My take on exercise calories (please read if you are new!!)

couple of things here. Firstly, yes, if you just walk into your doctors office and tell him "I'm trying to lose weight, so I'm exercising to burn X calories and then eating those calories back." of course he/she is going to question your methods. That's why you first must explain that MFP assigns you a calorie deficit regardless of whether you exercise or not. If you do so, and tell your doctor that you're planning to lose X number of lbs a week and will be eating at a Y deficit to do so, and exercising will be extra calories, then I'll bet he/she changes their tune.
@FK, if you think it's wrong to do this, then I suggest that you maybe don't fully understand the model that MFP uses. MFP works, trust me, I've analyzed this method up and down, and as a personal trainer, I understand the in's and outs of exercise and calorie burn. Whether or not you lost weight using a different method is irrelevant (and I'm not belittling your success, I congratulate you for it wholeheartedly), the method espoused by MFP is perfectly valid and healthy. I submit that it's actually more healthy than most plans if you set your plan up correctly as it forces you to think not only about gross calories (a mistake many make) but NET calories, which is far more relevant to weight loss.

Aside from that, I would also like to give you an open offer to confer with me in private email as to your other concepts, there are some things you should probably know that it sounds like you may not be aware of.

best wishes,

-Banks

the reason why I posted is because you implied, rather strenuously, that the mfp way didn't work. I.E. you said

QUOTE:

"Someone finally sees sense!
The whole exercise calories thing is the only part I really don't like on this site, you go to your doctor and tell them your going to work off 500 calories just to eat them all back a few hours later, he would think you are mad....

I never have and NEVER will, 107lbs down in 6 months shows you don't have to eat them back to get results, and no, I haven't lost any muscle mass, I've gained loads of muscle over the last few months! "

Now, regardless of what you meant, read this back and really look at it. To the impartial observer, you are basically saying that eating exercise calories is "mad" (first paragraph)
and
the remainder makes it sound like you don't think the method works at all.

All I'm requesting is to please be aware that this site is built around a method, a method that works, you can choose to use it or not, but cheering someone on (I.E. you said "Someone finally sees sense!") for denouncing our method is just not very forum friendly IMHO.
If you want to use other methods for weight loss, fine, I'm glad you can find a way that works for you. But please try to refrain from denigrating the method that this site is built around.

regards,
Banks

respectfully,

I quoted you on every point I made, so I don't believe I put words in your mouth. I think I clearly stated that the implications of your original post were that you were agreeing with the fact that someone else doesn't eat exercise calories. If that wasn't what you were doing, please correct me. For the record, I stated throughout my reply that you are entitled to your opinion. I don't know why you would think that I said otherwise. Again I'm simply saying that in the context of MFP, exercise calories are not built into the program that this site uses, they are add-ons, and as such I am only asking that you be mindful of that when you make replies like your first one. I make no judgement, and am attempting to force no strategy on anyone. If someone wants to use MFP for the calorie counter alone, and use a different formula for their calorie deficit, that's perfectly fine, but that's not how this site implements it's plan, and as such, it can be extremely confusing to new members just looking to learn the system. I have those new members in mind when I make these requests.

I am curious as to how this supposedly works for those who burn 8,000 or more calories in exercise per week. The volume alone makes it nearly impossible to "replace" all of those calories.

I cycle 5 times per week--last week was 9 hours on the bike, and 135 miles cycles. In my own case, MFP has suggested I eat 1600 calories per day to achieve 1 lb of weight loss per week, based on having a "lightly active" BMR. There are days when I burn 2000 or more calories cycling. On days like that, I'll probably eat 2000 calories (gross, not net), which still leaves me waaaay in negative land. Am I starving myself? I wouldn't think so...