Can someone tell me if this is a good plan?

Hi guys.. I need your help. I've been doing calorie count for 2 weeks now and instead of losing weight I've gained 3 lbs. I think this is b/c I've been eating really late at night like 1am and it sucks b/c I count it as calories for the next day so the next day I have to starve myself and end up doing the same thing over and over again. I was eating around 1500 calories and still binging occasionally and I've made a mess of the whole thing. I feel so desperate and hopeless right now, so I re-calculated my calories burned for the day and set my activity level as sedentary ( I figure I'll just add all my activities manually) and it was 1800. So what I was thinking I should do to avoid binging and such is eat 1800 calories and burn 500 at the gym ( which I usually do with cardio ) I'm about to start following this program tomorrow.. so that would put me at 1300 calories a day.. and the days I don't work out I figured I'd eat 1300.. do you think this will work for me ?? Ah I'm 5'4 and currently 146 lbs : ( and none of my clothes even fit me anymore.. I'd appreciate any advice you guys have. The thing is I have a terrible sweet tooth.. I cannot go through the day without having a cookie or ice cream or a brownie or smth and trying to do so has only caused me to binge on them later on. I've been suffering with my weight for so long I don't want to go through another summer where I feel depressed and hide at home. so any advice would be sooo appreciated. thanks

You should count your calories from getting up to going to bed -- regardless of what time it is.  Don't start counting your calories for the new day just because its 1 am and you are still up.

I recommend you do a calorie range, not a fixed amount.  But use your goal weight to figure how many calories you should have, not your current weight. 

I suggest you calculate your goal weight calories for sedentary, and goal weight calories for light activity, and make that your range.  That will give you lot of flexibility in your planning, plus more variety and some zigzagging.

You don't have to add back your calories burned in your workouts.

the benefit of this is threefold:  First, you are getting good nutrition while you lose weight, and nutritional balance does affect our ability to lose and maintain weight loss.  Second, you will be establishing a pattern of eating that you will just continue on with after you reach your goal weight.  Third, it will allow your body to dictate what weight it will go down to.  Healthy bodies are the best judge of what they should weigh. 

yes but if I do that then I'd have to eat between 1250-1450 each day including the exercise.. is that what you mean?

the biggest thing that i have learned is that if you cut calories and limit when you eat (i don't eat past 7pm if I can help it) the you have a better chance. Eating that late, and then sleeping and letting it just sit on your stomach, is hard on a diet. i have only been doing this program for about 2 weeks and have lost 6 lbs. Yes, probably 3-4lbs water weight, but i can fit in jeans I couldn't fit in for MONTHS (in fact, i'm wearing them today). I do only try to eat 1000-1100 calories per day and exercise only once a week, but I'm very sedentary right now, so I don't need the extra calories.

Calorie counting wont lose the fat in your body you must excersize! Dont eat at night at all cos your metabolism has slowed down and your body is turning it to fat.I dont eat after my dinner at about 6pm. Eat a big breakast in morning cos you can burn it o during day.Hope thius helpsxx

Actually, there's a lot of arguments that say it doesn't make any difference when you eat your calories so long as you stay under your set amount....

And Calorie Counting does help you lose fat... Granted, exercise speeds up the process... But you don't have to exercise to lose fat... You can lose fat by dieting alone...

Do NOT eat like canme!! 1000 calories is not enough, especially on exercise days. You should have no more than a 500-800 deficit per day. I was doing that and when I ate a little more I gained weight! Your body needs calories just to stay alive. Try reading this article, it may help you understand. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/core_march_8. htm

Good luck.

BG