How many calories should we be eating?

How many calories should we be eating at 2 years out to keep losing?

everyone is soo different.  I still lose 4-5 pounds per month at 1400 calories sometimes as high as 1600 (the week before my TOM I eat more), The best thing I think is to write down what you are currently eating for a week or two, average the calories per day and then drop it from there, maybe a couple hundred calories per day. A lot depends on your current weight and exercise.  There are online calculators that can figure your RMR or BMR and you can try to guage from there but I have heard some say they are very inaccurate and others say they are right on. You could also get you metabolism tested.  I hve never tried this, they do cost $$$ but can be quite accurate from what I've heard. I say try the lay-men's way by tracking and averaging, then tweak it.

I've been told that for my weight and height I should be taking in around 1700cal a day to not lose weight. That doesn't take into account any backpacking trips, exercise, etc. I'm lucky when I get in 1300cals though. I just get full so fast!

Everyone will say something different. There are so many factors that play into this. I eat around 1800-2000 daily to maintain. If I want to drop a few I fall back to 1500 daily. That being said, I workout alot pretty much every day except Sunday. I do cardio and weight training so I need those calories to burn. I have found a few resources that have really  helped me along the depending on if I am trying to maintain or lose (never needed to gain, so I just ignorned that part, LOL). they are~ http://www.thedailyplate.com/ http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ http://www.thinnerself.com/files/calculator.htm Hope this helps!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Tracy, This is OT but you have the prettiest hair! I have curly red hair too(I promise to get my picture up soon) but spend way too much time trying to straighten it. What products do you use? I'm 5' 9" too so you're a good role model for me!

Hi Donna and Thanks!!!! I use a product called Curls Up (I get it at WalMart) and it does the trick for me! I do have to say that I'm pretty  much blond right now, LOL. I think I have a few blond pics on my profile, but not really any recent ones. I tend to go more toward my natural color (auburn) in the fall/winter and like to go blond for the spring/summer. You'll have to let me know if you give the Curls Up a try and if it works for you. I can't imagine having to stand there and straighten my hair every day~I'd go crazy, LOL!!!!!

I missed this posting. But yes, www.thedailyplate.com has a calculator where you put in information and then it asks if you want to gain, maintain or lose, and if so how much a week you want to lose per week 1 lb, 2 lb (or you can type in your own number) and it will tell you how many calories you can have to lose that weight per week. And as you keep track of calories in and calories burned it keeps a running total and gives you your net calorie intake. Like today I did a TON of walking, then jogging in the pool for 30 min. I've eaten al ittle over 600 calories, burned over 1,500 calories, so my net calories so far today is around -850. I can have up to 900 calories if I want to lose 5 lbs a week, which means today I can STILL eat those 850 calories PLUS the 900 and still lose the 5 lbs this week. Does that make sense? It's a wonderful site! I strongly recommend it!  So far I'm right on schedule for losing at least 5 lbs this week... I know kinda "fast" but we've done "fast" before lol, I'll slow it down in a couple months. Hope that helps. Leslee