Weight-Loss Another 'how many calories' thread

[Wild Vulpix]

Last time I dieted, I was going with 1200 cal/day. It worked alright for a while, sort of. My weight loss was totally not consistant and I only lost a half a pound a weekish. I plateaued, then crashed, burned, and threw in the towel.

This time, I suppose I ought to eat more than 1200--even if the weight still comes off slowly.


My stats:
5'0"
Female
157lbs
21 years old

Calculated BMR: 1521.25

Excersise: Light to none

Because my BMR is so low... cutting calories is so hard for me it's not fair. I want to be able to cut my calories as I diet, but there's not much room for cuts... I'd love some help.

 

[Steve]

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking.

If I were you, my calorie target to start would most likely be 1700 or so. But there are a few caveats:

1. This is merely a starting point. The whole process is about picking a calorie intake and then monitoring how your body responds and adjusting your intake based on said responses. If you're losing too slowly, bump intake down incrementally every couple of weeks by 10% or so. Vice versa if you're losing too quickly.

2. Calories isn't the only factor that's important. The foods that comprise your calories also make an enormous difference. The stickies explain this in more detail and if you have specific questions, feel free to ask.

3. Why is exercise so low? Exercise would certainly help in that it would make your caloric intake less restrictive, improve body composition, etc.