eating back exercise calories question?

Nope! Think of it like money. Say you want to save $3,000 this month. You get $1,300 a day, but for some crazy reason you HAVE to spend $1,200 each day (Say for rent and bills) Now, if you only spend that 1200 a day, you will still save your $3000 by the end of the month. But you also can work for extra money. So one day, you work really hard and made an extra $500! Woohoo! But, you spent a lot of gas getting to work that day and need some more. There are a few things you can do. 1.) Ignore that you used gas, and save all $500. This will lead to an empty tank and you'll run out of fuel. 2.) You can get all the gas you want, and hey, why not get premium and spoil yourself. After all, you earned that extra $500. Might as well spend it all! Of course, nothing really happens this way. You will reach your goal in one month still. 3.) You can spend a little bit to make sure you don't run out of fuel and save the rest. This results in you having enough gas to get through the day, and at the end of the month, you'll have extra money saved!!

Hope that makes sense. I was worried to eat the exercise calories back until one day i was STARVING. I remembered to add my exercise for the day and got an extra 900 calories. I ate until I was no longer hungry, and actually ate 900 calories when I totaled it up. I try to save some if I can, but it's ok to eat them back.

Nope! Think of it like money. Say you want to save $3,000 this month. You get $1,300 a day, but for some crazy reason you HAVE to spend $1,200 each day (Say for rent and bills) Now, if you only spend that 1200 a day, you will still save your $3000 by the end of the month. But you also can work for extra money. So one day, you work really hard and made an extra $500! Woohoo! But, you spent a lot of gas getting to work that day and need some more. There are a few things you can do. 1.) Ignore that you used gas, and save all $500. This will lead to an empty tank and you'll run out of fuel. 2.) You can get all the gas you want, and hey, why not get premium and spoil yourself. After all, you earned that extra $500. Might as well spend it all! Of course, nothing really happens this way. You will reach your goal in one month still. 3.) You can spend a little bit to make sure you don't run out of fuel and save the rest. This results in you having enough gas to get through the day, and at the end of the month, you'll have extra money saved!!

Hope that makes sense. I was worried to eat the exercise calories back until one day i was STARVING. I remembered to add my exercise for the day and got an extra 900 calories. I ate until I was no longer hungry, and actually ate 900 calories when I totaled it up. I try to save some if I can, but it's ok to eat them back.

This is about the best explanation I have heard! Are you a teacher, Back2Baasic?

I have to agree-the best explaination so far! Thank you Back2Basic

That is the only way this whole thing has made sense to me. Back2Basic - thank you!

Thanks! That explains it pretty well! I was HUNGRY today and caved and ate more food. Still, I came in under my calories.

If you have set your calories according to MFP you already have a calorie deficit and should be meeting that goal and eating those exercise calories!!

Nope! Think of it like money. Say you want to save $3,000 this month. You get $1,300 a day, but for some crazy reason you HAVE to spend $1,200 each day (Say for rent and bills) Now, if you only spend that 1200 a day, you will still save your $3000 by the end of the month. But you also can work for extra money. So one day, you work really hard and made an extra $500! Woohoo! But, you spent a lot of gas getting to work that day and need some more. There are a few things you can do. 1.) Ignore that you used gas, and save all $500. This will lead to an empty tank and you'll run out of fuel. 2.) You can get all the gas you want, and hey, why not get premium and spoil yourself. After all, you earned that extra $500. Might as well spend it all! Of course, nothing really happens this way. You will reach your goal in one month still. 3.) You can spend a little bit to make sure you don't run out of fuel and save the rest. This results in you having enough gas to get through the day, and at the end of the month, you'll have extra money saved!!

Hope that makes sense. I was worried to eat the exercise calories back until one day i was STARVING. I remembered to add my exercise for the day and got an extra 900 calories. I ate until I was no longer hungry, and actually ate 900 calories when I totaled it up. I try to save some if I can, but it's ok to eat them back.

This is about the best explanation I have heard! Are you a teacher, Back2Baasic?

I agree I get so confused when I start reading about all this but this made sense to me THANKS!

This is a must read for those reluctant to eat their exercise calories back!

I usually eat most of the exercise calories back each day, otherwise I'd be starving too, and bingeing on junk I don't need.

I too would starve if I didn't eat the exercise calories. I wear a pedometer to make sure I maintain the lightly active level I chose in the MFP set-up. I am losing weight.

I agree that this is the best explanation I've read on the topic.