That seems like an awful lot. Would a better goal for me be 1200 cals?
I'm 5'8, 231 pounds, I sit at a desk all day for work.
I don't want to do this the unhealthy way, so I'm looking for a little advice.
Thanks

My advice is usually this - go here - http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm , plug in your info, work that 150% true for a few weeks then tweak as necessary.

Onederchic - that was an interesting site I've not visited before. I think the calorie levels are probably too high for me but then, I'm not just starting. I wish I'd seen the site all those decades ago (yea, I know, before internet ) when I lost weight on 1,000 calories (it was the norm in those days) and started the messing up of my body!

Yeah, it is a decent site. I don't believe anyone or anything can tell us the exact amount of calories our bodies need to lose weight, it is about trial and error. I just use the calculator as a starting point

1800 is a great place for you to start, with two warnings:

1. It's got to be accurate. I HIGHLY recommend getting a food scale and weighing everything. It's the most accurate, least messy, and quickest way. if you are off by 10%--which is nothing--you'll be eating more like 2000/day. If you aren't counting 1 stolen french fry and a fortune cookie and just a bite of your mom's chocolate cake--all the sudden, you are at 2000. It's really easy for that stuff to add up.

2. Your daily average is NOT your average day. One big meal can easily--easily--add 200 calories a day to your daily average, so six on-plan 1800 calorie days + one mostly on-plan-except-we-had-dinner-out day = 2000 calories a day.

If you watch those two things, you will most likely lose weight on 1800 calories. Our bodies burn a lot more calories than a body that only weighs 140--I mean, if you had to CARRY an extra 50 lbs around all day every day, you'd think that was such a workout, you should be able to eat anything!

If 1800 doesn't work, you can always cut back. But if it does, think how sustainable your food plan will be! It's worth a couple weeks to find out.

I just took a look at that site. I think it's the most accurate that I've seen yet. Other sites say I should eat alot more calories. I did put in "little/no exercise" although I do exercise daily. It said my calories should be 1680. I have been trying for a daily average in the 1600-1700 range and I have been losing.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I'm going to give it a solid effort. My biggest weajness right now is Pepsi. I'm addicted to the stuff lol. Day one with water only is today.

Good luck Mandi! I was a Diet Coke addict all my life, drinking a 12 pack of cans a day but I stopped that over a year ago and couldn't be happier . I have a diet coke still, 1 or 2 a week but no longer 12 of them every day

Mandi -
If you are used to drinking pepsi with caffine and you cut it out cold turkey and only drinking water, you will most likely get a headache and possibly have other cravings.

Wow, 12 cans a day? I could say I'm not far from that. How did you stop? Cold turkey or just cut down until you had no more?

Its 11:23 here now, by now I'd usually have a Super Jos Louis (a creme cake thing) and XL french vanilla cappuccino, oatmeal and a pepsi.

Today I have had, oatmeal (260 cals) water (yuck!! Its so bland) and 2, wait, no 3 sticks of gum.

The headache is definitely started already, but I'm not giving in.

I have some pepsi in the fridge at home, maybe a litre only. I'll probably have that the second I get home from work but I am not going to buy more

I did it cold turkey and I didn't have any headaches and the such as others do/did, I reckon I was blessed . I still craved them but I got over it

Also, do a search for oatmeal here, there are tons of discussions on how to spruce up oatmeal

Right on thanks for the tip.

When I was a teenager I used to drink almost a 12 pack of coke a day. Now I mostly drink water and a couple cups of coffee daily, and occasionally I have a cup of decaf tea. I now love drinking water.