Calories Earned from Working Out

A calorie deficit is already calculated for you. So even if you don't exercise you'll still lose weight. You need to eat your exercise calories so that your body has enough nutrition and "fuel" to function properly. You will still lose weight at your desired rate (assuming you calculated your burn correctly) if you eat them.

From what i have read in other posts....the number of calories that MFP gives you to eat in a day already INCLUDES your calorie deficit. Therefore when you work out and burn off more calories, you need to replace them in order to build your calories back up to the original number (or at least very close to it). If you dont, then you may put your body into starvation mode and will end up not losing anything. Trust me it to me quite a while and alot of trial and error to figure this out. Good Luck :-)

Yes you should eat those. MFP gives you the deficit to lose weight without any exercise. You would only gain if you were eating above maintenance calories before exercise... but MFP has you on a reduced calorie intake, assuming you selected losing weight as your goal. Read these posts:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/69708-calorie-deficit-for-dummies-a-little-long

I'm not 100%, but what I am learning from others is that you need to eat your exercise calories because MFP has already calculated your base required calories and if you eat less then that your body would go into starvation mode. Example: if you need 1200 calories per day and you burn 600 and not eat them back you would only be taking in 600 calories - your body needs at least 900 to function! I hope that makes sense. You will find what works for you as you go along. Good Luck!

Thank you for posting this question, I had it all wrong and now will make an effort to eat my workout calories or at least some of them...

According to the Nutritionists that I've talked to or that friends have gone to the concept is Calories in Calories out. If you don't replace or eat the calories you burn but eat the recommended daily 1200 to 1500 Cals you run the potential of losing more than the standard 1 to 2 pounds per week. Now if you're only eating 1200 calories and you're burning close to 1000 a day you're probably naturally feeling hungry and going over into the "burned" calories is perfectly acceptable. Listen to your body is what my personal trainer told me. Naturally you're going to feel hungry since our bodies are used to a gross over amount of intake per day but the idea is to pair that down and if possible stick to your allotted Calories, however if you're lethargic grabbing some veggies or fruit is a great idea. I don't particularly know how the "site" works but I do know that the idea of Calories out versus Calories in is what I've been advised over and over and over again. Now if I can stick to the idea.....

MFP calculates you base metabolic rate, i.e. the number of calories you would need to maintain your current weight given you daily output WITHOUT exercising. It then creates a calorie deficit that is enough for you to loose the weight at the rate you set. So by staying inside your calories you will loose at that rate.

When you exercise it allows you to eat your exercise calories. Whether you choose to do this is up to you. If you do not your deficit will be higher and you will loose weight at a faster rate. If you eat some you will still loose a bit faster and if you eat them all you will stay at your 2lbs a week weight loss. This of course all depends on you accurately recording your exercise and in take.

As many people have said having an extremely low calorie diet for a long time will slow you metabolism as your body starts to store what it can as it isn't getting much. Whether or not this "starvation mode" level is 1200 calories net I think is different for each person - I regularly net less than 1200 and haven't experienced any plateau's etc.

Basically I follow this simple rule; if I am hungry I eat as many of my exercise calories are necessary for me not to be. If I'm not I don't - I do aim to eat at least 1200 cals TOTAL a day though.

Good luck x