For those that lost the stubborn last few pounds...

You're not going to lose the weight if you eat back the calories you expended. You have to create a deficit.

You're not going to lose the weight if you eat back the calories you expended. You have to create a deficit.

Maybe this works for you (and if it does, awesome), but just know that this is NOT how MFP is set up. If you've set up your profile correctly, MFP already created a calorie deficit for you...that's why you eat those exercise calories back.

A quick assignment for you...google "calories to lose weight" or something similar. You'll get a gajillion different calculators that will ask for weight, height, etc. See how many calories those instruct you to eat and compare it to what MFP has figured up for you. I'd almost bet you money that other calculators will give you a higher calorie goal than MFP will. If you're following those calculators, you would NOT eat your exercise calories back. If you follow your MFP calorie goal, than really, you should eat (at least some of) the calories back...it's figured lower for a reason (and that's the reason...eat the calories back)

Granted, I'm still struggling to lose my last pound (singular...one pound) before I take a break and then come back to try for another 5-10 more. I've been stuck though for about two months. What I did, and this is a pain in the a** and a little anal...but, I used a few external calculators as well as the MFP number and came up with an average. I figured up my BMR and thats the lowest I go and that's pretty rare. I figured up my TDEE for both sedentary and moderate activity. If I DON'T work out, I try to eat at the calories calculated for weight loss at the sedentary level. if I DO work out, I eat the calories back, but don't go over 2000, which is the TDEE for weight loss at moderate activity. this made sense to me, then I make sure I fuel my body enough and lose weight. The scale appears to moving again, so something is working.

To simplify...if I don't work out, I hover between 1300 and 1400 calories. If I DO work out, I eat them back, just not more than 2000...unless I REALLY push it for the workout. For example...about once weekly I do a long run (a long run for me) - about 9 miles, 1 hr, 50ish minutes. On those days, I usually go over my cap of 2000 a little.

Anyway...if it works for you to eat them back, great, I'd encourage it. If it works for you not to eat them back, then dont...but monitor your body for signs of wellness - fatigue, irritability, hunger, illness etc. Eat more if you need to....at least that way when you're done, your calories are not set so low that you gain back when you start your maintenance level. good luck!

No problem...this stuff works so differently for everybody - but as long as you do in a way that's healthy and possible to maintain, you're all good.