Yes! It is PERSONAL so all of our advice here is just that...advice and suggestions, but you'll need to see how your own body does. I have to say that I *do* add back in my exercise calories (sometimes I eat them, sometimes I don't, but they're "available" if I get hungry). The thing is, I set my daily calorie limit at 1500 which is enough to guarantee me--with my very own personal metabolism--a 1-2 pound weight loss. I don't want to lose much faster than that, hence I add back in the exercise calories.
Also, the thing with exercise is that you often get an "afterburn" which means that while you can calculate based on age, activity, intensity, etc. approximately what you burn while PERFORMING the exercise, the sheer fact that you've exercised gives your body a push and your metabolism will continue functioning at a higher level, burning more calories, for possibly several hours after you finish the activity (again, this is personal and also dependent on the type, extent and duration of exercise).
Since I don't feel like I can every know EXACTLY what I'm burning on a given day (Lord, save me from my hormones!), I do know that on occasions when I am feeling desperately, ravenously hungry (and not just food lust, but actual stomach churning, makin' me dizzy and my hands shake hungry) I will go ahead and add in about 500 calories for the day (basically, an extra meal). For myself, I have found that often when I do that I actually DROP more weight than expected that week--and definitely than I would expect if I just run the numbers. So....again, bottom line is that you pick a place to start, and then your body becomes a bit of an experiment of one as you learn what works and what doesn't.
Good luck and welcome to the community!
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