Hi there. I know every one's bodies are different and what may work for one may not work for another. I was just wanting to get some insight into how many calories per day on average some of you near my weight are consuming?

I am wondering if I need to up my calories a smidge.

Thanks a lot in advance!

I started at 270, I'm now about 230. I am using the same daily calorie range now as when I started 1200-1800 a day. I usually hit between 1400-1600, although some days are closer to 1200 and others closer to 1800. I hope that helps.

I started at 300, and I swear I started at like 2200 a day, which seems crazy now. I am really glad I did: it gave me a month or two to get used to keeping track, to find healthy alternatives, to enter various custom foods, all without feeling hungry or anxious. It was only after I established my new habits that I started really working on a calorie deficit. I cut down 100-200 calories a week until I was at about 1300, and then went back up to 1400 and then 1500, as my exercise routine increased.

I am not a near 300 lb lady but I just had to say I got warm fuzzy feeling inside when I read your signature. I wanted so badly to home birth my boys but I wasn't able to because of health complications, but I'm a natural minded "crunchy" mama.

Thank you so much ladies! Thanks babygrant that's so sweet

When I started calorie counting at 280+ pounds, I lost steadily at 2000 calories/day. You do have to drop the calories as you lose, but many of us found we didn't have to starve to lose.

I'm at 307 right now I GO as low as 1350 and as high as 1800... I try to calorie cycle to get a weekly average of around 1500-1600.. Some days I don't feel hungry at all and I'll stop at that 1300-1400 range other days I feel literally feel like a bottomless pit that cant get full especially when it's TOM like right now! so on days like that I eat 1700-1800 I'm losing at a nice steady pace!

I started at 281 and I'm eating 1600

My highest point is 2,600. I'm losing well.

I am somewhere between 400 and 450 weightwise and I am eating 1800 calories per day. I have very limited mobility at present so that is why my calories are probably lower then they should be at.

I started at 1200 calories/day for the first several months until I was well under 300. After a while I upped my weekend calories to 1500/day to allow for more flexibility. So I would eat 1200 calories for 4 days and 1500 for 3 days. To maintain my weight of 140-143, I can safely eat around 1800 to 1900 calories/day.

I started at 1500 - 1800 calories per day. I saw a dietitian who gave me a 1200 calorie diet but I just did not believe that I could eat "just" 1200 calorie/day. I actually seriously doubted that I could lose a large amount of weight. I was wrong! I would have lost much faster if I started with the 1200 calories, but I don't know if I would have stuck with it. Starting with the higher amount and gradually lowering it worked for me but sometimes, I wish that I had been eating 1200 calories a day from the start so that I would have lost more by now. Then I give myself a good kick and say "No regrets!" because I have been successful when I had failed many times in the past.

Thanks for all your insights ladies! I actually averaged my calories for the week last week and it came to 1735 calories a day, and that incorporated a 'splurge' day where I cooked for guests and ate 2500 that day (the other days were around 1600). I like the averaging, that way I can zig zag or plan for occasions where I may splurge a bit.

I am losing steadily but I did want some 'wiggle room' for when I lose more and may need to reduce my calories more.

Thanks again!

I started at 1800 calories at 338. Now I average about 1500 or so.

I started with a range of 1600-1800 @ 350. Now I am comfortable with 1400-1500 and lately, I have been dipping to 1300 some days. Some days I just don't feel like I need that much. I am trying to listen to my body more and ask myself if I need to eat or just want to eat. I almost always end up not eating if I ask myself that before I have an extra snack.