Calorie Counting is the way I want to go. It works reasonably well for me, etc. etc.
But now that I'm halfway there and my losses are slowing down and I'm trying to set myself up for actually learning how to cope with food and learning the maintainer lifestyle...I'm just getting completely lost.
HOW many calories should I be eating per day, exactly?
Should I eat to that minimum and THEN workout, or eat over a few hundred calories and burn those off to get back TO my limit number?
Shouldn't I just be planning to eat a few hundred calories below my supposed BMR?
If so, why is that when I add "workout everyday" (which I do) to these calculators, I can suddenly lose eating 1900 CALORIES instead of the 1300 limit I'd have if I didn't move at all?
Does that mean I should be eating 1900 calories, and then burning off 100-200 in workout, (as I am estimating I usually do in workout)?
My goals are getting skewed by the numbers, which aren't REAL numbers, just guesstimating, anyway!
I've been told here and elsewhere "well, just do what seems right for your body." But, honestly, with no place to start how shall I do that? I would hate to attempt eating a 1900/day diet + workout for a week only to discover that that route causes me to gain. Even in that situation, how would I know how much to drop off my limit? Trial and error is fine. I will do that if I have to. But I desperately need a guideline from someone who knows what is going on.
I've done a lot of calorie calculators, but the numbers are always so different and...well. I'm just confused.
Lately, I've not been doing as well with my food choices as I should. And much of that is because I am stressing out about these stupid numbers!!
Oh, Calorie Counting Gurus/Chicks.
Heeeelp meeeee, please!
Thank you, thank you. <3