jodyu's Journal, 25 February 2018

I started off by figuring out how much I eat on a daily basis, and then deducting about 500 calories a day from that. I really lost quickly (1.5 pounds a week) when I was eating 1200 calories a day with about 300 to 400 calories a day of exercise. 

Go have your resting metabolic rate (rmr) tested and it will let you know the number you really need. If your rmr tests at only 1400 you need to adjust accordingly. My rmr at 340 was 3000 kcal a day. At 200 it's 2200 so if I want to lose a lb a week I would drop to 1700 ish. Just my 2 cents. 

I agree with keddie. See how if you can figure out you bmr. If you go too low for long your body may think it’s starving and hold on the the weight. 

Calories from proteine and carbs are different, check carbs 

Everybody is different. Everyone has to find their own way. Log, track and analyze your way to success. Most people here share their journey and many of it's ups and downs. Keep learning from them. IMO, it's not all about calories. I think it's more about nutrition without all the extra calories...  

What Abbadabba suggested sounds reasonable to me 😉 try that 

as my experience showed, I drop weight at 1200. 1500 allows me to keep the same weight. and 2000 per day makes me grow) 

You can do what Keddie said with a BIA scale at home. It can also help you track how your exercise program is working.  

1200 is a great start. I am 5'10" male and went 1500 calories per day for almost a full year to lose my weight at 1.75 pounds per week. My wife at 5'6" had 1200 a day to lose weight. 

Yesterday I found an online calculator that helps you calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate based on height, current weight, gender and age and from there use the Harris Benedict Equation to determine your daily caloric need based on BMR and level of physical activity. I believe I also saw a calculator to use your results to calculate how many calories needed to lose or gain weight at a specific rate. I feel it's a good guide to make sure I don't further lower my BMR through the dieting process but in general it is more of the calories in/calories out concept that has proven to be of limited value due to ignoring the hormonal effects of food. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ I felt what it came up with for me fit what I've experienced.