Help, How many calories should I eat?

Just use the numbers MFP gives you - no need to do any more calculations. At your weight it will be easy to lose for a while. Make sure you go in and recalculate your goals when MFP prompts you to do so. I ate a couple hundred more (exercise calories) on days I exercised - always. The exercise calories MFP gave me worked fine. It was good motivation for me.

I kept good records, so I knew what was working and was able to adjust.

I would say at about 185 you'll need to up your calories quite a bit, so look out for uncomfortable hunger, fatigue, irritability. That was my clue to switch it up. If you keep updating your goals as you lose, this won't be an issue. This site will gradually add calories as YOU CHANGE OVER FROM LOSING 2 POUNDS TO LOSING 1 POUND PER WEEK.

The "2 Pounds per week" setting is not meant to continue for long. I started feeling off, probably around 200 pounds or a little under. I switched to "1 Pound per week" around then. I was on 1200, though. I am shorter and older so you can't really use my numbers. You have to do a little experimenting. My maintenance is around 1800 - yours may be higher since you are younger and taller.

We're somewhat close in stats, @lovetolose20. I'm 5'9", 41 years old, SW 195, CW 177, GW 165.

For a different perspective, in case what you are doing quits working:

I eat TDEE minus 10%. My intention is to lose slowly and steadily on a plan I can maintain over the long run. I currently eat 1930 calories per day (you do NOT eat exercise calories back if you do this). My maintenance calories are approximately 2200 per day. I would not stick to my plan very long if I was eating less.

You can calculate your TDEE at scoobysworkshop.com.

Note: TDEE is not the same as BMR (many people assume these are the same thing.) TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the amount of calories you burn every day, doing everything you do. BMR is your Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the least amount of calories your body needs to survive if you were doing absolutely nothing, basically bed-ridden.

size102b wrote: »

@quiksylver296 how much weight do you lose eating TDEE- 10% ?

I'm 46 female
SW 224
CW 215
GW 146

5ft 2

Mine says TDEE 2159 so - 10% it's 1943 I'm only eating 1500 I lost 12lbs in 6 weeks then nothing for 3 weeks then gained 1 then 2 I weigh measure everything strictly I do feel hungry I'm wondering if upping my calories would help me lose.

About .25 to .5 pounds per week, on average. I have it set that slow on purpose. I want a sustainable plan that I don't have to modify much when I get to goal weight.

My only caution is to recheck your TDEE as you lose weight, every 15 pounds or so, because it's going to drop as you get smaller.

You can also subtract 15% if you'd like to lose a little faster with more calories to eat. That would give you 1835 calories per day and a bit quicker weight loss.

Do you own and use a food scale and religiously log everything? It was when I started doing this that everything fell into place.

Good luck, @size102b