Exercise calories.

I did a search, but could not find an answer to my question. I understand the tank of gas analogy why we need to eat them, but I am not a car and do not work like that. Does anyone have a source I could read why I need to eat them back? I work out at night and do not see why I need to eat all these extra calories when I am just going to sleep. I can understand eating half of them, but why all?

you dont have to eat them after the workout.......surely you should be able to estimate how much you are likely to burn and be able to eat those calories throughout the course of the day.

I did a search, but could not find an answer to my question. I understand the tank of gas analogy why we need to eat them, but I am not a car and do not work like that. Does anyone have a source I could read why I need to eat them back? I work out at night and do not see why I need to eat all these extra calories when I am just going to sleep. I can understand eating half of them, but why all?

Here's the fantastic thing about your body. You can try things out, and see what you're finding successful. In terms of "to eat or not to eat" do what you feel best. There's no need to convince yourself to eat more if you don't want to.

When you plateau, change up whatever you chose to do now. And see what you find most success with/what feels most sustainable in the long run

That is what I read from many of the topics that I searched, but there is a lot of conflicting information so I am trying to sort through it all. I have read a few posts that state with adequate protein intake and resistance training lean body mass will be spared, is that true? I am usually only burning 300 calories tops because I feel that anything over 30 minutes of cardio is just dragging. Thank you for your patience.

Adequate protein intake and resistance training will assist in sparing lean mass. Additionally, obese people will have a greater chance at lean mass sparing (per Lyle McDonalds literature, which I trust). However, lean mass sparing is only part of the reason you'd want to eat back a portion of your exercise calories. You also have to concern yourself with energy levels, sustainability of the diet in the long term, gym performance, hormone levels (leptin, etc), all of which will likely respond better to a moderate deficit vs a large one.

Not eating back exercise calories and using MFP's dietary recommendations (remember-- MFP EXPECTS you to eat them back) would create a LARGE deficit. Eating back a portion would reduce this and I would recommend it for the above reasons, all of which are important regardless of how well you spare lean mass.