i know that this is a dumb question, but ive decided to really buckle down and lose the weight. i started running two months ago and have built muscle as well as seen a significant difference in my figure. however, i have to rest for a week due to an injury and I realized that if i want to lose the weight i need to focus and just do it. i was on 1470 calories a day for a weekly 1 lb loss, but i wasnt losing much on it, so i thought i might cut calories and go down to 1200 for a 2 lb a week loss.

will it work? i am very vigilant about tracking on my fitness pal.

Yes, calorie counting works - I live my life by it. However, I believe 1200 is too low (even with no activity) for someone of your height and weight. Think of it in these terms: how low will you be able to drop your daily caloric intake to continue to see losses? If you weigh 170 now and drop 15 pounds, you might hit a plateau whereby you'll need to be even tighter on calories. Will you drop to 1050? And to get from 140 down to 130, what - 900 calories daily? (I might be exaggerating, and weight loss is neither linear nor a science, but you catch my drift. )
I would try eating 1350-1400 calories daily and continue at this level when you resume exercise in a week. Congratulations on your amazing success thus far!

thanks for the advice, burner--- i agree that upping my calories would be healthier and more sustainable... i think i need to see the bigger picture.

I've been counting calories the last few months and have found it very succesfull

Great job on your weight loss! How exciting. Is 1470 the calorie intake myfitnesspal determined for you? I use the same site and it gives me a certain amount of calories and it changes depending on my weight updates. Maybe re-evaluate your profile on there. See if it's still accurate, based on your activity level and current weight. Maybe it'll give you a different calorie intake. Just a thought.

Calorie counting is really the only plan that I would even consider because it's a plan that I can stick with fairly easily in "real" life. I know I could termporarily cut out most carbs, for example, but I know that I would not stick with it for very long. This time around, I am only committing to behaviors that I know I can do for a lifetime. With calorie counting, you can eat anything, anywhere---even if you have to eat a small portion and/or estimate. I've been doing it since June and am satisfied with the results.

yes, MFP calculated the 1470 based on a 1 lb per week loss. if i up it to 1.5 lb per week, it goes down to 1220... ive been able to sustain the 1470 and its comfortable for me.. i'm not sure what i want to do anymore!

I recently posted this:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...damentals.html
It is a great run down on calorie counting etc.

If you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight. So I say, yes!

I've only been doing this for a few weeks, but I know it will work. It has to.

Calorie counting works for me!

Calorie counting worked for me before and I'm doing it again! I use Apps on my phone to keep track by searching or scanning barcodes of what I eat and it keeps track of how many calories I've eatin! Love it!

Congrats on your awesome loss so far.

I've lost over 190 pounds counting calories, and have maintained it now for 2 years and 3 months. When I was losing I ate 1200 calories everyday for the first couple months (with no formal excercise, just moving more...sitting less). Then I decided that on Monday thru Thursday I would eat 1200 calories/day (with more structutured excercise, moving much more) and Friday thru Sunday I upped it to 1500. But to be honest, I didn't always eat 1500 on weekends, it was just there if I wanted it.

I never had a plateau and I made sure I ate loads of veggies and lean meats to keep me full and healthy.

I still count calories, and I still normally eat 1200 calories M-F and Sat & Sun I eat pretty much whatever I want within reason...(Within reason being the key words! )

Good luck on whatever you decide to do.

I've been calorie counting since March, eating about 1200 calories a day (some a bit more, some a bit less), and I've lost 90lbs in that time. I've not only been counting calories, but focusing on eating healthier, more nutrient-dense foods.

Wishing you success!

Calorie Counting works.

Yes, there are lots of us here to confirm that calorie counting works!

I wouldn't change what you're doing just for one week. 1200 would definitely be too low for your weight and height, for starters, and you need good nutrition when you're healing from an injury. Add to this that changing your eating habits that much for one week won't make a noticeable difference to your weight, but it's likely to get you out of your CC routine and mess things up a bit. Keep going as you were, don't fret about your rate of weight loss so far (with all that running, the muscle-building will have slowed down the weight loss), and don't worry if your weight goes up a bit this week, it's normal with injuries due to water retention from the injury itself and also from painkillers.

Once you're over the injury, it may not be a bad idea to double-check that you are actually consuming the number of calories you think you are. A lot of people hugely underestimate their calorie consumption, due to things like assuming that the portion size advertised by the manufacturer is correct (weigh the food if in any doubt).