fast food and a seperate question..

Fast food... I suppose you can, but watch your fat, sodium, etc. Fast food is FULL of stuff you don't want.

Calories. Some people eat them back, some eat half, some don't eat any. Just make sure you're eating enough that your body isn't starving.

It is possible to eat fast food and lose weight, but not likely to be very healthy. At most fast food places, the options that are labeled "healthy" have pretty much the same nutrients as the rest of the options.

A small fast food meal once in a while is okay (but I would say no to the oversized "value" meals ... way too much fat and sodium). I wouldn't got even once a week though. A small cheeseburger, fries, and drink are going to cost you close to 1000 calories and have not a lot of nutrients, so to stay under your daily goal you'd need to skimp on stuff that will have the nutrients you need. Make it once or twice a month instead.

And I suggest eating back most of the calories from exercising. When you are regularly active, it boosts your overall metabolism, so you even burn more calories when you sleep. And then the exercise also burns calories while you're doing it. You can stay a couple hundred calories under the goal (after it's adjusted for exercise) if you want. You'll loose a bit faster. But don't drop too much below too often.

Yes, with the fast food you need to watch exactly what nutritional value you're getting. Most of it is very high in fat and sodium and not very healthy.

The way the site is set up, you eat back your exercise calories. It's not allowing you to "overeat", it's simply programmed to keep you fueled and getting the minimum requirements.

It's important to be eating at least 1200 net calories so your body doesn't starve. I noticed some people don't want to eat back the calories they just burned, but if you're only eating 1200 cal per day and burning off 400 or more, your body is only getting 800 cal...which is not enough to keep it running healthy for very long.

Watch what you eat from any source! As long as you are eating within your calories/fat/sodium/carbs you will be fine! As for the calories for working out... just eat what you need Don't worry if you eat them all one day and then few or none the next. Your body should be telling you on days you really work hard that you need a few extra calories. drink water too.

I supposed anything in moderation is ok....
With that said , fast food is FULL of preservatives and junk that is NOT good for your body! I gave up fast food a while ago...and I dont miss it! One time I was doing a SERIOUS spring cleaning and I found a part of a mcdonalds cheesburger that my son (who was 2 and a 1/2 at the time) had stuck in one of the grooves on my wine rack. I found it a good 6 weeks later (if not more) and it still looked like it did the day I bought it....except it was as hard as stone! That is how much preservatives they load those things with....that thing should have been rotten and smelly long before I found it! Now some places have better choices, like salads and oatmeal, etc...and if that is all your ordering then I'm sure its fine! But twice a week is often to put all that junk in your body! It's not just the fat and calories that hurt your body!

OP, yes, please eat them. MFP already has you set up with a calorie deficit so you could lose weight without exercise. Not eating those calories will make the deficit too large and your body won't be getting the fuel it needs. You should at least be eating a good percentage of them, anyway.

Personally I try to avoid it all costs. Every few weeks I'll make a concerted effort to go and get my "fix" when my mindset is right and I can use it as a meal without splurging a whole days worth of calories. But even if I had the free money to go daily to pick "healthy" stuff, it's only tempting fate. Majority of the healthy stuff they advertise is still really bad for you. The amounts of sodium packed into their foods is terrible. All of the complex carbs, fats and such just slow your metabolism down and aren't fueling your body with what it needs. You may be able to stay under your calorie goal, but you're going to feel sluggish and tired.

This is a common question on here when people are new. There is no need to try to make anyone feel stupid for asking.

Thank you. That answer was totally unnecessary

OP eat in moderation. The health nuts will tell you all fast food is bad. It's not the best option but is fine in moderation. I eat Nasi Goreng once a week and I LOVE it. And I rarely gain. Make sure to drink more water on days you do it as you'll have higher sodium and need to flush it out.