Tracking help!

Total calories is what matters.

I eat my exercise calories back but to do that you have to be sure of what you've burnt. Start with half of them and then tweak it as you go.

I use my daily life to set activity level - in other words what will I do whatever happens (home, work etc.) Then use exercise calories for deliberate exercise - things I do because I want to such walking, zumba. That way if I am ill or have an injury I've not got too many base calories in my daily allowance. I'm not slavish to macros, I make sure I log calories and weigh everything - guessing things like cereal or pasta is the way to disaster!

vero1015 wrote: »

Ok got it! Now if I walk about 4-5 miles 5 times a week and weight training 3 times a week. Would that be active or very active? Thank you!!

You set your goals according to how active or inactive your daily life is without exercise if you're using MFP as intended. Your exercise calories are in addition to whatever your daily calorie allotment is. You will determine whether to eat all or some those calories back due the inaccuracy of those numbers.

This is the description given when you are setting up your goals:
Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesperson)
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. food server, postal carrier)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)

Add your exercise calories to whatever you get when you input your activity level. If you overestimate your activity level it will slow your progress, if you underestimate you may lose at too high a rate (>2#/week).