still completely confused...

i know that you all get this question everyday but i'm trying to find out  for myself. how many calories should i eat daily? i'm 25, 5'4.5, i work out 5xs week doing kickboxing 3xs for 60 mins and jogging 2 miles + sculpting for 60 mins 2xs a week. my weight is 187 and right now i'm trying to keep it at 1700 daily but i'm not sure if that is too much or too little. i want to try the zig-zag but i'm not sure what range i should try to go btwn. i know that this is repetitive but any help is appreciated and needed...i'm want to lose weight at a constant 1 - 2 lbs per week

I calculate that you need about 2700-2900 cals a day to maintain your weight.  I'd say that you need 2100 on a steady basis, therefore, to lose weight at the rate you describe whilst still giving you the energy for your sports.  Try that as a starting point with a good routine of regular meals made up of healthy, whole foods.  Most people will find that they naturally want to eat a little more on days where they're doing a lot of exercise and a little less on days where they don't.  Between 2000 and 2200 would be right for you with maybe 1 day every 2 or 3 weeks where you have the full 2700 cals.

As you lose weight you'd need to redo the calculations.  Hope something in there helps.

thanks for the input

If you can wear a heart rate monitor (HRM) with chest strap while exercising, you can get a more accurate account of the cals you are burning. Even borrowing one for a week would give you a base line. It would involve some math as you lose weight, but might be worth it. I find CC can be off on cals burned during exercise, since they give an estimate. I'm not sure how much that matters in the long run, but I love having my HRM.

I set my "activity level" on the burn meter to sedentary or light (depending on if I'm working or not) and then I log individual workouts separately. So far, this has worked really well for me. I aim for about a 700 cal deficit on a daily basis, so my intake varies depending on my workout.

Good luck.

Hi, brownsug!

How tight are you watching what you eat ... measuring or weighing everything you can? When are you eating? Do you have enough time to shop and cook "like you should..." lean protein, low-fat, high veggies & fruits & whole grains?

A lot of plateaus are reached because the intake is not being recorded/noted as accurately as at the beginning of the program...and, if you've lost weight, you don't need as many calories as you once may have.

Eating most of your intake late a night, after activity and before bed doesn't metabolize the same way and tends to "stick."

It looks like your output is outstanding...but, also grueling, time and energy-wise. So, take a week and record the input and see what you see.

If you're in the military, you might ask the doc or trainer at the gym for two tests: one that will test your basal metabolic rate; the other that will tell you your muscle to fat ratio. Together, they would tell you a little about what's going on.

For instance, if you have a high muscle to fat ratio, your body's metabolism should be higher and burn calories faster than visa versa.

The BMR can tell you how many calories you need just to exist. If you have one that's 1700 or so, you're lucky, because any activity you do will easily burn off what you take in. If you're unlucky and have one lower than 900 to 1000, it's just always going to be tough to be an ideal weight...in which case, it becomes important to build muscle. If you were a horse, you'd be called an "easy keeper," because we wouldn't have to feed as much to you! LOL  Being as you're NOT!, makes life difficult. However, in a famine....

Good luck! I really, really sympathize: it's difficult to work so hard with so few "rewards" for the effort.