activity calories vs. food calories

Can someone please explain?  Say my food cals are 1200 and my activity cals are 1800.  Do I have to burn 1800 cals a day in order to lose?  Thanks.

The 1800 cals are what CC estimates you will burn that day.  To lose you want to keep what you eat less than what you burn.

Isnt 1800 cal an awful lot for one day?  Just as long as I don't eat more than my 1200, I should be good - no matter what I burn, right?

An average size moderately active woman burns about 2000 cal/day.

If you are under 21, you burn even more than that (and should not eat less than 1500).

Men burn more than women, and larger people burn more than smaller people.

What are your stats (age, gender, weight, height)?

37 female, 145 - 5'0"  With the exercise I have already posted, it says I will only burn about 300 cals.  Does this include burning cals doing my everyday thing - up and down at work (three floors), etc.

What says you'll only burn 300? You might burn 300 from your logged activity, but on your account home page, take a look at the total estimate - that's how much you'll have burned by the end of the day (midnight).

Because you are short, 1200-1300 is a good target, but don't go lower (and it's ok to go a little higher)

Got it - thanks so much for taking the time to help!

the eat meter .v. burn meter confused me so much to begin with too. i've litterally only just sussed it. i am the same height as you  and i'm trying to stick between 1200-1400, seems to work for me. gives the freedom to have that little something extra occasionally. (tonight it was chocolate mousse!)

good luck with it all X