nineteen.

okay, so heres the deal.

im 19 years old...and i really dont know how many calories i should be eating a day. im basically sedentary, besides work but other than that im on my butt all day, because im a full time honors student...that takes up a lot of time!

although i used to be 105 pounds at 5'1 (very small frame, but a little too thin nonetheless), i recently gained a bunch of weight and im now at 120 :( its uncomfortable, i dont like it, and id like to get back to my ideal weight of 110. im in no rush, but i really dont know how many calories to eat! am i still considered a teen at 19? i maintain on around 1500...so how many should i eat to lose slowly? i just want to find a happy medium :(

thanks so much for your help!

I'm also 19 and I maintain on 1500 as well. When I needed to lose weight I was able to lose it while eating about 1300 - I was also fairly sedentary, the only exercise I really did was walking and running occasionally.

but dont "teens" need to eat at least 1800 calories? or are you out of that range once you hit 19?

Yes, you are a teen at 19. The bare minimum for a teen to consume is 1500 at completely sedentary levels.  According to this calculator  you have a BMI of 22 (still in the healthy range, I might add, but your weight goal of 110 is sensible still), and burn:

1570 calories Sedentary
1890 calories Lightly Active
2190 calories Moderately Active
2680 calories Very Active.

Because your sedentary burn is already quite low, I suggest you make your deficit through exercise and not through cutting your calories. There's lots of simple ways to burn calories in half an hour or less and you never have to burn them all at one time in the day. :] Plus work will count for something, particularly if you do a job like waitressing or something that puts you on your feet. Perhaps invest in a home workout video or do things like jumping jacks or skipping with a skipping rope? Again, lots of ideas out there - try asking in the Fitness forum for advice on 30 minutes or less routines. But don't cut your calories under 1500!

I hope this helps :]

wow, that was really helpful! thank you so much.

so when do i stop being a "teen"?

and by your logic, does that mean i should consume the same amount of calories as say, a 14 year old? because it doesnt really make sense to me...i stopped growing when i was like, 16.

The calculator she linked you to adjusts with age. You're growing less than you were when you were 14, but more than you will be growing when you're 25.

Don't eat less than 1500, increase your defecit with excersize and since you're in a healthy weight range strength training will change the way your body looks and feels without you actually dropping pounds. It's definitely a good thing to add to your diet.

As lafoutloud said the calculator adjusts according to the age input. Technically, CC's calculators are inaccurate until you are 21 as this is usually when your body is well and truly done growing. Just because you are not growing on the outside does not necessarily mean you aren't growing on the inside. I agree with adding in weights, too. Cardio and weightlifting are both good - together, they are brilliant. Again, you can get help with routine ideas in the Fitness forum.

Aeroplane xc I am also 19 and weigh in at 120 at 5 feet. I use to weigh 110 but put on a good amount of weight my freshman year in college