Does anyone know how to figure out how many calories per day I should have to lose weight? I'm 5'5" and weigh 160#, want to weigh 129# and I'm 50 yo. I've just started a program (on my own) of taking in 1500 cal per day and plan to start doing moderate exercise most days of the week but have a very sedentary job and general lifestyle.

Thanks! ksr

right now, being sedentary with little to no exercise, you need approx 1705 calories to MAINTAIN your weight, according to your BMR of 1421 multiplied by the Harris benedict activity multiplier of 1.2 (sedentary/little to no exercise). 1705 is to MAINTAIN. To lose a pound a week, youd be at a 30% deficit, and would need to eat around 1200 a day.....in theory, of course. This gives you a weekly deficit of 3500 cals, which equals 1 pound/week.

Howere, if we factor in light exercise a few times a week, when you start that, than we multiply your BMR by 1.375, and get approx 1950 cals a day--once again, to MAINTAIN. To lose a pound a week take away 500 cals, and you are left with 1400 a day.

hope this helped!

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Thanks, that was very helpful! I have started doing more exercise daily so I guess my 1500 calories/day should be a decent starting place from those calculations. If I try to go less that 1500 I think I tend to feel deprived and am more likely to cheat or give up. I'll stay at this 1500 cal/day for a while and adjust if nothing happens (of course, while increasing the exercise!)

Thanks! ksr

i think mkro made a good estimation. id just say thats a good starting point but you may have to tweak. in my experience, no calculator or chart is perfect for everyone. so just start around there and tweak it til it works for you, like you said. if you're feeling deprived on less than 1500 and you are eating good foods and not filler and junk, then just take it slow. i can honestly say that since i learned how to correctly eat i have never been hungry on my diet.

Thanks! This forum is a great source of information and support! I'm new to the 3fc and really believe it is helpful. I appreciate your encouraging comments! ksr

At 50 and only 10 pounds overweight, a pound a week is a LOT. I suspect that once you get below 145 or so it will slow down significantly, and no diet that is maintainable will allow you to lose at a higher rate. This doesn't mean it's hopeless, it just means that those last 15-20 pounds will likely come off at half a pound or so a week, and if that happens, it doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong: normal to thin is a very different thing than overweight to normal.

The good news is that even half a pound a week will be noticeable when you are that thin.

I think 1500 is a very reasonable calorie allowance for you. I am much shorter than you and lost on 1200-1400 a day and maintain on 1400-1450.

You make me so proud *sniffle*

ahahahaha. you've taught me well <3

Thanks everyone! You're right, I want to make sure I have a healthy eating plan that is maintain-able for the long haul, rather than just a short-term diet. This seems like it's a good starting place and I'm starting to see some results, so I'll just hang in there for now at 1500/day.

Thanks for the friendly advice! ksr