If you don't want to follow MFP calorie guidelines...

Im_NotPerfect

I found this to be useful and fairly well explained:


Your caloric needs are dependent on your age, sex, weight, height and activity level. Once you know your caloric needs, you can calculate how many calories you need to cut to lose weight. There are typically two calculators used to determine the number of calories needed. The first is to determine your resting metabolism, referred to as basal metabolic rate (BMR). The second calculator, called the Harris-Benedict equation, is necessary because the BMR equation only calculates what is needed to maintain life with no activity.

Step 1
Calculate your BMR. Enter your height, weight and age into the equation below. By determining your BMR you can determine the minimum number of calories you need per day to maintain your weight.

Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 * weight in pounds) + (12.7 * height in inches) -- (6.8 * age in years).

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 * weight in pounds) + (4.7 * height in inches) -- (4.7 * age in years).

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Determine how active you are throughout the day. The Harris-Benedict equation uses the following criteria for activity: A sedentary person gets little or no exercise. A lightly active person participates in light exercise or sports one to three times per week. A moderately active person performs moderate intensity exercise or sports three to five times per week. A very active person is involved in hard exercise or sports six to seven times per week. An extra active person completes very hard exercise or sports and has a physical job every day, or trains two times a day.

Step 3
Multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor. Sedentary = BMR * 1.2; lightly active = BMR * 1.375; moderately active = BMR * 1.55; very active = BMR * 1.725 
extra active = BMR * 1.9. The Harris-Benedict equation does not factor in lean body mass; therefore, this equation is inaccurate for those who are very muscular or very fat.

Step 4
Adjust the calories to start losing weight. Take off between 500 and 1,000 calories from your total in Step 2. Most weight loss programs will aim for 1 to 2 lbs. lost per week, or a 500 to 1,000 calorie deficit per day. Removing 3,500 calories a week should lead to 1-lb. weight loss; removing 7,000 calories should lead to a 2-lb. weight loss.

Step 5
Increase activity level. If you already work out frequently, try increasing the intensity of your workouts. About half of your deficit should come from exercise, while the other half comes from a reduced caloric intake.

LovingLisa2012

by this math- its pretty much comes out the same as MFP

but ty for posing