Calorie confusion

At scooby's workshop, I calculated your TDEE to be ~2400 if you are sedentary. Which it does not sound like you are. A 20% calorie reduction places you at about 1950. That's for 1 lb a week.

I am also 5'6". I started off at 230ish, and was eating at around 2000-2100 cal at the beginning (I was still nursing @ the time). No exercise.

Once I got the hang of calorie counting and tracking (and once 15-20 pounds had come off), I brought my calories down gradually as I kept reaching new weight milestones. I also started incorporating more exercise.

Now I am around 185, and back up to 1990 per day (I'm doing P90X3). I've kept my weight loss goal at 1lb/week this whole time, and that's what I've averaged for at least the last 6 mos.

I'm never (hardly ever) hungry, I don't feel deprived, I eat what I want (trying to stick to my protein goal of at least 120g per day).

You could go as low as 1800 to start, but I'd pay more attention to getting the hang of tracking your calories and exercise in the beginning. Once you have that under your belt, you can fine tune your calorie goals.

Just letting you know what works for me. There is more than one way to skin a cat, so you could take any of the other excellent advice you've been given. As long as you stay in a calorie deficit, you will continue to lose weight.

Good luck!

Hi everyone I am very new to mfp, Starting weight was 306lbs I lost some weight myself by being more mindful of my eating and recently joined mfp and have lost an additional 9lbs so currently weigh 271lbs. I am so confused with how many calories I should be having! I have been given different figures from everywhere I look! I currently have my total set at 1200 a day I don't work out but have a very physical job as a care assistant in a very large home (lots of running around). Can anyone let me know a ball park amount of calories I should be having a day for a comfortable slow and steady weight loss.

Thankyou!!

Carly;

While I have no doubt that you (like many others) are "so confused with how many calories.....",
I'd suggest that even IF someone was able to tell you the *exact* number (which no one can - especially if you don't maintain an accurate daily log of cal intake and body weight, and make it accessible for others to review),
it wouldn't address the *real* problem.

Your profile states:
"So from now on I am going to make healthy choices! eat better things but if I want something I am going to have it! May not work for all but I will make it work for me!"

Simply (and bluntly, but not intended to offend) put - you can't have it both ways!

Either you will, "...from now on make healthy choices...."
OR
"...if I want something I'm going to have it!"
AND,
NO, you will NOT be able to "....make it work for me"
UNLESS you know something that disproves what most of the rest of the world has pretty much agreed upon.

I WANT to be rich, thin, and handsome.
I WILL NOT work, change my eating habits, or ??? (still can't figure out how to "fix" the handsome thing)
"May not work for all but I WILL make it work for me?"

This is NOT to say that you have to exist on tofu and magic powders - you DO NOT!

Focus on the "healthy choices" part and face up to the fact that you simply cannot have "whatever I want, whenever I want..." if you are to achieve what you profess to be your "goals".

UNLESS, "what I want" is to be a healthier me, live longer, reduce my chances of diabetes, heart issues, and any number of other maladies which are the DIRECT result of obesity.
UNLESS, "what I want" is to be able to "re"take our wedding picture with my husband on our 50th in the same dress."
UNLESS.........

Make the right choices and it won't matter if you start out with a daily target of 1600 cals, 1200, or 2000 - but START, stick to it for long enough to figure out if whatever that starting number is, it needs to be adjusted (up or down), and look into various eating strategies to find what works best for you.

But you CAN NOT do it without keeping good records and at least making the best effort you can to stick to the tenets that whatever method you decide upon, is based.

Low cal/low fat MIGHT be your best bet, OR,
Low carb/High Fat might be, OR,
It might be another strategy, BUT,
I can pretty much guarantee that whichever you decide upon, NONE of them will say "eat whatever you want, whenever you want".

ONLY you can decide and ONLY after doing enough research that you can make an "informed" decision (NOT one based on what "my cousin's best friend" or some ideologue on this (or any forum) espouses as the "ONLY, right way".

