what are exercise calories?

i do not quite understand. i thought that 3500 calories less equal one pound lost. so what does this mean to eat not only your daily allowance of for me, 1284 calories, but eat my exercise calories as well? how does this work to help you lose weight? thank you for your responses.

The daily allowance you're given from my fitness pal (in your case, 1284) is already a deficit of calories for your body. MFP calculates a safe deficit based on all of the factors you gave it when you set your goals and chose a deficit that would help you healthily lose a pound a week or whatever. 1284 is REALLY low on calories to begin with, and then if you go and exercise off 200 more calories, you're even more in a deficit, which can be unhealthy because as nightangelstars mentioned, your body will slow down your metabolism to compensate for the decreased availability of calories. In some cases over prolonged periods of time, too much of a deficit like that and NOT eating your exercise calories back will put your body into starvation mode which means you'll more likely GAIN weight instead of lose it.

Just remember, the daily allowance of calories that MFP tells you ALREADY factors in a huge deficit for your body to help you lose weight. That alone means you'll lose weight. If you exercise, you need to eat those calories back (at least most of them or as much as possible of them!) so that you stay around that area that MFP gave you and don't put yourself into an unhealthy deficit. Your body needs calories as energy to survive.

In some cases over prolonged periods of time, too much of a deficit like that and NOT eating your exercise calories back will put your body into starvation mode which means you'll more likely GAIN weight instead of lose it.

Actually your body can't really put on weight when you're only eating 800 calories a day, you just won't lose or what you do lose will be muscle weight instead of fat. I have a brother-in-law who lost 40 pounds in 3 months by eating 1000 cals a day or less and running a mile or more at least every other day. He looked much thinner but he also looked unhealthy, a little wasted. He has since regained a good portion of the muscle his body used up, thankfully.

I know a lot of people here think that 'starvation mode' will cause gain instead of loss and I just wanted to point that out quick.

I really personally feel that there is more to the starvation mode thing than really any of us can answer. First all of our bodies are different and will handle calories, and fat and muscle all very differently. But if anyone is truly concerned with their calories SEE YOUR DOCOTOR and get advice from them. Also a specialist would be a great avenue. Enjoy the weekend!!! :flowerforyou:

thank you for your responses. MFP recommends 1284 calories a day, that is with five aerobic classes, and three yoga classes of exercise figured in. by caloric intake averages just around that, sometimes a little over 1300, and sometimes around 1200. i have seen my doctor and he says i am at the top of the weight scale - 5 - 4in and now 150 lbs today, but it has taken me four months to lose four pounds, and i am following everything religiously. also, i even joined an adventure boot camp for a month but did not even lose a pound. i did lose some inches though. thyroid and health are excellent. so, this is why i feel rather discouraged but i keep doing what i am doing, but i might be missing something . . . but what is it? any other ideas from all of you is most appreciative.

What do you have your daily activity level set at? Such as active, sedentary...etc.

When I first joined I thought I was to add ALL of my days activities in that selection. NOPE....I learned along the way that excercise is very seperate than what you do for a living each day etc. What you do at the gym is in addition to what your level of activity is. Perhaps you have yours set up differently than your daily activity indicates?? Dunno...just a thought.

The MOST you should be looking at losing given the small amount you wish to lose is 1/2 pound a week. It is simply going to take a while to lose 20 pounds. You're not going to do it in a month or two or even three.

AND, 1200 or 1300 is WAY TOO FEW CALORIES.

1200 is a extreme amount that should only be used by those with a lot to lose.

You need to reset your goal to 1/2 pound a week or less and go from there. Otherwise, your body isn't going to want to lose any weight because the simply fact is, you are not feeding it enough now and it will hold onto whatever you eat to simply keep functioning.

Please read the posts linked below--they will answer most if not all your questions.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/12250-1000-calorie-deficit-not-for-people-with-healthy-bmi

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/20035-just-because-you-can-have-a-2-pound-per-week-goal

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/new/9614-newbies-please-read-me

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6832-eating-all-of-your-calories-bmr

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/8977-your-body-s-thoughts-on-calories

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/777-why-is-starvation-mode-so-bad

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/8199-off-to-a-slow-start-actually-still-at-starting-gate

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6737-true-confessions-from-a-slow-learner

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9007-bmr-ma-because-of-the-answers-to-the-questions

I know if you go too low, you'll deprive your body. But can you go low one day to compensate a big day before?
MFP tells me my daily goal is 1490 calories. Yesterday I took a friend out to dinner for her birthday at Olive Garden and I overate my calories by about 500. Can I undereat today by 500? (which would put me around 1000.) as long as I don't continue eating below for any length of time and go back to my goal calories tomorrow?

my activity level is set at slightly active. i went in and just played around with it a few minutes ago and changed it to sedentary and then to very active. . . fyi, nothing changed. i found that rather surprising. What I am starting to believe is that maybe I just have not really fed my body properly prior to starting the program and maybe it just is stuck. Now I am really keeping track with MFP all of my nutrition, maybe it will just take some time for my body to get off some sort of set point. I just need to keep motivated and keep doing what I am doing. Because . . . I know I am doing all of the right things, but some times it does take time to see the results. I just have to continue to believe this. thank y'all.

If one goes in and change activity level it should show in the daily calorie intake a member would need.

So when you went in as you said for a 'few minutes'...you would need to click save then look to see what calorie difference it gave you to consume each day. I can't imagine why it wouldn't have given you a different amount...that's what it's set up to do...if a person is 'VERY active' in there daily job it would vary the amount of daily calories than if say a person was 'very sedentary'..........

i read your post and then re-entered the information just to make sure I did not make an error. It still read the same thing, including the amount of carbs, etc. based on 2 lbs. a week loss, and 5 - 30 minute workouts. i am 5 - 4 and 150 lb. try it and see if you get the same results. . .

The work outs are ONLY for your records...not figured into the calories you should eat each day!

I learned this the hard way. I worked out 200 cals a day, ate 1200 cals a day and lost nothing. Read Banks post, whined on here a week, then ate my exercise calories and viola, lost 2 pounds.

I am 47 yrs old, 146 pounds now, and am losing about 1/2 pound a week, steady. I do cardio, strength training and eat all my exercise calories.

Good luck!!:flowerforyou: