So I decided to try calorie counting. I started in Feb. of this year at 172 and now down to 158-160 (fluctuate). I thought calorie counting was counting everything! like protein, carbs, sugar, blah, blah, blah. I didn't want to get so technical with it. I figured out that I need 1,769 calories a day for a one pound a week weight loss with moderate exercise. I still think that is a little to much maybe? I am 5ft 3, 39yrs old, and now at 160.
So basically counting the total calories of what you eat and subtract from your daily allowance? Is losing 2lbs a week to much for me? Or should I stick with one pound a week? I though 1,500 calories a day sounded good. I usually walk 2-3 miles per day.

thanks for your help!

OOPPSS didn't start calorie counting until this week, before that I just changed my diet. But the weight loss is slowing down.

I don't understand subtracting from your daily allowance. I allow myself a certain number of calories a day and that is what I eat.
It is pretty hard to determine how many pounds you will lose in a week, our bodies just don't operate that way. Your loss will vary each week, usually, even when we are eating the same number of calories each day. This is normal.

I have an app on my phone, I add in what I eat and it subtracts it from my total calories, and lets me know how many more I can eat that day. Do I need to worry about net calories or not?

I have a set net that I eat at. For example, if I do not exercise today, I will eat 1400-1500 calories (depending on hunger). If I do exercise and burn 400 calories, I will eat 1800-1900, so that my net is back to 1400 to 1500. So consumed calories minus my exercise calories will be my net total.

I also have an app on my phone (Mynetdiary) that I love. It tells me how much to eat, and throughout the day I just add what I eat and it lets me know how many calories I have left. Its awesome. It also tells me my protien/fat/carb consumption. I do pay attention to it, but I am not strict with it like calories.

It also tells me to eat back my exercise calories. When I add in the exercise I did and how many calories burned, it ups my allowed calorie consumption for the day.

you're unnecessarily complicating things.

i eat 750 day - period. if i workout or don't, i still eat 750 a day. later on down the road, it'll be 1000 a day - walk the dog, tabata, rebounder, zumba, doesn't matter. and so on until i'm at maintenance level.

it's easier on my brain.

You can do it however works best for you! I do 1200-1300 regardless of exercise, but I don't exercise that much yet anyway.

Thanks,
Ok my calorie limit is 1500. Today I have only had 1,110. I did walk for 30 minutes, which plugged into my app 94 calories burned. It is adding those 94 calories to the rest of the calories that I can eat today. So my app says I can have 493 more today. I don't even know if I can eat this much, seems like I am stuffing myself. I wanted to walk again, but I am thinking 1,110 calories that I have had today is not enough if I walk again. hmmm...

1759 seems a little high... and I have been told many times 750 is way too low.... I am your age, but not your height. I was told by my trainer 1400 is good for me to lose 1.5 a week.

Hope it helps.

I agree with the others who say you are making this unneccesarily complicated. The reason I like calorie counting is because it is NOT complicated.

I keep it simple, eat within a calorie range, higher on hungrier days and lower on less hungry days. I don't so adding back in calories from exercise. I exercise partly to help me lose weight faster.

I eat the same number of calories every day. Any calorie I can burn I consider a bonus.

Yeah, you don't have to do it that way. Just eat 1500 and ignore the exercise if you want (I mean ignore the 94 calories...not quit exercising )

I do what a lot of other people here do. I try to stay within the calorie budget that my app allows for me to eat in order to lose a pound a week. If I exercise,I consider it a bonus and I don't eat more; however there are days when I am just famished, and on those days I might raise the calorie limit a bit. In my mind, it is my body telling me it needs more fuel because of some previous exercise. At least that's how I view it in my nonscientific way.