Hello everyone! I'm new around here and decided to take a dive in to the fun! I have a question about calorie intake... I'm 202 and 5'8... is there anywhere I can figure out exactly how many calories I should be taking in each day? If there's been sites listed before, just please direct me to the post seeing how I must have missed it!!

I made a spreadsheet w/ formula's that calculates this. (And this is my guideline that I use to know how many cals per day I can eat) (I'm 5'8" also)

If you are 202, then here is how many cals you can eat per day in a 7-day-week to lose 1 lb, 2lbs, 2.5lbs, and 3lbs

202 1 2530
202 2 2030
202 2.5 1780
202 3 1530

Looks like you can lose up to 3lbs per week if you eat only 1500 cals per day.

It works pretty well, give or take a few lbs over the course of a month or two.

Good luck!

Awesome! Thanks so much!!

I'm new, too. Just wanted to give you a welcome and wish you luck!!!

Why thank you so very much!!! to you, too!!

Just a note that these numbers are estimates only, and vary based on your metabolism, exercise level, etc. Losing 3 pounds/week at 1500 calories sounds a little fast at 200 pounds, but it might be a good place to start. You may need to play around with calorie levels a little to get something that works for you. We are all different, after all.

I weigh the same as you, exercise regularly, and average about 1800 cals/day. Currently I'm losing a little over a pound/week on average. As I lose, I can lower my calories or up my exercise to keep losing (as I have been doing all along).

I, too, started at 202, and I'm 5ft 7. I cant exercise so my cals are a little lower. at 1300 a day with little or no exercise, i'm averaging about 1.5 to 2lbs a week. some weeks with no loss at all (now going into week 12). i agree with wyllenn (as usual), i think 3 a week might be too fast.

I think you just have to pick a level, and try it. If you lose and can stick with it then great. If you don't lose after a month or so, try reducing that number slowly, say 100 calories at a time. So many factors can affect how fast you lose, it's often a lower number than we want, and *what* you eat is really important too, as well as being honest about how much you are eating.

Miles -- great point -- you have to be honest about what you eat (and boy is THAT an eye opener) for this to make sense! Actually, everything you said was spot on (and reminded me of Aphil!)

AMEN! on the honesty! I love fitday. and one of the hardest things i've had to come to grips with is that EVERYthing counts. no matter how painful, i put everything in fitday. it can really be a motivator to stay on program.