I follow the Biggest Loser book which gives me a the calories I should follow for my weight and it suggests to go down about 7 calories every pound you lose. I hope that makes sense!
I adjusted when I stopped losing. My goal was always to eat the most calories I could and still have consistent losses...I don't DO hungry! So I would eat the same number until my body stopped losing with that number, then drop by 100-200 a day...usually enough to get my body started losing again. Why drop your calories arbitrarily just because you're at a lower weight?
Yes, but in nice even amounts, at not so even intervals. I started at 2300/day for the first couple of weeks, then 2100/day for the next four weeks. Then 2000 for two weeks, and then 1800 for about six weeks. Sat at 1600-1700 for a good solid three or four months. The next three or four months, 1500. I've just dropped to 1450. At 178lbs (100lbs lost), I will drop to 1400. I expect to drop by 50/day for every ten pounds now to goal, but if I don't plateau and continue to lose at 1400/day, that's fine, too! It's important for me, personally, not to feel I've dropped to 1200 suddenly, if I need to drop to that amount at all.
There's some leeway with me - if I eat 1500, I'm not going to beat myself up about it.
Yeah, you have to keep going down. I'm now between 1300 - 1500 a day. When I started I kept myself under 2000. I'm hoping to be able to ride this down all the way to maintenance.
I also just drop it when I stop losing. It's easier that way, and I want as much food as I can while still being able to lose.
Right now I'm doing about 1400 a day, but that's just until I get back down to my pre-holiday weight of 118-119 (I just want to get rid of it a little bit faster ). Then I'm going to bump it back to 1500-1600 where I was, before the holidays.
I know a lot of people cycle their calories and that's supposed to help avoid plateaus. So 1500 calories a day for a week is 10,500 calories and then you can divide that up however you want (1700 one day, 1300 the next, ect.), that works well sometimes, especially if you know you have a big dinner planned one night of the week.
ooohhh, ok. that sounds interesting. i think i may be too low right now. i told myself that i wouldn't do over 1500, but I'm just starting out...AND I've started back exercising. so, it probably wouldn't hurt to have it a little higher to start out with??
If I were you Shauna, I would increase my calorie intake especially if you are working out. You are at a higher weight right now and you are exercising to boot so you might want to get in more nutrition. Also, if you start at 1500, if you start to plateau, you won't have much wiggle room!!
I agree with shrinkingchica. Shauna, I am a little heavier than you and I shoot for 1800-2000 a day, but I do cycle like someone explained earlier. I figure I have a lot of weight to lose and I want to be able to keep lowering my cals when needed. PLUS, I get hungry at 1500 cals/day!
I do too! LOL...so, I thought 2000 was way too many calories..hehe. So, today, I'm taking it different. I'm drinking my water but I'm going to eat more. 2000 calories really is a lot of food. I didn't realize it until after starting to count them. It's just the food you choose to eat that counts. Yes, if I eat a bunch of cookies and chips all day then I'm going to eat more than that amount, but if I'm eating healthy and watching what's going in my mouth, then I'm ok.
For those who count calories...
). Then I'm going to bump it back to 1500-1600 where I was, before the holidays. 
