Dumb question but I'm just starting out:)

Keep your calories where they are recommended and burn whatever you can without feeling like you are going to die. lol If you go over your alloted calories, burn off all the extra plus whatever you normally do. Just remember, alittle is better than none!

well, 1 lb = 3500 calories - It's kinda complex.

Think of it this way. The more you move, the more you burn. You need to feed your body with fuel to burn so it has to be good quality foods ...... whole grains, fruits, vegetables, etc. The less junk you feed the body, the more body fat you can burn. For your body will turn to stored fat to use as energy along with the healthy food. You eat junk, the body will keep and store body fat. So eat on average, 1600 calorie's and burn as much as you can. Something to go off of: 5 x a week, min of 30 min. In fact, we have a challenge going on. It involves Just Dance. Do it 6 x a week min min of 30 minutes or a 10 song challenge. You should join us if you can!

IF you go to goals and plug in your present weight, your goal weight and your plan ( to lose .5, 1, 1.5 or 2 pounds a week), MFP will tell you how many calories to eat each day. Then as you weigh in each week (or whatever time frame you choose) and enter your new weight, MFP will recalculate and indicate the recommended # of calories per day. ALSO as you exercise, it allots you additional calories which you should consume at least a portion of those, if not all. While it is documented that 3500 calories forfeited = 1 lb. lost, that is true for the most part, but don't fret if you hit a plateau where that formula doesn't compute! Good luck to you on your journey! MFP provides a great support group!