How many calories should I be eating everyday? I have no idea. I have read some posts on here, checked other sites and I am totally lost. I don't understand any of it. How much protien should I eat? I have read conflicting info. Eat alot, don't eat alot. I do know I want to go low carb not no carb. low fat of course. How much other stuff do I need? Can you get to much of some things like protien? and now I hear that if I eat to few calories It could hinder my weight loss, but I also don't want to eat too many. Ok to sum up HELP!


How many cals.
How much protien, calcium, fat, carbs, etc.
should i start out with the highest calories and work down or just eat the lowest amount right from the start?

Thanks everyone, I can use all the help you all have to offer!

It's better to start out at a certain amount and work down. Don't start at the lowest amount, you've got to give your body time to get used to the new calorie level. But how many calories depends on a few things. Current weight, height, age, sex and what your activity level is. Everyone's calorie needs are different

ladybugfun - Linda has a point, it's different for everyone. I do think that you could try keeping your calories below 1700 a day to start with. (There are web sites as well where you can enter your info an it will give you an estimate of how many calories you need to maintain. Then you can calculate how many calories you need to cut back to lose a pound a week (3500 calorie deficit over the week) If you haven't checked out FitDay or Nutridiary yet - do it. They are excellent tools to help you see the percentages of carbs, protein & fat in your diet. I aim for 40% of my daily calories from carbs, 30% each of protein and fat. I think the Zone Diet uses that as well. If you figure out later on that you function better with less protein or something - you can switch it up.

Welcome to calorie counting!! It really does work!!

I'll see if I can find one of the sites that calculate maintenance calories.

Try google - search for metabolic calculator.

There's a Daily Needs Calculator here on 3FC. Click on the Diets tab on the top of this page and look for the Calculators link. Entering your info there will give you a basic idea of how many calories your body burns per day at your current weight, like Gina was saying.

When I first started out (not so long ago), I just worried about trying to figure out how to make a deficit.

Every week since, I've been trying to tweak and re-adjust, as I research more and learn more and gain oh-so-much valuable info from this fabulous community here at 3FC. I've started to be cognizant of daily sodium intake. Fat to carb to protein ratios. Saturated, unsaturated, trans. Water intake. Strength and cardio. What's considered eating "clean". Different names for sugar. Portion control. Mental attitude.

So many pieces to the puzzle, so much to learn!

Hehe by the time I get to goal, I hope I'll have it all together!

Oh, the point of my post (I got sidetracked!) was, don't let the sheer volume of things to learn about overwhelm you. Just take it step by step and ease into it.

This is kinda overwhelming, there is so much to learn. I am trying to take it a little at a time. I have learned so much already but I still feel like I'm lost. I just want to eat right, but I have to learn what is right before I can do that. I have cut out pop and sweets altogether, Eating more fruits and veggies. I know that is a great start. But I don't want to eat to much or to little. I want to make sure I am getting all the nutriants I need w/out getting to many things that are bad for you. You guys have really helped, Thank you so much! I have checked out the web sites some of you have suggested and they are really good. Good to you all!

Yes, there is. But I'll tell ya, one day it will be like getting up in the morning.

I was extremely overwhelmed at first. But like you said, a little at a time. Don't try and absorb everything at once or you'll get frustrated and feel like giving up.

Most of us here don't look at this as a "diet"; instead it's a lifestyle change. We'll have to do this for the rest of our lives. But now that I'm so used to counting and measuring and weighing everything, it doesn't bother me at all to do it. For example, I'm having old fashioned oats for my breakfast with 1/4 cup of blueberries tossed in. And yep, I measure out that 1/4 cup

I'm going to recommend getting a fitday.com account. It's free. And we'll help you with it's foibles. Plug in everything you eat and we'll tweak from there. Nothing is ever written in stone when it comes to health and weighloss. Calorie Counters are the consumate tweakers

Thank you for your support!! I have gone to Nutridiary. They also have a free calorie counter and things. It has really helped. I have found out I was not getting enough calories. So I have to eat more, YEA. I thought I might be getting to many. I hope I did it right. On another site it said to take you gaol weight and times it by like 16 and subtract 500. Thats like 1580cals. Nutridiary has me eating around 1900cals depending on my activaty amount. So I am trying to get @ least 1700 to 1800 or more. I figure it is better to start off with the higher amount and than I can take it down or up as needed. If Something doesn't sound right please let me know. I don't know why I am stressing so much about this, I am excercising ALOT more, Eating SO much healthier things, And less amounts than I was before I started, So thats gotta be a good start. But I guess I just want to get it right the first time. I would hate to get going on this and work so hard and find out I was doing wrong the whole time. I guess I am so anxious to see results, I need to just chill!!! So I guess I am needing some *chill vibes* Thanks agian everyone! Good luck to all of you.

If you are eating healthier and exercising there's no wrong about it. You may have to tweak sooner or later but there's no wrong.