New to here and confused about CC

Good Morning!

I was on the atkins diet last year and I did have sucess losing 40 pounds and keeping it off for almost a year now just by watching my calories, so I did go off the Atkins diet. I am ready to lose the rest of the weight I need to but I realise Atkins is not the most healthy option to I want to count calories. Now I looked on the site and it said for a loss of 2 pounds a week I would need to eat 1400 calories I'm 22 and 198 and I want to get to my goal of 141. I started out early last year at 240 so I'm feeling confidant about it but I have never watched my calories . I thought that I would start out eating higher calories and then go down but the chart on this site dosen't mention that so can someone please give me some direction? My goal is to get to where I want to be by March of next year. I put my weight at 198 but it said 195 this morning. Any advice would be great and an explanation on this CC thing. Also, I love to excersise. I do it 6 times a week about 40 minutes power walking, but I just now started back. I'm motivated and I want to lose the healthy way but I'm so lost on how to begin. Also, I'm 5'7

1. What activity level did you chose when you used the calorie target tool? Does that activity level include the exercise you plan to do?

2. Did you pick a goal date or did you let CC pick the date for you (you left it blank)?

The recommendation of how much to eat is based on your stats now. It doesn't tell you how to adjust it in the future because things (your weight, age, and activity level) can change, and so you'll have to decide when/if you need to recalculate.

 I chose light because I do work in an office although I try to move around as much as possible, but after work everyday I go to the park and do the 40min and I clean at home. I want to be there by March of next year close to my birthday and I entered the goal in the tool.

So to me (but I could be wrong) it sounds like "light" includes your daily life, but not your exercise? Or do you feel it includes the exercise? If the former, try the tool again, using moderate.

And while you are at it, don't put in a goal date - let it pick one for you. And see what you get then.

This is when I let it pick it for me

You should consume about 1,871 calories a day to reach your goal weight of 141 lbs . This is at a reasonable weight loss average of 1.5 lbs per week, which should be reached by May 07, 2012

 And this is when I picked my own

You should consume about 1,624 calories a day to reach your goal weight of 141 lbs by March 02, 2012

I guess I'll just stick with 1,624 and do I just go lower after not seeing a loss?

I'd suggest picking the higher number (1800+) to start - eating more when you start losing weight allows you a larger range to safely drop as you lose weight (if necessary).

That sounds good, guess I'll try that. Thanks for the help

Hey great job coming as far as you have! Just remember to be patient and give your body time to adjust and also if you don't see a change on the scale it doesn't mean your body shape isn't changing. Good luck!

Thanks so much! I will keep updated.