Am I calculating it wrong?

You are correct. The two pounds a week is just an estimate. You may lose a little more or a little less each week.

But you have to eat that 1200 calories a day (or you go into starvation mode) and any extra exercise (depending on what it is and the amount) you get extra calories on the top of it

I am on a 1200 calorie a day intake and I work out everyday and I have to actually look at my reports to see if I have taken a day off. I try to do that every week just to give things a break. I am not a big fan of eating back my exercise calories, although, sometimes it is nice to have those extra calories on the carbs and fat end of things. I find that just by exercising, it balances those things out for me. If I tried to eat back my workout calories, my carbs and fat would be over just to eat them back....not worth it to me. I average 2 lbs. a week...in that area.... by eating my 1200 a day and working out. I get very little exercising outside of actually exercising though. I am a home body and don't go out more than maybe 2 or 3 times a week for groceries, to pay bills, or to go get bottled water. I think I am different than most others though.

But you have to eat that 1200 calories a day (or you go into starvation mode) and any extra exercise (depending on what it is and the amount) you get extra calories on the top of it

Thanks ! Now it makes sense but u find it hard to eat exactly 1200 without exercise, I usually have 60 or less remaining, is that still bad?

1200 is a generally accepted guide, it's not a magic number. Depending on lots of factors (height, age, activity level, current weight), for some people even that may be too low. I'm not sure if I fully understand when you say "you have 60 or less left" but if you mean that you are regularily hitting 1140 to 1200 you should be ok.

Just remember: MFP calculates a calorie deficit for you already. The number you should be aiming for is that number (the net calorie)

So if your goal is 1200 per day and you burn 400 exercising then you actually have 1600 as your allowance for the day to maintain your 1200 goal.

Calories consumed minus calories burned = net calories

So using the above example:
1200 - 400 = 800 (too low)
1200 - 400 burnt from exercise + 400 additional calories consumed = 1600 consumed but 1200 calories net

I hope that is a bit clear.

To put it simply: the more we exercise, the more we get to eat :bigsmile:

Dont forget you actually burn calories sitting in front of a computer reading this...about 50 calories per hour I would guess in your case (but its only a guess). instead of sitting down if you were to do some exercise for a hour and use say 250 calories... you must deduct the 50 calories you would have burnt anyway by doing nothing, so that would mean you had burnt 250 - 50 = 200.

Dont be a scale slave !......when i was younger (yes I was young once ) and very very slim and fit , my weight could go up and down per day depending on many factors. If you have been starving yourself and then you start eating your bodys weight could go up for a couple of days or weeks (we are all different) until it adjusts itself.

Woman of course have other factors to look at like your "monthly" menstrual cycle which does not necessarily take place once a month. The average menstrual cycle time for women is 28 days, but your cycle may vary anywhere from 20 to 42 days and still be considered normal, but can cause water retention...so on the scales it looks like you are not losing weight !

I wouldnt worry about weight gain or loss over a short period, but look say over a week or two.......try eating all your claories back over a period of say a month and see what happens......and dont forget if you are doing strength training you will put on lean muscle which is denser than fat so your weight might go up slighyly but you will look more athletic.

I weigh 315 lbs and so have got loads to lose.....its very frusrationing for me not to see the scales move for a few days...I now weigh myself (or try) just once a week on a monday mourning first thing as soon as I get out of bed.

Hoping this helps

I am talking about the theory of eating back calorie's .......in other words she would not have to eat back 250 calories only 200 as she would have burnt 50 if she was to do nothing anyway...............you dont eat back your calories of ever hour you just sit do you..as MFP works it out for you

So sorry but I was right !