Very Stupid Question

This is a bit embarassing to ask.  Say I am burning 500 calories a day exercising (as an example)  Should I be eating 1200 cals a day still or should I be eating 1700 cals a day to equal 1200 after the 500 burned?

I just steped on the scale and have lost 5 lbs this week.  Which I fear is too much.. Shouldn't you only loose about 2lbs?

I'm eating about 1300 a day and exercising anywhere from 200 - 400calories off.  Also I'm taking Saturdays off from exercise.  Is this to much? Will some one help me before I go nutty?

If you burn 500 cals in exercise, add that to your minimum of 1200 so yes, you should eat 1700 cals/day.

I know the feeling about going batty.

Hope this helps!

I personally would eat enough so that I have a total of 1200 net calories consumed (which would mean "eating back" my exercise calories).  Others disagree, and some don't lose weight if they eat back their calories.  This is a much-debated topic on this site - if you have a moment, search the archives of the forums and you should find some other, well-researched opinions.

It depends on your basic burn rate...if you do nothing, how many calories do you burn?

The 5 lbs could be a fluke or water weight, etc.

If your basic rate if you do nothing is 1700 or above, you'll do better to eat additional calories to make up for what you exercise...I know this makes exercise seem like a purposeless thing, but it's not, it really makes you healthier and rearranges your body in ways that make you look better and better.

Thats a bit confusing to have to eat the calories you worked so hard to burn off then isn't it.  I'll go back some pages and look around.. Thanks for the help.

I'm afraid of going into the "starvation" thing I hear so much about on here.  More food for me. :D