Hi, I'm a newbie. I have an idea of what I want to do for the next six weeks, and wanted to know if this sounds good.

5 Days Cardio/3 Days Resistance

M, W, F - 2 of the 20 minute Winsor Pilates DVD's (Weight Resistance/Toning)
M, Tu, Th, F, Sa - Jillian Michaels Burn Fat, Boost Metabolism (Cardio)
Sunday - Rest day

I currently weight 211 lbs and am 5'6 in height. How many calories do I need to eat to lose weight? I have heard from different sources 2000 and 1200-1500, so I'm confused.

I have a long term goal of getting form the size 16/14 I am to a 6/8. But I would like to know, how possible is it to lose 20-30 pounds by October 7th? If not possible then how many pounds. Thanks.

P.S. I only ask about the 20-30, cause I watch Losing it with Jillian and see these people lose that much in 6-8 weeks. Is there a meal plan somewhere on here with Jillian's food suggestions? Thanks

I like this one from baylor http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/caloriesneed.htm

about windsor - do you like those videos? I own them too, but can't seem to get into them.

Figuring out how many calories you need to eat can be complicated. There are so many different sources that will tell you differently. At your weight/height and with the activity you listed, I would start at 1500 calories. If you haven't heard of thedailyplate.com you should check it out. It's a free tool that will keep track of the calories you eat and your weight.

I think the Burn Fat Boost Metabolism will be good, but likely pretty challenging. I'm not sure on the pilates however. I love pilates, but I think you won't benefit from it as much until you are closer to your goal weight, as pilates is best for toning. I would try a more robust strength program, Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones is awesome!

Also, you should shoot for losing 1-2 pounds a week, likely higher in your first week. But only if you do a good job on the eating side! To lose 1 pound you need to have a calorie deficit of around 3500 calories. That means that if you cut out 500 calories from your diet daily, and burn 500 calories through exercise ever day, you should lose about 2 pounds a week.