so, i've scoured all the threads in this forum, researched on the net, and yet i'm still stuck with the most basic question of all -- how many calories should i eat?!?!
i'm 27, F, and weigh 183 lbs. i workout 6x a week for 30-60 minutes to a point where i am toast.
i've checked out a number of different websites - mayo clinic, spark people, and other randoms, each which say i should eat about 2300ish -- i take it that is to maintain?
cutting it down by 500 cals a day, which presumably loses 3500 cals/week, or 1lb, takes it to 1800. is that what i should be eating?
i've tracked all my calories for the last week and have averaged to 1480/day, BEFORE including exercise.
am i right in paying attention to the 1480 number?
i also calculated the caloric deficit i've accumulated this week, as 2300 - calories consumed + calories exercised. i've accumulated a 9110 deficit. im going to weigh myself tomorrow and see if my weight has gone down about 2.5lbs - that will prove my science!
if i'm doing this wrong, can someone please help me get back on track? it's so confusing with so many different numbers to pay attention to!
also, last q (for now) i promise!
if i'm averaging 1480/day but have a bmr of 2300, am i setting myself up for starvation mode or a plateau in the near future? definitely do not want that. i love eating so can easily take my calories up if needed, lol
thanks so much!