (the amount that you do before you do any overt exercise) and figure out your average calories burned every day based on that activity, your weight, your gender and your height.

So, when you tell MFP that you'd like to lose 1 pound per week, it takes that average burn and subtracts 500 calories from it to give you a daily calorie goal. That's your NET calorie goal, as the deficit is "baked in" to that number.

Eat at that goal, and you should expect to lose weight.

When you add in exercise, you've now created an even bigger deficit. You can eat your exercise calories and expect to maintain the same rate of weight loss as you do eating less on your non-workout days.

I eat some of my exercise calories, but not all, just because I like to follow my hunger cues when it comes to eating over my MFP goal.

In theory, though, you can eat every one of those delicious calories and still lose weight. Fun, eh? .

I suppose if people wish to eat their exercise calories they can...maybe if theyre trying to STAY at a certain weight... Personally I dont eat them.

This is absolutely incorrect. MFP sets up your calorie goal in mind without exercise. It also can only be set up to lose a maximum of 2 pounds a week (a healthy weight loss).

When you burn extra calories by working out, it is above and beyond what you would need to burn for the 2 pounds a week. If you ate ALL of the exercise calories back you would still be on target for a 2 pound weight loss.

Right, bc I burn those calories and I need to be at 1200, so if I burn 200 I'd be at 1000? Soo I need to eat them? But another problem, I work out at night, like an hour after dinner. D I still eat after?

This is where it gets dicey. If you aren't a snacker or a desert eater you will have to eat more for dinner (or add a sauce or cheese) and assume you will work it off.

I try to eat back most of my exercise calories.

Yes, what you earn and then eat by exercising doesn't affect your weight loss goals because your calorie allowance is based on your lifestyle without exercise. I kind of game the system. I have set my lifestyle at sedentary, even though I am not. I also put my meals in before I make or eat them so I can see the calorie deficit/excess and plan around that. If I am over my net calories, I know I have to do x amount of exercise (must spend half an hour on the stationary bike if I want to eat that steak!), or I have to adjust my meal to stay within the limits. I find it helps me to eat with confidence and understand where I need to change things before I put anything in my mouth.

Find what works for you.

Personally I eat 400 calories per day MORE than what MFP has me set on plus I eat my exercise calories (usually between 300 - 800 each day). It works for me.

MFP is a fabulous tool but people sometimes forget that it's just that, a TOOL, it's not a direct message from God set in stone and telling you what to do. You need to take it and make it work for you.

Good luck.

You can eat those calories the next day or couple of days if you want - there's no magic time limit. Lots of us think of the avg. Cals per day over a week instead of just Cals per day. It gives you more flexibility so if you don't feel like eating up to your goal one day, no biggie, eat a little extra over the next day or several days. Or, if you eat over one day, again, no biggie, just eat a little less over the next day or couple of days.

But, it's up to you - lots of people like the stricter rules of hitting goal every day. Go with what works best for you.

This is a very good point. I do this sometimes too. I don't sweat it if I go over.

I set my base at 1200 calories and then I eat back all of my exercise calories. So the more I burn, the more I can eat. That helps me self-adjust according to how active I am that particular day.