I do watch what I eat. I watch it go from my hand to my mouth.

Also from Dieting for Dummies...

Cutting calories to lose weight.
Because there are 3,500 calories in a pound and 7 days in a week, you can cut your daily calories intake by 500 to lose 1 pound a week (3,500/7 = 500). To lose 1 1/2 pounds, you need to cut 750 calores a day. A 2-pounds-a-week loos means eliminating 1,000 calories a day. A faster rate of weight loss is generally associated with weight regain and yo-yo dieting. Remember the tortoise and the hare: slow and steady wins the race.

Look at how these guidelines affect my weight-loss plans. I need about 2162 calories each day to maintain my current weight. To lose 1 pound per week, I need to cut 500 calories a day, bring my weight-loss calorie level to 1663. To lose 1 1/2 pounds a week, my new calorie level would be 1413. Attempting to lose 2 pounds per week means that my calorie allotment would drop to 1163. This amount, while still safe, is just too low for my personal needs.

The 20% rule.
Another way to determine your calorie needs for weight loss is called the 20% rule. This rule can be a healthier way to lose weight, especially if you're not eating many calories now and a reduction of 500 to 750 calores per day would be your calorie intake below 800 to 1000 a day and make your metabolism go into low gear.

First, just figure out the average number of calories you eat now. I do this with this part of my blog, tracking the number of calories, fat calories, and serving size of all my meals.

After you determine the average number of calories you consume, simply subtract 20%. Check my food diary archives - I was averaging about 1,500 -1,600 calories a day. I cut it by 20% and now do about 1250 calories a day. I lose between 1/2 - 1 pound a week, which is good for me because it's a healthy weight loss and I'm more likely to keep it off if I do it slowly than if it all came off at once.

posted by allison @ 5:45 PM