Question about calorie consumption

I eat around 1200 calories a day. If i exercise 300 calories off, then i eat those back, The reason i do this is because i'm usually more hungry when i exercise and i need energy to actually exercise. In theory you needn't eat the calories back.

As well as all the mind boggling calculations that many on here like to cite, 1200 calories are often set as a minimum (by nutrionalists) to ensure you eat enough food to get all the essential nutrients that you need.

For me, eating 1200 calories a day means i eat 8400 per week. To maintain my weight, i need 13300 per week, which is around 1900 calories a day. So when i eat 1200 each day i am creating a 700 calorie deficit, which over the week equates to a 4900 deficit. To lose 1lb, i need a 3500 deficit. So to summarise:
- to maintain my weight i need to eat 1900 calories a day
- to actually eat 1200 calories a day. If i exercise, i eat more so i always eat around 1200 per day
- This means i've created a 4900 deficit over the week
- to lose 1lb i need to create a 3500 deficit over the week
- so according to all this, i should be losing about 1lb-1.5lbs per week.

am i?

Yup.

So calorie intake...it's pretty easy, and as long as you are consistently operating at a deficit, then you will lose weight. The key for me has been to work out what my maintenance calories are, and go from there. I love this method of calorie intake because it is pretty much an exact science. And there are many who will diagree with me here, but the simpe message is, use more than you eat and you will, without fail, lose weight.

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I would advise not going below the 1200 calories so upping your intake by 300 calories would be better.

Short answer: Yes.

Calories in, calories out. I'm not quite grasping the concept of eating the calories you exercised off.

If you're exercising purely to burn calories, you're doing it wrong.

I would advise not going below the 1200 calories so upping your intake by 300 calories would be better.

Short answer: Yes.

Calories in, calories out. I'm not quite grasping the concept of eating the calories you exercised off.

Short answer - at 1200 calories you are already at a big deficit, and should not go below 1200 net calories. The MFP calculation does not take exercise calories into account, therefore, eat your exercise cals back.

I think it all depends on the person. I also eat a 1200 calorie intake, and I don't eat back my exercise calories. I do maybe every once in a while, but I find if I eat them back, I don't lose any weight.. You have to do whats best for you....Remember you come first, do what's right for you..

I would suggest maybe talking to a nutritionist or your doctor if a nutritionist isn't an option.

I might recommend a dietitian, not a nutritionist. Dietitian is a protected term; there are years of required schooling and testing. Nutritionist is a job title like mechanic or cashier. Some may know what they are doing but there are an awful lot that are pushing particular products.

This is absolutely true, and I haven't looked at the business card to see what specifically her title is--I should probably do this, but the person I'm seeing has been through medical school and I needed a referral from my family doctor to go see her. No product pushing here I wouldn't just go to a health store or anything like that. Just thought I would clarify my last post