ok...
in april last year i started calorie counting and i lost 30 pounds ....i maintained for a while...but then in september i got lazy and gained 20 back...originally i was doing 1200 calories a day....but i don't have the power for that again...
what should i do?
im 5'8 and 185 pounds...
how many calories should i start with?
I was thinking maybe 1400, but is that ok? is it too much?

Every one is different...but since we are close in weight (although I'm a little shorter than you), I can tell you that I lose at 1400 per day. And I definitely don't think 1400 would be too much for someone of your height and weight. Other people may have more knowledge, but that's my 2 cents .

Sunshine - most of us find that calorie counting is a bit of a guessing game, at least when it comes to setting the calorie level that is right for our bodies. My advice would be to set a level - 1400-1500 is probably a good start for someone your height/weight - and try it for 3-4 weeks. If you are losing, great! Stay there. If not, lower it another 50-100 calories a day, and stay there for another 3-4 weeks.

Your body will let you know the right level by giving you losses on the weeks you eat the right number...you just have to experiment a bit to get there.

Sunshine - I am 5'8" and 186...I have lost 41lbs eating btwn 1200-1400 calories per day...but I eat foods that are very filling - high fiber/protein...so I really don't stress and am rarely hungry. Some days I eat closer to 2000 (probably once every 2 weeks) and still lose weight...I feel it just gives my system a boost ...some folks switch up the # of calories almost daily so that their body doesn't get "used to" a certain number of calories...I don't do that except for once or twice a month...and during those times, I still eat healthy...just a few more calories.....

However, I wish I would have started at 1500 calories so that in the future I don't have to stress when I plateau.

Good Luck!

I would deffinitally say 1400 is a good amount. That way when it comes to maintaining again you wont be at such a low amount and have to climb your way up to a satisfying amount. I'm 5'6 and 130 lbs and I eat about 1400 a day which I am maintaining at.

I agree with Mandalinn. We can tell you what good calorie ranges are, but no one can tell you the exact number of calories that would be good for weight loss-because we are not there with you during your weigh ins.

Just as she said, you have to take a healthy range (1200-1600 for your weight and height) and do trial and error on your own to see what works. Some women your weight will need the higher end, some the lower.

I just wanted to add--give it time! Losing a pound a week is a good rate of weight loss, but some people expect the weight to drop faster. It may not, but that doesn't mean the program isn't working.

Try two weeks consistently close to your chosen calorie level and see what happens.

Jay