Why am I given more calories to my daily allowance once I wo

1300 is already a reduced amount of calories, and you'll lose weight if you eat your 1300. But if you exercise, say you burned 500 calories, then you're asking your body to run on only 800 calories. That's too low. So, in short, exercise buys you more calories to eat because you are already at a deficit...trust me, it may sound crazy but it totally works!

You can choose to eat back your "excercise" calories if you want too.
Some folks do and some do not!

I see how I feel, some days I don't need them and other days I do. Or I just want a treat!

The choice is yours.

toots99 posted a great link about this. This question is asked all the time. MFP calculates your targeted weight loss per week into your daily calories. Your body needs fuel to run. If you eat your 1300 calories, and then you exercise say 400 of them, you have only supplied your body with 900 calories for that day. Not good. For example: I'm pretty heavy so the calories my body needs to maintain my current weight is over 3,000. Well...to lose 1 1/2 pound per week it gives me a number lower than that to consume each day. Any exercise calories should be eaten back. (I usually eat back about 80% of them) My weight loss has been constant and steady and that is the way to go to lose weight and keep it off for good.

Its all about your net calories or total calories in minus total calories out (exercise). If you're on your homepage there's an equation at the top that adds and subtracts the numbers so you can see. The calories that MFP keeps track of is your net calories. And thats true that you do want a calorie deficit, but thats already built into the program when you told it how much weight and how fast you want to loose it. So don't worry about making the calorie deficit by not eating what you exercise, its already taken into account

think of calories as money....say you want to save money and your daily amount is 2000 dollars (calories) and you want to save 700 dollars...that leaves you 1300 dollars to use for the day.....NOW say that you go and mow lawns and get paid 500 dollars...well you have already set back you savings so this is basically FREE money If you are giving your body 1200 calories and saying here run on this and then you BURN 500 calories then you have really only given your body 700 calories for the day and you will lose but alot slower than if you ate the extra....I hope this helps lol I think I made myself dizzy hehe

if you programmed it with your stats, it should be pretty accurate...

3500 calories equals one pound. Depending on how much you currently weigh and how fast you want to lose, MFP is set up for you to have a 500 or 700 calorie deficit each day. that equals 1 to 2 pounds per week on dieting alone.

Also, what should be stressed here is that you are consistently running on only 800 calories each day (1300 in, 500 burned for example), your body's metabolism will slow down and you will actually lose less. Your body will go into preservation mode and try to hold on to your body weight for protection. This is why, upon clicking "complete this entry" if you are under your target a warning will be displayed.

Thanks!! Because I didnt understand that either! Makes sooo much sense now lol