[booskibabe]

I've been logging everything into fitday and it sayd my average for the past week was 1600. I'm 5'4" and currently 157.8 (This a.m.) Will I still lose weight at this amount or should I drop it a little?
Thanks!

[Kilketay]

How much do you exercise? Do you know how many calories you were eating on average each day before you began to diet?

[alinnell]

It really does matter how much you move. I have a pretty sedentary lifestyle and try to keep my calories at about 1400 in order to lose. If I am able to move more, it creates more of a deficit and I'll lose a bit faster.

Sometimes, when just starting out with calorie counting, you have to wait a week or so to see if you're losing at the current amount of calories. If you are, stay where you are until you plateau and then drop it by 100. If you aren't losing now, drop it by 100 to see if it allows you to lose. Also, you can up your exercise to create a calorie deficit and still stay at 1600 calories and still lose weight.

[booskibabe]

I think my average caloric intake before I started counting (again!) was somewhere around 2000. Occasionally I have a day where I eat like I used to, and those days are between 2000-2200 normally.
As far as exercising, I'm really bad at doing it consistently. My parents just got a small swimming pool, so I've been trying to swim 1 hr a day in that. I also try to walk to places I need to go when possible.

[rockinrobin]

I'm not sure how long you have been counting calories and how much weight you have lost so far and your activity level. Perhaps if you answer those questions we can help you out a little better.

Though I do think at some point in all honesty you're going to have to drop your calories. As we weigh less we require less and less calories in order to create a deficit and lose pounds.

[rockinrobin]

We posted at the same time. I think in order for you to have a consistient weight loss week after week you're either going to have to add in some exericse or have lots fewer of those 2000 calorie days. But there's nothing like trial and error to see how it goes. But the very best way to lose weight is to find a plan, eating and exercise wise that you can stick to and be very consistient with.

That pool sounds like lots of fun. Enjoy.

[Kilketay]

You need to drop your intake by 3500 calories a week to lose at the rate of a pound a week. If you normally eat, say, 2100 calories on average on non-dieting days, then to lose 1 pound a week you'd need to be eating 1600 a day on average. To lose a pound and a half a week, drop to 1350 a day. So, you ought to be losing slowly at your current level! Just depends how fast you want to lose, and what calorie intake you're comfortable with!

[booskibabe]

Thanks for all of the info!
Let's see... I have been counting calories off and on since last summer. Usually I get down to 150, hit a wall, and end up around 160 again. I've done this cycle a couple times now. When I'm consistent with my cals I lose between .5 and 1 lb a week. This is my 2nd week of renewed counting and last week I lost 1.1 lbs That week's average was 1580 cals a day.
As far as how ast I want to lose, while I want to lose as quickly as possible, I realize that anything below 1500 a day doesn't seem to work long term for me. I end up bingeing big time. I will definately work on my exercise.
I finally got internet, so at least I can use 3fc to regularly keep me accountable. I think that will help.
Thanks so much for all of your help! I think I will try to keep my average for this week around 1500 and also strive to develop an exercise schedule and actually stick to it.