Question on how the exercise deficit works?

terrym123
terrym123 Posts: 4
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone, I am very new, 4 days into this, and I am a bit confused about how the exercise counter works with your calorie intake. I thought if you set your daily caloric goal, let's say to 1200, then the object is to burn most of what your food intake is? When I add my exercise in for the day it adds additional calories onto the daily calorie goal, allowing me to eat more, can someone please explain what I am missing? Thank you!

Replies

  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
    when you sign up, it asks you how much weight you want to lose and what your regular activity level is, then MFP gives you a calorie goal based on that, so already creates a deficit without exercise. When you exercise and burn more calories, you should eat some back to make it a NET of 1200 so that your body knows it will receive fuel for activity. You already burn at least 1200 calories, probably, just by breathing and pumping blood.

    Thats how it was explained to me, anyway.
  • terrym123
    terrym123 Posts: 4
    Thank you for your reply! So If I burn 1000 calories I need to eat back 1000 calories?
  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
    Thank you for your reply! So If I burn 1000 calories I need to eat back 1000 calories?

    Not necessarily. Say your calories are set at 1200 and you burn 1000, you should probably eat 800 of that back at least. I keep seeing "you MUST net 1200 calories", but some people on here say they do not eat their exercise calories. My opinion is, if 1200 calories is your base without exercise, you should try to eat most of your exercise calories back just for nutrition and energy. But like me, my calorie goal is set to 1650, so I rarely eat all my exercise calories b/c I just try to net at least 1200. So I typically have around 400 calories left in the day.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    Your NET calories (on your home page) should be as close to the daily goal MFP set for you as possible.

    Your REMAINING calories (on your homepage and food diary page) should be as close to zero as possible.

    MFP builds in a deficit for you based on the information you gave it: height, weight, lifestyle, goal weight loss, etc.. All you need to do is follow the calorie goals it gives you.
  • terrym123
    terrym123 Posts: 4
    Thank you both so very much!
  • icclewu
    icclewu Posts: 9
    thank you soo much for explaining this.
    :bigsmile:
    xx
  • ernurse77
    ernurse77 Posts: 73 Member
    I am honestly still so confused on this. For years, I have been told that if you are on a 1200 calorie diet, then you only eat 1200 calories regardless of your activity level. I have no clue why this is so hard for me to get.

    On a different note, I enjoy seeing how many more calories I can get in a day. However, I rarely eat any of the exercise calories back.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    Iam honestly still so confused on this. For years, I have been told that if you are on a 1200 calorie diet, then you only eat 1200 calories regardless of your activity level. I have no clue why this is so hard for me to get.

    Most calorie counting/diet website figure your planned exercise into your calorie allowance; if you plan to exercise 5 days a week, they take those 5 days of presumed calories and add them to your weekly count (divided by 7 to get your daily number).

    MFP does not do this. They give you a caloric discount based on no exercise. If you never exercise, and follow their plan, you'll lose weight. MFP adds exercise calories into your caloric budget only when you actually do the exercise. Therefore, you should eat them back.
  • matwood74
    matwood74 Posts: 111
    I'm so glad I read this, thank you for the info!!!! I always have calories left..... but I exercise almost
    every day. I always have over 500 calories left, I'm not sure that's a good thing now!! Confusing!!
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