[Dayvie0827]

So whats the deal with calorie counting.. i get it you count calories, but is it regular calorie or calories from fat. How can that actually work? What about fat and carbs and sugars? how do they play into it? I did this thing where you input your weight and info and they tell u how many calories you should eat for a certian amount of weight lose per week and for 2 pounds per week i can eat 2,084. How does that work? i see people on here who are only eating 1200 a day. Why is this one so high? I know lots of questions, sorry im just soo lost!!!

[Lovely]

Most people count the total calories overall in the food.

Some people like to make sure that their daily intake of fat, carbs, fiber, salt, protein, etc is balanced. Some do not.

First, a caution, those online calorie suggestions are just suggestions & estimates, they aren't necessarily what you would need to follow.

Secondly, people who are larger need more energy in order to function normally. People who are smaller do not need the same amount of energy. And then of course there's the fact that we're all individuals so our calories are often individual. You'll see some people on 1,200 calories a day because that is the amount of energy they need to lose or maintain.

PS - I do not suggest that you start out on 1,200 a day.

[GirlyGirlSebas]

1200 calories is barest minimum number required to fuel our bodies' processes each day. The number of calories required to lose weight is based upon how much fat stores you currently have. To reach and maintain a high weight, it requires a large number of calories consumed each day. If a smaller woman began to eat 1800-2000 calories a day, she might start gaining weight. At the least, her weight loss would probably stop and she would maintain. That's simply because her body would require less calories to maintain her current size. As larger women, we can still consume a higher number of calories and still reduce the number enough to lose 2-3 pounds a week. Eventually, we will probably reach the point where our weight loss stalls and we have to eat less than 2000 a day, too.

[wendymeows]

I'm glad you asked this question. I am doing WW at home which is on the points system but since so many others on here are counting calories, I have been curious about it too. Wondering how many to start with and at what point you start dropping the numbers to keep losing the weight

[Lyn2007]

Calories are just basically food energy. They are the same whether they come from fat, sugar or protein (same calories) but the nutrition is very different. So nutrition and calorie counting are really two different things.

I count calories (everything I eat) because if I do not burn more energy than I take in I will not lose weight. And all the calorie calculators tell me I can eat like 2000 calories a day and be sedentary and lose weight, but I cannot. I have been doing this (on and off) for years, and I know from trial and error that I can eat 1400-1500 calories a day and lose weight (4-8 pounds a month). That's WITH exercise. If I eat 1600 or more I gain weight.

So pick a number you are comfortable with, between 1200-2000 and try it for a couple of weeks and see if you lose weight. If you stick with it but don't lose, drop it a bit and see what happens.

I use an online website to enter my calories each day. When I stop counting I tend to overeat and not lose weight.

[Beverlyjoy]

When I started counting calories I was confused too. A while back I check out the Calorie Counting forum here at 3fatchicks. They have information about in their frequently asked questions (FAQ) area. Check it out and see if it helps.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=120806

[MamaToTomAndAlex]

I count calories and use Calorie King... although I believe Spark People is very similar. I did Weight Watchers for the longest time, and whilst I loved the plan, after a while I got irritated by the fact that I didn't have any idea what the fat content or sugar content of stuff was. Also important to me is sodium.

Calorie King gives me EVERYTHING... so I can see how much of a food's calories come from fat or carbs or protein ... and I like it.

I am on 1460 calories a day.