Am I eating too much or not enough? Please help!

I started a daily exercise program 4 weeks ago. I am walking on my treadmill at a moderate pace for 45 minutes which gets me almost 2.5 miles. My question is, I started counting calories 2 weeks ago and I am not sure if I am eating enough or too much. I am 34yrs old female my current weight is 234 and I am 5'8". When I started I weighed 247 goal weight of 160-150. I am confused as to what to set my activity level at. I am a stay at home mom, and other than the daily exercise I do I am pretty much sedendary. I have been eating between 1300-1600 calories. But I am having a hard time making it to 1500-1600. I average around 1300-1400. I have been playing with the meters.. but I think I have gotten myself completly confused from messing with it so much.

What should my daily calories be? and do I have to change them with each weight loss log? or will it automatically do it for me?
Please let me know if I am headed in the right direction or am i doing this all wrong.

I'm not sure, but from other things that I have read here, I think that you maybe should up your calories.. Just make sure that they are "good" calories, and fill up on lean, lower fat foods, lower starchy/carbs.... Maybe that will get it going a little better for you...

I'm not sure, but from other things that I have read here, I think that you maybe should up your calories.. Just make sure that they are "good" calories, and fill up on lean, lower fat foods, lower starchy/carbs.... Maybe that will get it going a little better for you...

I calculate that with your stats and a 'light' level of activity that you need 2550 cals a day to maintain your weight.  Which would mean that if your intake was around 1700-1900 a day you'd be able to lose weight pleasantly and steadily at a rate of 1 - 2lbs a week.  If you set your target date about 1 year from now, that would be a reasonable length of time for someone looking to lose 70-80lbs.  As you lose weight, your calorie intake will be recalculated and will come down.  If you start doing more than 1 hour of reasonably vigorous exercise a day you'd up your activity level to 'moderate' and that would also result in a recalculation.

1300-1400 is therefore not enough for you and puts you in the path of all the perils of crash dieting..... brr....   If you struggle to get all the calories in try planning your day out in advance using the food log.  If you can see it's coming up short you can opt to make up the difference with something extra in the form of a bigger portion or an extra snack.  An ounce of nuts as a snack, for example, adds a useful 150 calories without being bulky or filling.

Best of luck