So you should eat all your exercise calories???

This is a really touchy subject - some people eat them back and some don't. Personally, I exercise quite a bit - my target net calories is 1200 but I usually end up with additional 600-800 each day that I can work with from doing all of the exercise (except Sundays, because that's my rest day). I find that if I eat 1500 calories worth of food that I am good (I don't feel hungry, I don't have a headache, I have enough energy for all of the things I need to do each day), but I made a deal with myself that if I pass 1500 and I am still hungry that I can eat the rest of my calories as long as they are raw fruits and veggies (mainly because we always have fruits and veggies in the house and they are pretty healthy). I am steadily losing weight, usually one to two pounds per week and I feel good on this system - mind you I am pretty careful not to spend many of my calories on processed or junk food, if any at all and I drink a substantial amount of water.

I think the main thing is that you feel okay. If you aren't eating enough of your calories back you are going to feel tired and miserable and your metabolism might even slow down and work against you which is totally counterproductive. When I first started I didn't eat any of them back and had this experience - I finally took a leap of faith, started eating some of them back and was pleasantly surprised by the result.

Calorie deficit is already factored in. If your exercise calories are accurate and you "eat them back", you will be honoring your deficit. If you don't eat them back, you will be making your deficit larger. If you run too large a deficit for a while, you will run into problems. Best course of action is to hit your NET calorie target every day. This means eating exercise calories.

More info in the FAQ http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/457-unofficial-mfp-faq

Calorie deficit is already factored in. If your exercise calories are accurate and you "eat them back", you will be honoring your deficit. If you don't eat them back, you will be making your deficit larger. If you run too large a deficit for a while, you will run into problems. Best course of action is to hit your NET calorie target every day. This means eating exercise calories.

More info in the FAQ http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/457-unofficial-mfp-faq

^^^THIS^^^

I can't lie, I exercise so that I can have more calories!! I don't always eat all of them back, but I do eat the majority of them.

LOL Jecka! I do that sometimes too. But I generally try to eat a good portion of my exercise calories because your body needs that fuel that you burned up (at least from what I think I know) you eat too many or too little calories and you end up gaining weight at least I do anyway.

usually the only time I don't eat them all back is on days I have a really high burn and I just can't eat enough without pouting in junk food. If I end under on any other day, it is likely less than 100 calories. I physically can't eat within a few hours of bedtime as I get heartburn if I do so u try to stack my meals if I know I'm going to have a high burn but it doesn't always happen.