Sorry if my comment doesn't come across as all huggy/feeley, and NO, it is not my intent to "blame" YOU or hurt your feelings (and I'll apologize in advance if you take it that way).

Many are quick to either accuse others of, or use as an "excuse", physiological or heredity issues that may "trigger" obesity or, in some cases, cause one method of weight reduction to fail while another will succeed.

The simple "fact" (which has been demonstrated by years and years of research, studies, and observational "evidence") is that "excuse" or "reason" CAN be determined - IF you are(or anyone is) willing to devote the time and effort to do so.

My hope is that you WILL,
even without knowing you personally,
I "know" that you CAN

Hi Deansdad, I think my profile may come across wrong and my diary is public which I changed this morning so not sure if it is working yet. My profile is meant to show that I can't live the whole of my life on weight loss shakes or cabbage soup, I was trying to put across the fact I want to make healthy life style changes without taking up some new diet fad and believe that if it is my birthday I can have a piece of cake or that when I go meet my girlfriends I can have an alcoholic drink and not a water because I am watching what I eat. I now have the mind set that yes things do have to change but ridiculous restrictions are what have stopped me achieving my goals before. A little of everything in moderation is my goal which I feel is a healthier approach than my previous approaches that have landed me at nearly 300lbs. I understand and respect your response just believe my profile was misinterpreted. I CAN and WILL do it while enjoying life

Carly;
When put in this context, I don't disagree with a word you said.
It was exactly what I intended to portray when I said you do NOT have to exist on tofu and whatever - (although if you absolutely could die for tofu, which I don't, it's fine).

Likewise, there's little actual "evidence" that alcohol (in limited quantities and not including one's choice of "mixers") either should or *must* be eliminated. There is documentation that demonstrates that the alcohol will be the first thing metabolized (before food), which, unless you (any "you") are going to bed blitzed, would be an issue but otherwise not. There is also a wealth of information that alcohol (in limited quantities) actually provides a number of health benefits - so in "moderation", as you discussed, it's fine.

The birthday cake (occasionally) is only a concern for the calories, carbs, and sugar for those following the low cal / low fat regimens and as long as you fit it into your daily totals, the occasional "cheat" is fine. Those on low carb routines have additional "issues" beyond just the carbs and sugars but that's a discussion for another day.

In short, perhaps I did "misinterpret" your words and if so I apologize for that.

I don't believe anyone (myself included) ever intended to imply that you *must* deprive yourself of all of life's pleasures but rather that as you proceed down whatever diet "trail" you decide upon, some of those items that are "pleasures" today, may not be at some point and while it probably doesn't seem to be the case now, it may be at some point in the future. It all comes down to risk and reward and no one but you can make those choices.

As to "fads", I couldn't agree more - except maybe on what one defines as a "fad" diet.

If we (mutually) agree (as do the vast majority of folks posting here IMO) that most of what is promoted on the infomercials, Fake Dr (wizard?) Oz, and the shakes of the week "qualify", that pretty much narrows it down to some (of the many) iteration of either low fat or low carb.

Low Fat certainly can't be described as "fad" if for no other reason than that it has been so vociferously promoted by the USDA and the vast majority of medical "professionals", for so many years.

Low Carb approaches probably are still considered "fad" due to what I'd call the "Atkins Effect", which, again is a discussion for another day but there is a broad base of mounting "evidence" that while he didn't get it ALL right, much of what he was saying has proven to be true.

It's not up to me (or anyone else) to decide what's best for you - that's your job and I honestly wish you the best on whatever choices you make. Nothing would make me happier to see you back here in however many months proclaiming - "....told you so"

PS:
You diary is open and the couple days I looked at quickly look fine with the exception of total cals discrepancy with your "goal".
My suggestion would be, leave it where it is now (or adjust if you want), and then try, as best you can, to come "close" (if not on every individual day, at least on a "weekly basis" (average out the week).
And remember that until you've amassed at least a couple weeks data the results really don't mean much. Give it time, do not "obsess" over one days "ups and downs" - they really don't mean a thing.