Counting Calories

For those of you who count calories (instead of points), how many are you allowing yourself each day? My goal is to get down to 1200 calories, but so far I have been unsuccessful....but not giving up. I found this counter online -- see link below - that calculates how many calories each person should have to maintain weight based on height/weight. Mine says I should have 1826 to maintain my current weight, so if I cut 500 down a day - 1300 per day -- that will equate to an average of 1lb per week, not taking into account exercise. I also checked "lightly active", not sure if that would be appropriate or not.

If you use the link below -- fill me in on your results -- I'm curious!

http://walking.about.com/cs/calories/l/blcalcalc.htm

Tue. Aug 15, 4:16pm

1200 is very low.

I tried originally when setting my calories to cut down to 1200-1300 and ended up with right around 1450, now I'm trying again to cut that back to 1350 and it's very difficult. I try to eat 3 small meals and 2 snacks and I know it will take a few days and I will get more used to the portion size I have but it's still not easy.

I read somewhere and sorry I don't have the link anymore that you shouldn't cut more than 500 calories at a time. So if you've been eating 2000 calories before the diet you should cut yourself to 500, and if you want to try to lose weight faster add excercise to burn additional calories. After you've maintained a 1500 calories diet for awhile then you can trim that back as needed. And at that point you'll have a better idea how few calories you'll actually need in order to reach your goal. You may be able to eat 1300-1400 the entire time and still reach your diet goals.

When I input my info into the calculator using lightly active it says I need 1953 calories per day, now I would probably classify myself as moderately active since I'm excercising 30 minutes to an hour everyday but just for apples to apples comparision I used lightly active in the calculator.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006, 8:30 AM

wow.... I just tried that calorie calculator and it says I ned like 2300/day. I dont think I ever get close to that, usually around 1400. I'm not that big of a girl either.

i question the calculator's accuracy.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006, 8:47 AM

Actually, the numbers I got from that calculator almost perfectly match my personal results from getting my resting metabolic rate tested.

However, none of it has led to weight loss. Sometimes I think math only works for men's bodies, since they don't have the estrogen fluctuations we do. Damn hormones.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006, 9:17 AM

Counting calories works for me when I stick to it. I actually stuck to a 1300-a-day diet, and found ways to stretch that into more food than you would think. Fruit and veggies are less calories, so you can eat more of them and feel satisfied. I did allow myself a "free day" once a week - allowed myself to eat whatever I want - but tried to stay below 1700 calories. I lost ten pounds tracking my calories this way. Stick to it through the ups & downs and you will gradually lose it.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006, 11:29 AM

I have been consistantly losing 2 lbs/ week when I stick to calorie counting and exercise. During the inital part I figured out the numbers to do this, and since then I have been eating less calories and more exercise, but still only losing 2 lbs, but I am MUCH MUCH stronger, and with my at home scale the % of body fat is going done and the clothes are fitting better. Weight loss is a journey that I may have to take different forks in the road at different times, if it were a straight line I would be able to sprint but it is definately a cross country journey!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006, 1:39 PM

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