Making sure I'm doing this right :)

First of all your body is fine. You have a very active existence, you are a calorie burner. Don't get faked out with your basal metabolic rate, that's just the calories you burn to keep your body alive if you didn't move at all. But you move girl. You are burning well in excess of your BMR daily. I would say you are more than lightly active. You could be at 10,000 steps a day when your working. The real key is how many calories does your body need to maintain your current weight of 145 given your activity level. So say you burn 400 calories in your daily exercise (I'm lowballing that figure) program what your calories would be to maintain the 145 lbs. Also program is some reduction that is achievable and something that is a real gradual weight loss, like say just 0.5 lbs. a week. Why slow? Why not 2 lbs. a week or more? Because slow is good. Slow weight loss is sustainable, it will take you longer to achieve your goal and that's really not bad, it's good. Why is it good? Because if you lose weight fast, your more likely to quit at some point, conclude you've been a success and then unintentionally gain it all back. But if you lose it s l o w l y, you are more likely to accommodate it as a lifestyle change and stick with it. You are bound to lose weight faster than you probably should given your activity levels but realize that only good food substitutions for fat foods (1g fat = 9 calories) will really drive lower weight levels. So focus on eating healthier using this app. It will tell you the exact number of calories in a double cheeseburger and a chicken breast sandwich. Use it as a tool to live by, not just for awhile but for a longer period of time for you to learn how to adopt a lower fat, healthier food lifestyle. I know you're a smart girl. It's worked for me. I lost all my weight in 6 months and have kept it off. I had to adjust my calorie intake up just to maintain my weight and not lose more. You'd look good in a new wardrobe a couple of sizes smaller. Make it happen. You don't have to kill yourself with exercise to do it. Work smarter on your intake with MFP. Good luck and all the best!

Ok first my stats. 23 yr old female, student and part time server, about 30-35 hrs a week. I weight 145ish and i am trying to get to 125 ish. Right now I'm eating about 1500 calories per day. Various bmr calculations put me at around 1400 cals and then I'm set at lightly active, so I eat my exercise cals back, like from running, I disregard all the walking I do serving and walking around campus

first question, I usually will not eat back all of my exercise calories back when I do work out because the days im usually working doubles or have something else going on, and so being on my feet for 12+ hrs moving makes me hungrier. Is this ok? Or because my bmr was calculated as not that much more than what my calorie goal is?

and secondly, I have my activity level set as lightly active and then I eat back planned exercise calories. With my activity in serving, should that level be higher? Or is my body used to the walking and moving around?

Thanks for all advice )

I'd suggest upping your everyday activity level and still eating back intentional exercise. I work as a cashier/salesperson and am considered lightly active.