Confused about ideal calorie intake

1200 is quite low, and is an absolute minimum, not an ideal. Your intake should be calculated to your current needs. Do you exercise at all during the week?

I would think, with the greatest of respect, you could eat a little more and still lose weight given your stats. If you feel very dissatisfied, I'd at least raise calories to 1400. To be honest, I am lighter than you and able to lose weight (OK, at a snail-slow pace, but still) at around 1700, leaving exercise calories out of the equation, which lets me enjoy big dinners and the occasional beer, chocolate bar etc.
Eating a bit more may slow your weight loss (but that is not a bad thing at all), but on the flip side, you might find it easier to stick to, which means you WILL actually get there

Charliecatesq wrote: »

Thats good to know you got the same number i did. I shall have to look enviously at people that can eat some more! Hopefully i will have another lb off next week and i can stop worrying!

Thanks for taking the time to reply

No worries! Sometimes all it takes is some reassurance. Don't stress about the numbers -- the idea is just to start with an estimate (because really all we are doing is estimating anyway) and be consistent

Going by your height and weight. I think 1500 calories a day will be ideal. I agree with others, 1200 is too low for you. It's important to realize that no one gains weight overnight, so proper weight loss will also take a long time.

Here is the math. 1 pound loss = 3500 calories. So lets take your ideal day where you take 10 000 steps and eat 1500 calories. Lets say you exercise 5/week, your maintenance calories is at 2000 (This is a total calorie deficit of 500). 10 000 calories burns roughly 400 calories. Adding that together, you have burned 400 + 500 = 900 calories/5 days. The other two days you can stay at 1500, resulting in 1000 calorie deficit in total. How many pounds will you burn in a week?

pounds lost in a week = ((900x5) + 1000)/3500 = 1.3 pounds

Please note that this is an ideal day, considering everything has been calculated accurately. I can provide you with my guesses and advice for why you're not losing weight.

1. Inaccurate calorie intake: I know I had a problem with this. Getting a kitchen scale is a life saver. It helps to give a more accurate representation of what you're actually eating.
2. You probably know this but since you have PCOS, eat high fiber foods, whole grain and vegetables more. Avoid sugary and processed foods. Eat 5 small meals instead of 3 large ones.
3. Inaccurate estimation of burned calories: A heart rate monitor helps you keep track of what you're actually burning.

Overestimating how many calories you've burned and underestimating calories consumed may be just keeping you at maintenance rather than at weight loss. If a HRM is not available, you can find work out videos online that burn 500-600 calories. I think increasing your exercise regimen will benefit you.

If you decrease your exercise or stop, your maintenance calorie goes down to 1800. So if you continue to eat 1500 while not working out, that's just 300 calorie deficit. It will take you approximately 12 days to lose 1 pound. This goes to show how important exercise is.

A very important thing to note is that although these are rough estimates, the math is solid. It may not be too far from your actual values.

I hope this helps.

I think 2 pounds a week is too much for someone with as little to lose as you.

Also, with PCOS, you may respond to a change in your macro balance. Check and see if MFP has a PCOS group, I'm sure there are many women who can tell you what's worked for them.