Calories vs Exercise

I think changing your caloric intake to line up with how much you exercise is a bit too complicated, imho.

Just stick to 1200 calories a day whether you exercise or not and you'll lose weight.

I think changing your caloric intake to line up with how much you exercise is a bit too complicated, imho.

Just stick to 1200 calories a day whether you exercise or not and you'll lose weight.

I think this is bad advice. Ignore it.

OP, eat back your exercise calories. 1200 is probably too little of a calorie intake anyways.

my goal is 1200 calories per day. my question is do i need to maintain that 1200 calories even with exercise. what i mean is this
I start with 1200, eat 1200 then burn 400, does that mean i HAVE to eat 400 more to maintain the 1200 to lose weight? wouldn't eating only 1200 and burning 400 mean I will lose it faster?

MFP works like this.........

Eat 1600 .....exercise for 400 = 1200 NET

MFP gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise.....because some people cannot exercise. Those people eat AT LEAST 1200 and still lose weight.

Now - 1200 calories comes from a mathematical equition. You supplied "I want to lose XX pounds per week" .......1200 may be an appropriate goal (if you are petite) .....or it may have been an agressive goal. What I'm saying is 1200 is "popular" but neccessarily healthy.

Your body is using calories all day ....even while sleeping. Heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. all need calories.

Check out your BMR .....calories your body would use if you stayed in bed all day .......higher than 1200, means your weight loss goal is aggressive.

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmr-calculator.html

Healthy weight loss strives to lose fat AND keep muscle. Aggressive weight loss goals will lead to some muscle loss.

You should be Netting 1200, so yes, eat back your exercise calories. Get a Heart Rate Monitor or Fitbit, they help track what you really do, as MFP over estimates calorie burn. Most people on here are going to tell you to eat more than 1200, but you'll figure out what your body needs. I find it beneficial to stick to a range of 1200-1500 calories per day, and just try to stock up on the lean meats, veggies, and fruit.

And drink a ton of water always.

You really want to exercise to build muscle tone, which will burn fat for you. You burn protein exercising, and some fat, but mostly protein.. Low balling your calories in the short term will work, but it is counter productive in the long term.

This seems like a big argumentative talk on myfitnesspal. When it comes to calories and exercising I try not to eat back my exercise calories, but if I am super hungry still then yes I will eat SOME of them back. No need to starve yourself because you don't want to eat some of your workout calories. Everyone is different though and you just need to find what feels the most comfortable to you and what makes you lose the most weight.

The point of eating calories back is not to lose the MOST weight, or even just to stave off hunger. The point of eating calories back is to lose the most FAT. Of course people who eat none of their exercise calories lose the most "weight." But healthy weight loss should be about reducing body fat % .....not just moving the number on the scale.

Hunger is not a good indicator.....drinking 400 calories in soda is not filling......eating 400 calories in lettuce is filling......but neither helps to sustain muscle (while eating at a calorie deficit).

MFP is built on you having a NET deficit.
So, if your normal day you sit and watch tv, and your NET should be 1200... eat 1200 cals.
On a day you spend 5 hrs at the gym,and burn 3,000 calories on the stair climber, you should NET 1200 by eating 4,200 cals (4200-3000=1200).
On a day you go shopping for 6 hrs, shuffling along at 2 mph on average and burn 680 cals in the process, you should NET 1200 by eating 1880 cals. (1880-680=1200)

But for me personally hunger is my indicator, I'm not going to eat unless I am hungry. I am not going to over stuff myself because myfitnesspal says I need to eat back my exercise calories. I have a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks a day without eating back my calories. So why would I want to eat them back if I don't feel the need to. Like I said, I feel like everyone is different when it comes to this topic.

If your calorie deficit is too high, and you don't eat the proper balance of macros for you, you can lose lean muscle mass.

But for me personally hunger is my indicator, I'm not going to eat unless I am hungry. I am not going to over stuff myself because myfitnesspal says I need to eat back my exercise calories. I have a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks a day without eating back my calories. So why would I want to eat them back if I don't feel the need to. Like I said, I feel like everyone is different when it comes to this topic.

If your calorie deficit is too high, and you don't eat the proper balance of macros for you, you can lose lean muscle mass.

This!^

Some people eat tons of fiber......I'm not saying fiber is a bad thing. BUT it keeps you full without fueling lean muscle mass.

Eating some calorie dense foods (small portion sizes) .....will help keep protein and fat levels high. Hunger (or lack of) is not evidence of proper macros.

my goal is 1200 calories per day. my question is do i need to maintain that 1200 calories even with exercise. what i mean is this
I start with 1200, eat 1200 then burn 400, does that mean i HAVE to eat 400 more to maintain the 1200 to lose weight? wouldn't eating only 1200 and burning 400 mean I will lose it faster?

Depends on how you're planning your weight loss. At the most basic level loss is about burning more energy than you consume, so the work you do in the gym helps lead to that energy (calorie) deficit.

Not eating your expenditure back may lead you to lower weight loss, but subject to your net intake over the course of a day may lead to other side effects. While it's as simple as energy out exceeding energy in the balance (or loss) comes from all body tissues, not just fat. If your net consumption is too low then your body will be cannibalising muscle or organs as well as fat.

For the majority of women the lower limit for net intake is around 1200 calories, so aim to eat back enough that you're netting at least that.

All that said personally I only account for defined training; running, rowing, cycling. I don't account for the walk to and from work (200 cals per day) or heading up and down several flights of stairs each day at work. That means I have to be a bit more religious about eating back my training expenditure as there is a reasonable amount of unaccounted for expenditure already.