This is the first time ive ever tried to lose weight so im a total newbie to dieting and everything related.

im the summer i was about 255lbs (been 255lbs for over 10 years) and by chance because of a very psychical job and never having time to eat, i got down to 220lbs without really noticing it and in only 3 months at the most. after quitting that job (seasonal) i gained 10 pounds back and this week i started trying to diet and only eat 1750 calories so im 227lbs now, apparently ive already lost 3 lbs??.

I dont want to be super slim, for now im aiming for 200lbs and i will probably try to be 190-185lbs at the very least. But im just curious if for now my goal weight is 200lbs, how many calories should i be eating if i want to lose atleast 2 pounds a week? is 1750 calories too much? i was considering trying 1600 calories for my second week, is this too much also?. im in the sedentary range for sure right now.

i would appreciate replies from other people who have been in the 230+ range because i think a thinner person might tell me its way too much and that i should eat 1300 which i cant start with in my first week =p

Also the calculators for how many calories i should be eating all give me very different resaults ranging from 2150-1300 calories, so i was wondering if someone knew of a more accurate one i could be using?

thanks so much!

I would check mfp and put in 1 lb a week weight loss to see what results you get, my fitness pal is a great tool most of us use on here to calorie count

My fitness pal, you can get it as an app or go onto it online. Once you sign up and fill out your info it will tell you how much calories to eat per day, and keep track of what you do eat.

Welcome, and good luck on your journey.

Thank you dolly and bat! going to try fitness pal =] much appreciated

There's no right answer. Some of it will be trial and error to find the right amount that 1) allows you to lose weight 2) doesn't leave you crazy hungry and 3) allows you to achieve the level of physical activity you want to.

I eat what my eventual maintenance calories will eventually be, which is 1800-1900 calories. It works well for me, even if I don't lose as fast as others. I'm never overly hungry, and I have room in my calories to work in cravings so I don't end up binging. Plus when I get to my goal weight, I'll already be used to this amount of food.

I'll tell you that if you put 2 lbs a week it will put you at 1200 my advice is put 1 lb a week and attempt to burn 3500 calories in exercise a week to give you that other lb loss

Pretty sure i couldn't do 1200 calories a day..lol I will try to get in the other pound a week from exercise.. thanks for pointing that out.

Thanks to everyone who has replied. been so helpful

alot of us are friends on there. if you want to post your user name we can add you for extra support

Not sure if you tried this calculator but just posting anyway ... You can also try this calorie calculator. Just enter your age, height, weight, target weight, activity level, the amount of calories you burn with exercise and when you want to reach your goal then it will show you the calories you need to reach your target.
You can also use the weight predictor to see what weight you will be based on how much calories you're consuming and burning now. Helps to figure out how much you need and should burn to reach target on time, pretty useful for those on challenges here. In the end though, these calculators are just estimates so you can just follow these result, see if it works and adjust your calorie intake accordingly.

The best way to find out is to just try a calorie range. You DEFINITELY do not need to go as low as 1200 and you'd probably start losing at 1800, or even 2000, just a bit slower.

Try a calorie count that you feel will work for you and see how you do in a few weeks. If you like the pace you're losing then keep eating at that amount (but reevaluate as you lose weight). If not, adjust.