Am I eating too much?

I just started my diet last week.  I just started really counting calories this week.  Since I'm new to all of this, I went online to find out how many calories I should be eating.  Since I'm a little heavier and I'm exercising 4-5 times a week...the "calorie calculator" suggested that I eat 2300/day (2800 if I want to maintain).  I went to multiple website to make sure the number was consistant.  I've been sticking to it with no problem.  To me this just seems like a lot of calories.   I eat about half of my calories throught the day at work and the rest I save for dinner.  Since I have about 1150 for dinner it seems like I can pretty much eat whatever I want - considering my fat intake.  Am I doing this whole thing right?  It just seems too easy!! 

I wouldn't save that many calories for dinner...I find that even eating the same amount of calories I lose or retain weight differently when I eat a lot at the end of the day rather than throughout.  I think it has to do with the fact that at the end of the day I don't have as much time to burn off the calories I eat before going to bed.  Other than that you sound like you're doing ok to me :)  Give it a week or two, if it doesn't seem to be doing the trick for you then drop your intake a bit.

Only you can determine that. If you get on the scale this week and it says you have lost weight, then it is working. You lucky dog, I wish I could eat 2300 calories a day! :) 

Well...big girls are allowed to eat more :)  Once I start losing weight I won't be able to eat as much.  I'm just enjoying it while I can.  Some of the girls here at work say they eat 1200 calories a day but they're 100 lbs. wet.  Like I said, I'm pushing 200 lbs. and 1200 a day just won't work for me. 

If you put in all the right info - you should lose at the recommended level of eating.

Just be sure you didn't overestimate your amount of activity per day.  I agree with changeofheart... lucky!!

Hi :)  It's gr8 to hear you are off to such a good start and doing well! 

Yes, you are doing it right.

There are 2 recommended guidelines that are considered safe within the medical community:

don't eat less than 1,200 for women (& 1,500 for men), and

losing 1 - 2 lbs a week is considered generally safe and sustainable.  Anything faster should be done under the supervision of a healthcare provider (and of course, check with your doctor before starting to make sure you're ok ;)

to do that; use

total calories burned - minus cals eaten = equals deficit

To lose 1 lb a week, you would cut back 500 cals a day (that's 1 lb = 3,500 cals divided by 7 days = 500 per day).  Double that for 2 lbs a week, so if you keep your deficit between 500 - 1,000 a day.

I find I'm hungrier and have more mental resistance if I keep larger deficits, so I shoot for 500 cals or less in a deficit.

You're doing gr8 :)  Holler if you have more questions!

Yes, you're doing it right.  Your actual calories need can be way above or below what the calculators say... this is an average. Just try it and see how much you lose, then make an adjustment. As you lose weight, you will need to eat less to continue to get the same loss.  I've read for every ten pounds you lose, you need 100 less calories. ... depending on your individual metabolism.  At first this won't matter, but in time you will see you lose slower, so it is time to move your calorie number down. 

I'm 5'9" and in the high 160's.  When I started I was told I should eat 1700, since I burn 2200.  That seemed like a TON, since I was thinking dieting meant heardly eating anything.  However, I have been going for about three weeks, and now I realize that it is more eating sensibly than starving.  Starving is bad.  So it can be hard at first to eat the recommended amount, but you can do it!

Thank you all for all of the encouragment and advice.  I really appreciate it.  I've never been this motivated before.  My husband's doing this with me so I'm find that it really helps that he's got my back.  Is it also true that I should keep my fat grams around 65/day?  I have to admit I haven't been as strict with the fat but I'm making more of a mental note and keep the fat grams down with no trans fat.  I really hope all of my efforts will pay off.  I guess only time will tell :)