Beginner Question

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daryl88
daryl88 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey!

I'm wanting to loose some weight but I'm a bit confused on one aspect of it. Instead of reading loads of articles I'd speak to some actual people about it!

Obviously I know you should reduce your calorie intake and you should excercise to burn calories.

According to My Fitness Pal I should be aiming for 1320 calories a day. That's fine. What I don't understand about loosing weight is. If I was to eat 1320 calories today. Can I burn, say, 300 calories of that off with excercise? Or am I then basically starving my body of fuels? Should I eat more so I can excercise the excess off? It all confuses me.

Thanks!
Daryl

Replies

  • dlaizure
    dlaizure Posts: 4 Member
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    When you log your exercise, like you log your food, the program will give you more calories for the day.
  • boomstick13s
    boomstick13s Posts: 70
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    i eat back at least half of my exercise calories because i'm starving without them and feel miserable.
  • daryl88
    daryl88 Posts: 2
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    Ok thanks for the replies!

    So if my goal is 1320 a day. If I ate excactly 1320 but then burned off 320. Would that mean it would tell me I'm allowed 320 calories more to eat? Am I aiming to just stay at my goal no matter what? If I over eat I just excercise until it's back at the goal?
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
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    The goal calories are the net calories you should consume each day to reach the goal you input into MFP. So, if you want to lose 1 pound a week, the current goal would be 500 less calories a day than it takes to maintain your current weight. That deficit to create the one pound loss has already been figured into your daily goal (1320). Any calories you burn through exercise would create a larger deficit. MFP recommends that you eat them back.

    Healthy weight loss is up to 2 pounds a week. So it would depend on the goals you entered if you should eat back all your exercise calories of if it's ok to eat just some. If you've already set your goal to lose 2 pounds per week, you should be eating most of them back. If your goal is set at only 1 pound loss per week, it's definitely ok to eat less of them back.

    Hope this doesn't make it more confusing.

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