Hi:

My name is Sheila and I have been eating healthy for the past 3 years and I have lost 60 pounds. Problem is that I have gained back about 15 in the last 3 months due to a more active social life. I am wanting to start counting calories. I weigh about 185 now and I am wondering if some of you who started at about that weight can tell me approximately how many calories you ate in the beginning.

TIA

Sheila from TN

Most of the calorie counters on here got an idea of how many calories to eat from one of the numerous websites such as Livestrong.com that will estimate it for you, based on height, weight, age, current weight, and goal weight. Remember, its just an estimate.
I use a Go Wear Fit which tells me how many calories I burn a day. I aim for 3000 burned, I eat around 1800-1950 for a daily deficit of 1000 calories. That usually leads to a loss of 2# a week.
Of course, I weigh a lot more than you.

Good luck!

Yep, lots of websites out there that can give you at least a "ballpark" estimate of your basic maintenence calorie needs based on your height, weight, age and daily activity level.

I use an iPhone app called "lose it", which estimated my "baseline" calories at 2700 or so at my high weight. So to lose 2 lbs a week, it said I should consume no more than 1700 net calories a day, which is a 1,000 calorie deficit (1,000 calories a day = 7,000 calories a week = 2 lbs)

It also factors in my exercise (exercise being any "extra" activity outside of my daily routine) and puts that toward my deficit. Some people don't like that as they don't like to "eat back" their exercise calories, but it works fine for me. I'm usally below my budget anyway, and have been averaging about 3 lbs a week loss since I started.

As I go along and enter my new weight, it reduces my budget accordingly. There will be a point when my weight loss will have to slow (i.e., if it's saying I need to eat less than 1200 calories a day to keep my up my current rate of weight loss)...so keep that in mind, especially since you weigh a lot less than I do!

Most people find they have to make some adjustments because everyone's metabolism is different. After a couple of weeks or so, you should know what works for you.

Good luck!

Calorie Counting is my favorite. It keeps YOU in control, and not the food. If you splurge one night and go out, and go over your 'target' calories, you can try and make up for it in the next couple days. Alot of people on here, do a "zig zag" calorie counting. It changes your daily calorie intake, so you might have a couple low days, a few regular days, a couple 'high' days (and by high, I just mean a few hundred calories more). If you know there is a day you are going to go over you calories, you can make it your 'high day'. Google zig zag calorie counting, and do some reading of your own.

Good Luck!

Thank you everybody. I checked and Livestrong suggested 1660 for me to lose a pound a week. I think I will try that and see how it works. I have been doing WW and I feel like I am starving to death most of the time.

Sheila

Sheila, eat lots of vegetables to fill you up. Make 1/2 your plate full of veggies. I keep baby carrots on my counter so I can grab if I start to get a little hungry or when I feel the urge to snack. I have 3 kids under 5 and they are constantly eating and I'm always in the kitchen so instead of being bad I eat carrots. It takes a bit to chew so I have to work at chewing it up. So I don't eat that many throughout the day. Weigh to go on your loss

Hi Sheilia.
I just started calorie counting a week or so ago and I love it!! I'm like you, I took about 3 years to lose a high amount of weight and now I need a change and something that will fit easier into my social life. I met Jess on one of the forum's. Here is her take on counting calories or how to find out how many are right for you - it takes some time, yes, doing the math, but it really helps you understand why you are eating as many calories as you will be and what not... try it out! http://halfofjess.blogspot.com/2010/...y-caloric.html

Jenny:

Tried Jess' calculations and according to her I need to eat 1356 to lose a pound if I subtract 500 from my daily number or 1484 if I subtract 20%. I think I am going to go with 1600 and see what happens.

Thanks again.