Just a bit of confusion...

hello, I have been working with the Calorie counter for 1.5 months or more now, I have overweight at 5'7 and 220pounds ( or so ), basically the site is telling me what I calculated on my own before, my daily calorie burn is about 2500 calories, and well I tought a good way to loose weight is to go to 2000 but the site suggests 1750, so I am sticking to the 1750 plan so far just 2 days I have gone over but for about 100 calories. 

so 2 days I have done 1850 or so... ok anyhow some other days I have done 1500, one day even 1300 calories, now always my food end up on the A- category, or the A category ( I think I had a day that was B+ ) but, just 1 day in a month, I know I can restrain myself from eating I do not mind being hungry, and with 1750 calories a day, I have to be honest I am.

I am sedentary, but well I work on the PC, I program computers, for what 4-5 hours a day or more.

now I found that there's the part of the activity log, and there it says that, for 1 hour of computer work I use around 180 calories... 

so basically on my regular day according to this I use 900 extra calories, by working on the PC. 

I know that 2500 is my base metabolic rate, but I have no idea if there it includes the 900 calories I use when I work on the PC.... 

should I add that to my food log, and adjust my intake accordingly ?

basically I am scared into lowering my metabolism and making it hard for me to loose weight in the long run... but I have no idea what to do... 

now as I stated before I feel hungry I don't mind really until I feel a little woozy... but I guess that happens, what really has me... well lets say "angry" ( for lacking better words ) 

is the fact that on the first 4 weeks I lost around 8 pounds, and that was ok 2 pounds per week... sounds reasonable. 

however I have stayed with the counting and diet, and I gained 4 pounds back and I feel somewhat dissapointed, and somewhat scared that I have altered my metabolism to slow down.. ( even more than what it is now ) and that I am entering in some sort of yo-yo effect. 

I know that if I reduce 500 calories I will loose 1-1.5 pounds each week, now I followed the advice here and reduced them 750, however I think that if I have to add my office hours then I have reduced my intake by 1650 calories a day, and I think a reduction so radical will make the body think it is getting starved and start saving fat.. ( more ) 

so what would be the advice .... tyvm.

RS.

I would redo the calculations with your activity level set to 'light' rather than 'sedentary'.  'Light' covers about half an hour of activity a day and that's quite easy to achieve even if you work in an office.... a brisk walk, for example is no real effort.  Then deduct about 700-800 cals from the total in order to see your weight-loss intake. 

If you're feeling hungry and 'woozy' then look next at the quality and regularity of your food, rather than just the calories.   Low blood-sugars are a common cause of both... hunger and light-headedness... so make sure your food choices include 'Low GI' wholegrains, wholefoods and home-prepared foods rather than refined carbohydrates, sugars and other processed/ready-made foods.   And make sure you're eating a light meal or a small snack every 2 to 3 hours starting with a good breakfast ... that another way to keep blood-sugars stable.

Hope something in there helps.

2500 isn't your basal metabolic rate, 1750 is.  2500 is your daily burn - it already takes into account the fact that you aren't in a coma all day, and do normal daily activities.

I have an office job so I keep mine set to sedentary too - sendentary doesn't mean literally lying in bed all day, it involves moving around during the day, cooking, going to the bathroom, etc.  Any extra activity I do, I log.

750 is a good deficit to stick to as you've got some room to play in there.  The numbers on here or any site are all estimated, so there is no way to tell exactly how much you're burning a day.  If you're burning a little extra then you expected, so much the better - chances are it's not going to be so different that you have to up your calories a significant amount.

So, keep eating at 1750 - you shouln't eat under your BMR so sounds like you're on the right track. Good luck! :)

Okay, now I'm confused about activity levels. I work in an office (after getting 2 kids up, washed, dressed & out to school) and do the dinner/housework/get the kids ready for bed when I get home- I'd always classed myself as sedentary as thats stuff most people do during the course of a day? But GI-Jane, you seem to be suggesting that I maybe should reset my activity level to 'light'?

Sorry to hijack the thread a bit?...

I was like you in the beginning I wasn't sure how it all worked. i know to lose a pound of weight a week you have to eat 500 calories less then you normally would 500x7=3500 calories which is about a pound a week. The Calorie Counter suggested i eat about 2200 a day. I changed it in my default to 1500 calories a day and in my activity level I put low because my normal day isn't that active. The only actively I put in my log is my daily walk of 30 to 80 minutes a day depending on the weather and my time frame. I don't put every little thing I do around the house because I know for myself I go at my own pace. Is has worked so well for me before I found this web site I was doing this on paper and I weight almost 340 pounds and I am 5'8. I lose anywhere from 4-6 pounds a week and a total of 6.5 inches a week. I eat foods that I like and that make me feel fuller. I've had my days don't get me wrong i love to eat man and I do. Being bored is a big downfall to i exercise even when I don't want to. I guess what i am suggesting to you is keep it simple and have fun doing it. You will enjoy the outcome more.

Original Post by irishmum:

Okay, now I'm confused about activity levels. I work in an office (after getting 2 kids up, washed, dressed & out to school) and do the dinner/housework/get the kids ready for bed when I get home- I'd always classed myself as sedentary as thats stuff most people do during the course of a day? But GI-Jane, you seem to be suggesting that I maybe should reset my activity level to 'light'?

Sorry to hijack the thread a bit?...

 It's just my personal experience but I find that if you're doing all the above then you're not sedentary in calorie output terms.  My 'test' is to stick on a pedometer for the day.  If you're getting circa 10,000 steps then that's a good working definition of 'lightly active'.  If it's sub 5000 steps then you really are sedentary....  but you could take a half-hour walk and easily get it up to 10,000 steps.  Just my take....

Original Post by gi-jane:

 It's just my personal experience but I find that if you're doing all the above then you're not sedentary in calorie output terms.  My 'test' is to stick on a pedometer for the day.  If you're getting circa 10,000 steps then that's a good working definition of 'lightly active'.  If it's sub 5000 steps then you really are sedentary....  but you could take a half-hour walk and easily get it up to 10,000 steps.  Just my take....

Hmm I think this might explain something that's been bothering me.  All this time I've been wearing a pedometer and trying to get 10,000 steps in a day.  But, even when I go for a walk for a full hour, I'm lucky if my daily steps are 6000 or so.  I've been wondering for awhile if my pedometer just isn't working properly....now I have more reason to believe that.

Original Post by gi-jane:

Original Post by irishmum:

Okay, now I'm confused about activity levels. I work in an office (after getting 2 kids up, washed, dressed & out to school) and do the dinner/housework/get the kids ready for bed when I get home- I'd always classed myself as sedentary as thats stuff most people do during the course of a day? But GI-Jane, you seem to be suggesting that I maybe should reset my activity level to 'light'?

Sorry to hijack the thread a bit?...

 It's just my personal experience but I find that if you're doing all the above then you're not sedentary in calorie output terms.  My 'test' is to stick on a pedometer for the day.  If you're getting circa 10,000 steps then that's a good working definition of 'lightly active'.  If it's sub 5000 steps then you really are sedentary....  but you could take a half-hour walk and easily get it up to 10,000 steps.  Just my take....

 I appreciate the feedback- I'll re-do my stats and see what it comes up with then. Maybe go for a figure in between just to be safe? LOL!

I firmly believe that it's always better to aim slightly too high and lose weight a little more slowly than the opposite.  So many people combine underestimating their exercise with overestimating their food intake and then find they're stuck.

Go with 'light'... give it a couple of weeks and then judge.