Realistic Calorie Goals for maintenance and weight loss

PopsGils

So i was eating 1200 for a while - months on end and not losing weight, maintaining around 138 - 140 pounds (im 5 foot 5 or 165cm) so i upped my cals for the past 6 weeks up to about 1600-1700 a day, i have been bobbing up and down between 140 and 142 for 6 weeks. After first upping from 1200 - 1500 i gained 4 pounds almost immediately, then slowly lost 2 but when i eat too many carbs (*over 200 grams a day) i go back up to 142 pounds.

Does anyone have any advice for me on what cals to eat now, I want to lose around 15 pounds in weight - this is how my last few months have looked

Week beginning: Average Cals per day: Weight on last day of week

March 25th: 1234 Calories per day: 141 pounds
April 1st: 1305 calories per day: 141.9 pounds
April 8th: 1023 calories per day: 140.4 pounds
April 15th: 1216 calories per day: 140.2 pounds
April 22nd: 1383 calories per day: 139.7 pounds
April 29th: 1111 calories per day: 138 pounds
May 6th: 1221 calories per day: 138.8 pounds
May 13th: 991 calories per day: 138 pounds
May 20th: 1221 calories per day: 138 pounds
May 27th: 1300 calories per day: 138.4 pounds
June 3rd: 1460 calories per day: 141 pounds
June 10th: 1500 cals per day so far 142.6 pounds as of June 12th
June 17th: 1520 cals per day: 142.6 pounds
June 24th: 1715 calories per day: 142.2 pounds
July 1st: 1630 calories per day: 141.6 pounds
July 8th 1710 calories per day: 140.4 on Sunday morning - but on Monday morning July 15th 142,2 pounds

HELP PLEASE - any advice would be great, cos I am stumped with the above results! Thanks so much, just need some opinions other than my own

JennyKCarty

I don't have any advice, but I am right there with you!!!

SarahRose35

I'm really curious to see if someone has an explanation, Bump!

Carol_L

Looked at your diary and just have a few questions.

Do you exercise or do any type of activity at all? There doesn't appear to be any documented. It might help.

Do you actually drink water? Again, the fluctuations could be a result of water retention because you're dehydrated.

You might also consider trying to bring your protein and carbs into a bit more balance - you seem to be a bit light on the protein side of things.

Kristendcampbell

My suggestion check this forum out. Read the pinned info. I think it will be very effective for you

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

Bekahmardis

Try eating at your BMR of 1345 for at LEAST 2 weeks: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

If you don't eat enough to fuel your body, it will (and I hate this term, but it's the best I've got right now) "hoard" the calories as fat. It's betraying you.

You need to give a very specific amount of calories just to survive day to day if you never got out of bed or brushed your teeth. If you eat (meaning "net") at LEAST your BMR, you'll be okay. That means that any additional exercise over and above that, you need to add those calories in as well.

Sounds counter-intuitive, but once I started doing that, the weight dropped off. You may see a gain at first, but you HAVE to give it time to work...

See this thread as well: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

PopsGils

Bekahrogers - its more than 2 weeks - i have been eating above my BMR of 1345 for 6 weeks now..still no change, I do drink water, tea and coffee and zero calorie sodas, coke zero etc occasionally, nope I haven't done any proper cardio or exercise apart from walking the dog since christmas, not ideal I know, I just haven't found a form of exercise I do not loathe and dread enough to keep at it for long periods of time. Have read links to 'In place of a road map' and 'eat more to weigh less articles' which is what I have been following by upping my calories etc but nothings changed, apart from a 4 pound weight gain in about 6/7weeks.
Thanks for the support guys!