An easier way to setup goal calories - eating for who you wi

Ok, I am not too sure if I have this figured out but here is my stab at it

I am currently 228lbs. BMR 1854 + activitiy 709 = 2563

My goal is 175 lbs. BMR 1613 + activity 617 = 2230

so as long as I am working out at the right level, I can consume 2200 cals. and be losing weight. I am in no hurry so it can take as long as it needs.

Now my Dr wants me to eat only 1500 cal per day and excercise at least 3x a week at about 400 cal per session. But this number is below my BMR so my body will slow down and hold weight (for a while. I know for a fact you can break-out of the starvation mode if you hold that level long enough, but it is not healthy to do it that way.)

Do I have my calculations right?

You got the exact right idea.
So current eating at 2230, if you really did a workout of 400 cal, that would have you at 1830 on those days.
So that is slightly below your current BMR.
I'm guessing you are doing more than just 3 days of workout though, because the calc probably would have come out a little lower.
Or you have a very active job or other daily activities that got it so high.
Or, you didn't include enough under rest that really happens, so that means it ends up under Lightly Active. But if you were honest, do go changing to underestimate, it already does.

So wow, Dr recommending eating 300 below your current BMR is bad enough, if they wanted 400 burned off too, yikes.
You probably would not have held on to weight, but as metabolism slowed, the weight loss amount would have dropped until stalled, and very hard for body to improve from the workouts in that case.

If you used the online spreadsheet since last night, I just made an improvement to it to estimate weekly weight loss that could happen, at the bottom.

I am 37 years old
I am 5'5
I am currently 180lbs.
I want to be about 135lbs.

I work part time (20 hours a week) at a desk job.

I just started doing nerdfitness.com Beginners Body Weight routine (circuit training) takes me about 15 minutes to do. I am WAY out of shape. 2-3 times a week.

I sleep 8-9 hours a night.

I walk up and down the stairs at home just doing regular stuff....laundry, etc. I mainly am on the computer, watching tv, and reading, to be honest. I am SLOWLY incorporating exercise. I usually go in to the max and burn out when trying to lose weight....so I have decided to take a different approach and go slow since I am so out of shape. I am eating 1600 calories a day, at the moment.

I think with a simple routine like that, if you don't want to try to estimate exercise calories, this method would work.

Also, that is a very nice level of exercise, because you can lose just as much weight without exercise, and if done at a safe level, don't have the problem of slower metabolism, nor wasting away the muscle you do have and use.

I think you should use the spreadsheet referenced above.
I'd suggest that if the reading is sitting at the computer with normal movement that sitting provides, that does not go under Rest. If the reading or TV is laying on the couch or back in chair just enjoying good book or show, that is Rest. Try to estimate correctly the daily level.

So when you use the spreadsheet, don't try to nail all misc activity, it'll fall under Lightly Active anyway.
So if those workouts feel like the same as walking 4mph, they belong under Moderate, if they feel worse than that, then Heavy.
If always 2 or 3 times a week, use 2.5 days. Or like sleep is 8.5 hrs then.
Laundry and cleaning fall under light.
Just use the descriptions of where the major time is spent. Don't need to estimate stair time of course, but other stuff.

I really don't think 1600 will be too far off the recommended level. Still probably a tad low though, so don't be surprised.

But this method will maximize your deficit, while feeding even that limited exercise, and protect your BMR.

And then the only change would be when you've dropped some pounds and feel like doing longer or more frequent workouts.
Then you can recalc and get new daily goal.