Need some advise about calories & exercise daily.

Are you currently meeting your 1500 calories a day goal? Or are you under nearly everyday? Are you losing weight or are you stalled? Do you eat your exercise calories?

Do you know your BMR? How about your TDEE?

In my opinion, having an idea of your BMR and your TDEE is an excellent place to start. No, they aren't set in stone, but they are definitely a good starting point.

Edited to add: Based on how much you are working out everyday, my guess is 1500 is too low. But, everyone's body is different. I know from personal experience that 1500 calories is way too low for me. Especially since I can lose weight while being in the 2100 net range and I can maintain in the 2300-2500 net range.

Focus on NET calories - net calories are what is important since that is the number of calories you're giving your body for the day. If you're logging your food here, focus on getting the bottom number (calories remaining) as close to zero as possible. Having 200, 300 or more calories leftover in a day is creating too large of a deficit. Too large of a deficit = no weight loss. Do you log your exercise on here? If not, start doing that. If you do, make sure you try eating back at least most of those calories too.

I suspect that 1500 isn't enough and that is why you aren't losing any weight.

I won't freak out. I have to set a goal so I work hard. I hate to exercise and I have to push myself. Goals seem to work for me. I know I may not lose all the weight, but if I don't set it high, I tend to slack off. I like this - "This is why higher calories is beneficial, because it gives you room to drop your calories by 50-100 a day when you hit a plateau."

If you should plateau, here is a great article about it. Believe it or not, cutting calories by 50-100 may not be the solution.

http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

If you should plateau, here is a great article about it. Believe it or not, cutting calories by 50-100 may not be the solution.

http://fitnesswithnatalie.blogspot.com/2011/05/most-dreaded-word-in-weight-loss.html

An interesting article, though the only citation the blogger gave was to say that the Mayo Clinic recommends the opposite of what she's suggesting. Her opinion seems anecdotal...not that it's invalid or anything, but she says she's a personal trainer & doesn't list any other certifications she carries apart from that.

I'm not saying dropping calories is the end-all, be-all solution to breaking plateaus anyway, only that if your calorie level is higher initially, it's an option.

I have found the information on this site to be pretty shallow and not particularly useful.

Exercise speeds up your fat loss.

Now on to eating.

The problem with diet and dieting is that the person dieting is psyched to lose weight and will eat little or follow strange diets to lose weight. The question is, what are you going to do after you lose the weight?

I would take a step back and figure out what your weight loss goal is or target weight. Then figure out what you are going to do to get there and then what you will do to maintain it.

Here is what I learned: I like to eat as natural as I can. No artificial anything. Then I eat what I want, as much as I want. While I am doing that, I mark down my calories. If you eat nothing but natural foods (I will define natural foods later on) you will be on a reduced calorie diet, I promise you this.

What do we need calories for? Energy, and so I want clean sources of energy and then what is the next thing I want? I need nutrition. Then I want to feel satisfied so I don't get hungry.

I say this but I am really referencing Dr. Douglas Lisle and Dr. John McDougall and Jeff Novick.

Eating refined, processed foods have concentrated salt/sugar/fat which all equals tons of calories. Most call these types of foods carbs, but some call them refined carbs and I also agree these are refined carbs (stay away from them!).

Natural foods that give you energy is starchy foods like potatoes, rice, barley, squash, sweet potatoes, beans. They give you the energy you need but they don't give you things like cholesterol. But they don't give you as much nutrition as vegetables and fruits will. Vegetables hardly have calories but they contain all the nutrients and other essentials your body needs.

So now you are wondering, that the taste of green and starchy foods are just not up to par with say steak or a fatty steak or chocolate.

I guarantee you that if you eat starchy foods (for the energy) and you are not going to get sick from them and eat your veggies with exercise you will lose weight without inducing ketosis. If you eat meat, eat it sparingly, as a side and not as the center piece of your meal. Get your protein from beans, broccoli sprouts, other natural sources and avoid eating fat from animals (get them from plants).

Avoiding added sugar and salt will make you lose 10 lbs immediately. Then your willingness to exercise and eating natural foods will help speed up your weight loss.

I am probably, most-likely going to anger someone who doesn't agree with this plan so take it as someone who already went through it. If you are looking to grow muscle and become a body builder, you can forget my advice. =]

Just a question...what are you eating?...if its 2000 of fairly unhealthy food...that could be the issue. I wasn't losing weight for five or six weeks, tracking my calories, driving myself nuts.....then over the last few weeks I have eaten really clean...veggies, salad, oatmeal, lean protein...NO refined carbs (no sugar, no white bread, no white pasta etc.). It sucked for a few days and its more work to cook from scratch, but I've lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks (I'm trying to lose 20) . I'm 43 and have steadily been putting on weight. I asked my doctor...she said simply "eat cleaner, work out harder" then she laughed! But I think she was right. It's really hard at times, especially when others around you are eating the tasty pizza...having a cupcake, but there are good tasty recipes out there that you can have and still eat clean. I had a baked sweet potato as a side with dinner tonite, low fat cheese, a few bacon bits just for flavor (it was supposed to be turkey bacon buts, but didn't have any) and about a tablespoon of low fat sour cream...I saw recipe in husbands muscle and fitness magazine...lol, but it was really good! Calorie count is definitely important, but what you eat plays almost as big a part. maybe experiment for a few days, changing up your food...