not using all your calories

Okay I’ve seen a few posts about not using all your calories! Some days I don’t use all my calories, some I do but the days that I’m very active I don’t because I burn a lot and don’t take time to eat. I don’t have time for very many actual work outs or walking because what time I am home I have to spend cleaning up after 2 small children and a husband that don’t help out much because he works long hours and doesn’t sleep well at night so he is lazy when he is not at work, the rest of the time I am taking kids to Gymnastics, or Girl scouts, or Awana, or some other event. So I count cleaning as most of my “workout” (was surprised to see how many calories it says you burn cleaning).:huh: But the point to this is… what if I only use 1300 of my 1550 calories ????? or by the time I clean for 1 ½ hours I only use 1300 of the 1972 it says I have??? It seem to be working I lost 13 lb then gained 2 then lost 4 then gain 3 so now I’m at 12 lb lost. But was wondering if I it would be better or worse if I were using all the calories….. I’m kinda confused. :embarassed:

Thanks for the input, this makes a little more sense now. I’ll go with the 200 to 400 thing, that should keep me pretty much were I’m headed now. I did not do very well over the last week that’s were the 4 lbs came back but I’m thinken that’s not bad for a week of not counting and 4 days at moms house for thanksgiving … but im back at to starting today....:happy:
As for the cleaning it says Cleaning, light, moderate effort for 1 hour burns 281 calories, and cleaning, heavy, vigorous effort for 1 hour burns 337 calories. I usually enter the Cleaning, light, moderate effort.

Now see: my confusion has got someone else confused!!! That’s what I was trying to figure out and I’m thinking the answer is NO. but eat enough calories so your body doesn’t go into starvation mode and start storing calories.