Just burnt 1200 cals on bike. Do I need it all back?

thats a tough one, id just eat until i was full (nothing processed) try to get some protein eat some meat lots of veggies drink a big glass of milk eat until u feel satisfied if that meets the 1200 calories (which i doubt) then just go with what feels right (just my idea, im not an expert)

yes, your body needs fuel. Eat them.

if you want proof, check out my ticker.

if you want more proof, type "exercise calories" into MFP's search box, and spend the night reading the 1234567890 threads we have discussing it.

but the simple, direct answer is, Eat them.

Technically, yes. MFP already has your calorie deficit built-in, regardless of whether you exercise or not. So to maintain the same calorie deficit you should eat back whatever you burned during exercise. Right now, you're at -300 net calories which is incredibly unhealthy (net calories = calories consumed-calories burned). If you're a woman (I didn't look at your profile) you should eat 1,200 NET calories per day (around 1,500 if you're a man). But it's also unwise to eat this much at one sitting so try to eat a well-balanced meal of lean protein, good fat (mono/poly) and carbs. Definitely eat more throughout the day so you don't end up in the same situation again.

I think the recommended daily calories are what you need to consume to hit your target goal for weight loss. Once you hit your target weight your goal for calories will go up to a level to maintain that weight. When you exercise you burn calories. If you are under your target you should lose additional weight or lose it more quickly.

You should be fine, but if you ride 20 miles every day and burn up all of the calories you consume it won't be a problem either. You see, if you burn off all you consume, then eventually your butt won't fit on the bike and you won't be able to burn any more calories and you'll gain the weight back to your ultimate bike riding fitness level. It's kind of auto-magically self leveling that way. LOL

No seriously, just keep doing what you're doing and listen to your body. It'll tell you how much is too much, and how much is not enough, both with the food and the exercise. Confused yet? Yeah, me too. :huh:

>Rob

BTW: Don't forget to drink plenty of water. I found this really cool free app (Drinking Water v.1.2.2 by Nizry) for my Android phone that reminds me to drink throughout the day. Check out Drinking Water on the Android Market! here==> http://t.co/iiGwUMP <==

Not eating your exercise calories will leave you with a huge deficit for today. However, if you're not hungry, I wouldn't force that many calories on yourself this late at night either. One day of having such a large deficit will not hurt you, but I just personally wouldn't make a habit of it every day - but that's me and my own personal opinion, and it's what works well for me. I generally eat back some or all of my exercise calories, but there are days when I don't because I am simply not hungry and refuse to force-feed myself. I usually try to listen to my body, and eat if I am hungry, and don't eat if I am not. If you are hungry, I would say have yourself a well-deserved recovery snack or meal, but if you're not, don't worry about it.