So I revamped my diet plan. I always use my exercise rest day to evaluate my food journal and do tweaks and etc. Well last week, I went down to 1200 calories a day and I crashed and burned. I gained half a pound. I'm not bummed, just confused. I calculated my BMR to be 1737 or 1740 cal, so I subtracted 500 and ate about 1200 t0 1250 calories a day. But I know it's not working...and it's not just the gain.

So I re-calculated my BMR and found I did it all wrong apparently. My new calculations say my BMR is 1740, but my daily caloric intake is like 2070 so I should eat 1585 calories to lose a pound a week.

Now with all this math, I have confused myself. If I lower my calories to 1585, my BMR of 1740 would burn everything plus 250 calories. How is that a pound a week without doing anything? Of course I exercise but I'm so confused.

I feel really panicked if I don't have a guideline to work around. If I go willy nilly then I get very discouraged and lose track of what I need to keep and eye on.

Please 3FC, help me determine my caloric intake for weight loss. I'm ready to get back to my normal self.

And I read the forum guidelines...but I still feel like I posted the thread in the wrong place. I'm just nervous. And I apologize if my post doesn't belong here. Thank you.

Using this site here is what I came up for you (don't know how old you are, and am not asking, but I plugged in "30" just to pick an age, this might be off somewhat).

Here is your BMR according to them using each activity factor:

- 1.2 Sedentary Little or no exercise and desk job = 2010.
- 1.375 Lightly Active Light exercise or sports 1-3 days a week = 2303
- 1.55 Moderately Active Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week = 2596
- 1.725 Very Active Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week = 2889
- 1.9 Extremely Active Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job = 3183

Assuming a moderately active lifetyle, you could easily eat 2000 calories a day and still lose 1 pound per week.

Jocelyne, don't appologize, we are all here for support. I calculated your BMR to be 1728.1. I assume you're 17 years old if you're still in high school (says in your profile). In order to maintain your weight, you must eat 2074 calories in a day. In order to lose weight, you minus 500 calories from that number giving you, 1574. Now, saying that, if you exercise, you will burn more calories, you should replace those calories burned to make sure you do not take in too few calories, which will actually trick your body into thinking it is in starvation, and therfore you will not lose weight.

I currently take in 1200 to 1500 calories a day. I exercise alot of it off, and it is sometimes difficult to replace the calories burned, but do the best you can. Make sure you are eating healthy foods, like LOTS of vegetables and whole grain instead of refined foods. (White bread and rice ect) Your diet may be the cause of why you are not losing weight.

If you need any more help or have any questions, just message me, I will be glad to help.

Just to encourage you: I don't think weight loss is strictly about numbers. It would be nice if everything were "scientific" and "exact"--as many in the research field would have us believe--but it really isn't so. So many things come into play when you are trying to control your weight loss.

That 1/2 pound may have nothing whatever to do with your caloric intake. Nothing. It may have to do with salt, it may have to do with fluid retention because of your TOM, it may have to do with stress, it may have to do with how much sleep you got the night before. Your bowels may be full.

So, I know you think you need the "numbers" to feel confident that you are doing it "right"--but the only "right" is that you aren't hungry and you are losing weight.

That's it.

But figuring out how to do that may just require a little experimentation on your part--a little willingness to "let go" of "their" wisdom and a little journey of finding your own.

And that's what this place is all about! So, welcome!

My plan includes eating about 1600 calories a day. I try to have a little bit of fat (olive oil, humous) with each meal/snack as that makes me feel full. So does protein.

If I need volume--and sometimes I really do, I eat vegetables. The other night I had about 1/2 a bag of sugar snap peas. Sure, it was a lot more expensive than a bag of pretzels or even potato chips--but there's nothing like stuffing your face for 40 calories! I also love a cup of strawberries--it feels so decadent!

It's been a terrific process for me: I've been having a ball treating myself with fresh food. It has been utterly amazing to me to rediscover the pleasure of a peach, the satisfaction of cooked chicken in a dijon mustard sauce. Homemade burgers with a homemade feta/tomato/cucumber relish. Sorry. I really love my food!

You will figure this out.

Matt... TY TY TY for posting that site!

I would quote all of you, but thank you Matt, Alana, and LINZLUV. You guys don't even know how much you've help. I just went for a walk with my sister (we exercise together) and I told her what's up. It just feels good talking to other people about my journey. Thank you.

Hello, I am not a calorie counter but I am sure that there a many on this site that will be able to help.