*****Calorie Consumption... ???? Clueless!

So I have this wicked cool app on my phone that I put what I ate for meals, I can scroll down restaurant names and common food brands etc and it will automatically add up my calories and its saying based on 2000 calories a day. I know that must be way off but I also have no clue where I should be. I have never really COUNTED calories.. oh that sounds horrible.

So I exercise moderately... a brisk walk twice around the block daily.. about 1 mile I think. working my way up.. (Easy Tones are kicking my butt but I like it) and I still want to loose about 80 lbs.. 

So here is the question... what should I be aiming as far as daily qty?

Everybody is different it depends on your needs.  Me I can not lose if I go below 1000 a day .

The days I dont do a heavy workout like Curves with Zumba I stay around 1000 to 1100 per day .  The days I do my advanced Zumba I aim for 1200 to 1400 calories .

My calories never stay the same day to day

What I did was to go to www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate and put in my statistics.. age, height, weight, activity level and wanting to lose 2lbs a week and see what it recommended for me.

I'm sure there are other free calculators on the web.. this is just the one I used.

I wouldn't want to drop much below 1000 to 1200/day.. although I know a lot of people do.  I just think for me it would be difficult to get all my nutrition in at that low a level.  :)   YMMV

I did that Lisa and they have me to lose two pounds per week at 2200 calories per day.  Gosh maybe that is why Im not losing right now my calories are still to low ?



 

I wouldn't think so, but you could try bumping it up a little more and see if it makes a difference.

How high did you set your activity on there?  I usually set mine a bit lower than what I actually do, because I think being obese for so long as messed with my metabolism.  :/  

And I know you know that the scale isn't the end-all/be-all.  I know you're paying attention to measurements & how clothes are fitting and energy levels, etc.  :)

To be honest I dont know how to bump my calories up without making my sodium or my carbs go sky high also :o( .

I have a real problem with sodium if it gets anywhere over 2000 I will retain water so bad and when it starts to get warmer out I retain water even if my sodium is low.

I have asked for water pills but my docs wont give them to me *sigh*  They say the more weight I lose it wont be so bad .

So now I'm fighting water retention also which is awful.

I think I set mine lower also on there.

lol yeap I pay attention to clothes also and measurements :o)   For me though the scale is always my visual every week that my hard work has paid off and when it dont move for 3 weeks it really starts to play mind games with you and making me second guess myself on things with the band :o( 

My husband works out of town alot and he has been gone for two weeks and he called last night and I just broke down into tears , I have been so depressed these last two weeks and I'm so not like that , I'm usually a very chipper person .

 I'm second guessing myself on everything now . I thought maybe I do need a fill , but then in my heart I know that isn't the answer either but I wi**** was the answer *sigh*

Perhaps it's time to give a fill a try, Steelerfan?  Heck, if it doesn't work for you, just get an unfill and go back to what you have been doing.  You have been doing SO great without one and I am thoroughly impressed as I have expressed numerous times on the boards, but now that you are out of the "honeymoon" stage, maybe a fill might do the trick to kickstart  that weight loss and get it going again.  I just don't want you to feel like a failure if you decide to go the fill route, you know?  Losing 50 freakin' POUNDS without one is no easy feat and you have accomplished that...you are a success and an inspiration already to all of us!!!!! 

thanks Lisa !!!! I am going to be talking to my doc about that when I see him June 6Th and see what he says about that , I was thinking the same thing today also in fact.  I dont know what he will do because right now I'm still going a good 3-9 hrs at a time not wanting to eat , and he does not like to give fills when you can go that long without wanting to eat .

With summer and us camping again I have to force myself to eat my meals because I get so busy outside fishing or playing ********* if hubby or son dont remind me to eat I dont eat. 

All last week and this probably dont help matters any , I was so busy planting flowers, getting our campsite ready for the summer that I would go 12 hrs a time without a meal .  I'm just not hungry *sigh* I would eat breakfast and then I was lucky to eat dinner around 9 pm that night . 

I'm going to change my exercise around this week also to see if that helps. I have been doing Zumba since January and I might just be to use to it now even though I still get a good workout . 
We have a beautiful walking path right along the river so going to give that a try at nights and see if that helps some to .

 

Calorie counting is harder than it looks, because if you eat too much, you're screwed (of course), but, if you eat too little, you're just as screwed (or at least, that's how my body works...)

Aim for 1300-ish and adjust accordingly.

The counter says 1800 calories per day. I guess that seems high. I have eaten breakfast and lunch and am only at 520 so far... hmmmmmmm 

1800 even seams like to much.