Question about calories!

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IamEMarie
IamEMarie Posts: 13
in Food and Nutrition
Okay so my target calorie intake is 1200 calories a day. I logged by exercise time and it said I earned 384 calories from exercise. Is it okay to utilize those calories even though I may go over my 1200?

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  • cathleen4h
    cathleen4h Posts: 43 Member
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    yes that is totally fine! That is why they tell you how many you earned back!
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    yup - its called eating your exercise calories :) i do it every day..not always all of them but i always try to net 1200
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
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    yes eat them back...if you don't it is like living on only 816 for the entire day! So yes eat them back to have healthy weight losses that don't stall out from under eating.
  • Cr357
    Cr357 Posts: 238
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    yes that is totally fine! That is why they tell you how many you earned back!
    This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  • IamEMarie
    IamEMarie Posts: 13
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    Okay thank you guys! One more question! Can someone explain the net calories to me?
  • choconuts
    choconuts Posts: 208 Member
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    Okay thank you guys! One more question! Can someone explain the net calories to me?

    Calories eaten minus calories burned

    If you eat 1200 calories, and burn 300 calories through exercise--you've only netted 900 for the day. :-)
  • mangorabbit
    mangorabbit Posts: 219 Member
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    If it helps:

    The theory behind it is kind of as follows (to the best of my non-professional opinion...)

    You need roughly 1200 calories a day just to survive - basic body functions: breathing, heartbeat, brain function, some vague moving around...kind of a baseline for the body. MFP allows you to calculate your caloric burn for what you do that is above your selected lifestyle activity level. I think of them as 'bonus calories' - I am not tall, and I like food, so I tend to eat a good portion of mine back most days.

    There is an ongoing debate about 'eat the calories back/don't eat the calories back' and a lot of it is sorting out what works for you in that regard, and sometimes mix it up!

    'I work out so that I can eat more!' ^_^

    Net calories - shows you what you still have INCLUDING the exercise calories as part of your consumable number.

    Goal shows the number you are aiming for each morning, Food shows all food cals for the day, Exercise shows the 'bonus calories you earned for working out, and net shows you your food cals, minus the exercise cals. ^_^
  • IamEMarie
    IamEMarie Posts: 13
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    Okay I think I got it! I think I'm going to like My fitness pal! You guys are great!

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