[Miss Honey]

I have been on this diet for about 3 months. I just follow the weight watchers points things. But I just wanted to know, how many calories should one eat a to lose 2 pounds a week?

[shrinkingchica]

Well, mathmatically you should have a 7,000 calorie deficit for the week. So, if your body needs say, 2,000 calories a day:
2,000 x 7= 14,000
14,000 -7,000 = 1,000

But, it is not recommended that anyone go below 1,200 per day.

[AquaWarlock]

Yep, a 7,000 calorie deficit. Given your weight, if you do nothing but stay alive you burn about 2,255 to 2,460 calories a day (given that you have a normal metabolism). But yes, NOT recommended to go below 1,200 calories a day.

Additionally, it's hard to sustain that aggressive a weight loss -- you'll likely be losing quite a bit of lean tissue too as well as fat, which can lower your metabolism. But if you do want to jumpstart with such a goal, remember to do toning exercises all over to maintain muscle mass or slow down its loss.

[aphil]

It isn't really as simple as all that. It looks good on paper, though.

~First of all, you are on Weight Watchers Points, which is slightly different than calorie counting. Weight Watchers Points vary depending on the quality of the food-between 30-80 calories per point. (An small apple might be worth 1 point when it is 80 calories, but a diet cookie might also be 1 point, and it might be 50 calories.)
The actual food, the fat and fiber content, and other things come into play with the Points system. Two people might eat 26 Points a day, but their calories/fat/fiber will be different, depending on the food choices. My first bit of advice is to eat BETTER for your Points. Don't eat 8 of your daily Points in diet junk food, basically. You will get better results if you eat better. Limit treat type things to about 3 Points per day. Your body can USE real food, the diet treats and junk are still junk and empty calories-even if they are only 1 point each, etc.

~Are you exercising? Two people can eat the same amount of calories, or Points per day, but the person burning more calories is going to have better results. (Not only that, they are going to have a fitter, firmer, more shapelier body when they are at goal.) If you are eating in your correct Points range-take a look at your exercise regime.

~The calorie calculators are estimated guesses, but that is all they really are. The human body isn't a calculator...so it isn't going to lose exactly the same every single week-even if you eat the EXACT same every week, and do the exact same workouts. You can easily lose 2 pounds one week, 1 pound the next, none the third week, and 3 pounds the week after that-and that is completely normal.

For most of us, the calculators are guestimates-a starting point. Some tell me I can eat 2000 calories a day to lose, others say 1400, and both are off. (I do better at about 1500-1600 a day currently.) They don't work for many here...it is trial and error instead.

But, the Points system is different than calorie counting-so if that is what you are doing, then you need to use some of the suggestions above. Also, if you have a daily "range" then try to stay nearer the lower end of it if you are not losing-along with more exercise, and better food choices.