Together - you eat at maintenance.

Your food goes to repair for the workout - fat is used more for daily energy needs.

This is called recomp and it is slower method than bulking and cutting. But it may have much better mental aspect to it and adherence.

But MFP is trying to teach a life lesson about weight management many failed to get or they wouldn't be here.
You do more, you eat more.
You do less, you eat less.

In a diet, a tad less in either case.

For what you are trying to accomplish, which you don't mention if weight loss in general is part of this, is just follow that method.

So if you've been shown your 1500 goal is not realistic, why do it?

You also don't have to select the max loss amount - which if you have little weight to lose to healthy weight, may be foolish anyway.

So 20% deficit until about 30 lbs left is reasonable.

Now you need a decent estimate of what to take 20% off of.

The vast majority of online TDEE calc's only discuss how much exercise a week - nothing about different daily activity levels. Plus based on a 1919 study that has shown to need improvement.

Most find they are Light-Active (even to MFP's level) even with a desk job/commute, and outside of exercise - because of family/household responsibilities keeps them busy in evening and weekends.

You add exercise to Lightly-Active, you are up at Moderate and probably more now.

Spreadsheet referenced on my profile page you can download to personal Google Drive and use - track measurements too.

See what it says when you include all the regular workouts you will likely get.

I understand the confusion but it’s pretty simple. To lose fat eat less (calorie deficit), to build or maintain muscle workout accordingly. Stored fats provide the necessarily fuel/ building blocks needed in a calorie deficit diet. The only time you need to start feeding muscles is when your fat levels get too low, now how many people accomplish that?