MFP Set Calorie Intake

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jessicasager
jessicasager Posts: 66
in Health and Weight Loss
so I set up my goals with my weight, age, etc.. and it says i should have X amount of calories a day. does anyone know, should i be staying UNDER that, or eating that many a day? and what about excercise? I'm just confused on what the guidelines are telling me to do. haha they probably couldnt have made it any simpler, but i'm still a little confused. helpppp :]

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  • jessicasager
    jessicasager Posts: 66
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    so I set up my goals with my weight, age, etc.. and it says i should have X amount of calories a day. does anyone know, should i be staying UNDER that, or eating that many a day? and what about excercise? I'm just confused on what the guidelines are telling me to do. haha they probably couldnt have made it any simpler, but i'm still a little confused. helpppp :]
  • jackeh
    jackeh Posts: 1,515 Member
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    The calories that MFP gives you is what you should be eating a day and if you do exercise you should also be eating all or most of those calories too...
  • laurajane81
    laurajane81 Posts: 75
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    The calories that MFP gives you is what you should be eating a day and if you do exercise you should also be eating all or most of those calories too...

    Ive been on this site just over a week and im always under i work out 3 times a week and never eat the kcals i didnt realize i has to but thanx for posting that ill have to eat more.... not that i dont eat enough im full all day ...x
  • laurajane81
    laurajane81 Posts: 75
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    The calories that MFP gives you is what you should be eating a day and if you do exercise you should also be eating all or most of those calories too...

    Ive been on this site just over a week and im always under i work out 3 times a week and never eat the kcals i didnt realize i has to but thanx for posting that ill have to eat more.... not that i dont eat enough im full all day ...x
  • jessicasager
    jessicasager Posts: 66
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    The calories that MFP gives you is what you should be eating a day and if you do exercise you should also be eating all or most of those calories too...

    LOL so i eat 1200, work 200 off, i should REeat those 200? lol that just seems crazy.. any idea why it works that way?
  • nickybr38
    nickybr38 Posts: 674 Member
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    Your body expends a set amount of energy a day. You eat 1200 calories to replenish that energy.
    When you workout you're working above and beyond your normal expenditure. So you need to feed your body to replace that energy you used up. Thus if you work out and lose 200 calories you need to eat them back so your body stays fueled.

    You'll find working out is a great way to bump up your calorie intake if 1200 isn't enough calories for you in a day. It's also a great way to increase your overall health.

    Anyway, that's the abbreviated version, from what I understand. :happy:
  • MisoSoup79
    MisoSoup79 Posts: 517
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    The calories that MFP gives you is what you should be eating a day and if you do exercise you should also be eating all or most of those calories too...

    LOL so i eat 1200, work 200 off, i should REeat those 200? lol that just seems crazy.. any idea why it works that way?

    Because 1200 is the MINIMUM you need to eat to maintain your body's normal functions while providing enough energy to carry on your daily business. When you work out, you dip into that minimum and steal away vital calories/energy. You have to replenish those or you will start to feel fatigued, take longer to recover and perhaps send signals to your body that you are starving (which will slow your weight loss). MFP assigned you 1200 calories. If you eat 1200 calories EVERY DAY and don't exercise, you will still lose weight because that 1200 is less than what you are burning on a daily basis doing nothing but living.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,049 Member
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    Please go to this thread and read the links. I put them all together because many people have the same questions.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

    :flowerforyou:

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