srsly, what the heck?

I know what you mean.....thats why I dont really log my workouts on here. I will punch them in to see the cals burned, then not save it. Or if I do, I will ONLY eat my 1500 allotted calories. I refuse to eat back the calories I burnt off, it seems ridicuously redundant and pointless.

Exercise is very important - it keeps you from losing muscle, lowers cholesterol, strengthens bones, helps with depression... the list goes on and on and on! Personally I love being able to eat more when I exercise - I don't feel like I'm dieting or depriving myself at all.

Check out these links:

7 benefits of regular physical activity: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676

The incredible benefits of regular exercise (geared toward teens but applies to everyone): http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-exercise

Top 60 benefits of exercising: http://www.busywomensfitness.com/exercise-benefits.html

I have to exercise to get the protein I need in.

I know what you mean.....thats why I dont really log my workouts on here. I will punch them in to see the cals burned, then not save it. Or if I do, I will ONLY eat my 1500 allotted calories. I refuse to eat back the calories I burnt off, it seems ridicuously redundant and pointless.

MFP already gives you your calorie deficit to lose weight in that 1500 calories/day. When you burn more, you're increasing your deficit - possibly to unhealthy levels. That is why you're supposed to eat most of your exercise calories. Over time, having too high of a deficit can slow your metabolism and cause health problems. Please read this post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/69708-calorie-deficit-for-dummies-a-little-long

I know what you mean.....thats why I dont really log my workouts on here. I will punch them in to see the cals burned, then not save it. Or if I do, I will ONLY eat my 1500 allotted calories. I refuse to eat back the calories I burnt off, it seems ridicuously redundant and pointless.

Depending on how many calories you burn through your exercise, you may be getting less nutrition than you need. The body needs a certain amount of calories to function properly. If you get less your metabolism will slow, you stop burning fat, start storing it instead, and you will also risk damage to your organs. Eating your exercise calories is extremely important if you want to remain healthy.

You need to burn more then you put in.......The food that you do put back in should be something low calorie that your body is going to use (Like Proteins, Amino Acids or good carbs)........

You're already eating less, MFP figures in a calorie deficit, most likely around 500. So say you need 1700 calories a day to MAINTAINE your weight, you need to eat 1200 calories a day to lose 1 pound a week.

So since you're already eating less, if you didn't eat back what you burn, your body would get THAT MUCH LESS food, and to our bodies, food = fuel. If you burn 400 calories but don't eat them back while eating a 1200 calorie diet, your body is only getting 800 calories and that is not enough to function on and you can actually stay the same or gain weight because your body will be hanging on to every ounce of fat it can to survive.

Sure you could just eat 1200 calories a day and not exercise, that may make you skinny, but you won't be healthy, and you'll likely have flabby skin and no muscle. Plus, knowing you can eat back your exercise calories serves as a good motivation for many people (myself included) to get that work out in.

One pound = 3,500 calories

So if you want to lose one pound per week, than you have to eat 3,500 calories less a week and/or burn that many calories with exercise. If you workout, you can eat some of the calories back, but you don't have too. If I have a really intense workout, I might need more than 1,200 calories that day. I think that is why that feature is built into this program.

If you don't eat the calories back, you will lose weight faster but you do not want to starve yourself! If you burn 3,500 calories a week through working out and eat 1,200 calories a day, you will probably lose 2 pounds a week.

Hope this makes sense!

There are a number of links in a folder saved at the top of the General Diet and Weight Loss thread that explain why it is recommended that one eats one's exercise calories.

You can lose weight through dieting alone, but it can mess with your metabolism. Exercise helps to ramp up the metabolism, making it easier to burn fat.

Here's link to one of the threads that has been saved in the folder labeled, Newbies Please Read Me...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

You don't actually have to workout to lose weight; however, the experts claim that people who do workout tend to stay on the health kick longer than people that don't workout. Eating only 1200 calories a day gives you a sizable calorie deficit, and you will lose weight. On the other hand, you do need an hour and a half of physical activity a day. Exercise is a subset of physical activity. The quickest way to get in that physical activity is through exercising. The amount of calories you need to stay at your current weight is BMR X physical activity. Exercise helps out your heart, makes better use of your oxygen, tones up the body, and does a lot of other good stuff, but it won't cause you to lose weight. Weight-loss comes from the calorie deficit you create. If you're set to lose 2 pounds a week, this means your calorie deficit is around 1000 calories a day. If you exercise and don't eat those exercise calories, you're increasing that deficit even more, and that can be dangerous. So, if you refuse to eat those exercise calories and you're already dealing with a calorie deficit of a 1000, maybe you should think about not exercising for safety reasons. The last thing anybody wants is for you to pass out behind the wheel of your car from starvation.

Remember, to all the people angry about eating those exercise calories, losing the weight is only the beginning of the battle on keeping fit. When you've lost all the weight you've wanted to lose, you have to begin the maintenance mode; and if you're not practicing safe practices in the weight-loss mode, then I doubt you will be able to maintain your current weight. Eating those exercise calories should be treated like a reward and not a punishment for doing a good job. Eating right is 80 percent of your weight-loss battle and physical activity is 20 percent. Exercise, a subset of physical activity, ensures that you get the required amount of physical activity needed for the day.