How many calories should I be eating?

I'm kind of new to this. I started a week ago and went from not controlling my portions/what I was eating at all, to eating 1200 (or a bit less) per day and watching everything I eat. I'm trying to limit carbs and boost my protein, which I'm finding hard...for the first 4 days I was loosing a pound a day. In the last two days I've gained a pound back...I'm starting to worry that my body needs more food?

I am 5'4"
Starting weight ( 7 days ago) 151
Current weight: 148
Goal Weight: 130-135

I listed myself as sedentary, I work a retail clerk type job and don't work out aside from that. Other than taking long walks every once in a while.

I'm just now sure how much I should be eating, and how much of what I'm eating should come from Carbs, Protein and Fats....Like if i look at my anaysis graph, what should it idealy look like?

danaecbj,

Stay on track you are doing great. Do not weigh yourself any more than only once a week. (Ex. Monday morning)

 Carbohydrate 54%

Fats 25%

Protein 21%

you can maintain on 2000 calories, with "rarely" working out as determined by

http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/caloriesneed.htm?strG ender=female&intHeight=59&strHeight=i nches&intWeight=91&strWeight=pounds&a mp;intAge=20&strActivity=moderate&Res ult2=18.1&Result=2082

so, to lose 1.5 pounds per week , 1% of your body weight, the recommended amount...you'd need a 750 calorie deficit which would but you at 1250 for the days when you do nothing other than work. on those long walk days you can add a bit more than that maybe eat 1400 or something like that. but to go at a slower pace and maybe more sustainable...i'd shoot for 1 pound per week and eat 1500...this is more likely to work since you'll be able to keep at it and not be starving. 

i hope this helps :)

Have you had a Basic Metabolic Rate calculation done?? Basic Metabolic Rate, or BMR, is a calculation as to how much calories you need each day to maintain normal body functions. The calculation uses your age, height, and current body weight to calculate total calories needed. I could work a BMR up for you if you could post your age.

That would be great thanks! I'm 22 years old.

O.k., here is what I came up with for you. Your current Basic Metabolic Rate is 1496 calories. That is what you need without exercising to maintain body functions. You mentioined your exercise level was sedentary, so I also did a second calculation, using the Harris Benedict formula taking your BMR times their multiplier for sedentary activity, which is 1.2. So, with your BMR of 1496 x 1.2 = 1795.2 calories. Their activity multiplier is higher for people who exercise more. So 1795 calories is your maintainance target. From there, to lose one pound of weight a week, for example, you would need to shave off 500 calories a day, or come in at 1295 calories a day. If you were eating 1200 calories a day, an increase of about 100 calories would work out as well. You seem to be in a position where you can't lose more than a pound of weight at a time, because any further reduction in calories per day, and you will eventually stop losing weight. The body goes into starvation mode, which means it conserves calories to continue to function properly, thus your fat burners will run much slower.

The easiest way I've heard of to figure out how many calories you should be eating is 10 times your ideal weight so if you want to weigh 130, eat 1300 calories.  I've been doing this for 3 weeks and have lost 5 pounds so it's not the fastest way in the world, but it is the healthy way and you'll get to eat a little more.   

danaecbj...

Thank you for posting this question.  we have very similar stats, besides the age...

SW: 155

CW:  149

GW: between 130-135

Height: 5'4

Age: 25

I'm also sedentary I sit at my desk for 8 hrs a day and don't exercise when I get home.  I started to plateau around 149 for the past 3-4 weeks.  I decided to decrease my calorie intake to 1200, it's not going too badly, I honestly don't find myself to be terribly hungry.  I used to eat 1300 and started to find I wasn't losing any weight.

I only weigh myself once a week - I can't do it everyday because if I see any weight gain, I get really hard on myself.  I generally weigh myself Friday or Saturday morning. 

Good Luck!