Hi Marcy180,
I read your journal entry. You said you are ready to start a new diet.
As an aside, have you discussed the fact that you are starting a new
diet with your family doctor. It's always advisable to discuss any new
diet with your doctor. You say, how many calories am I supposed to eat
in a day? I live in Canada. So I use the Canada food guide to plan
most of my meals. That's why it's a good idea to consult your doctor.
You say, the calorie bar says I should only eat 494 calories a day.
Is that right ? No, it's not. That would be under 500 calories a day which
in my opinion is like a starvation diet . I saw that you are 23 years old.
You need a lot more than 494 calories a day. My advice is to consult
your doctor. Personally, I don't count calories. I plan my meals with
the food guide as I mentioned, as well as portions, food groups etc.
Counting calories in my opinion wouldn't make you lose weight and
you have to be careful to lose the weight safely. Good luck, Marcy.
Unfortunately, most of us aren't "average", so there is no set amount of calories we need. It's a scientific calculation based on your current height, weight, age and level of activity.
If you need help calculating your calories, let me know, I'll help you.
That's much too less. the average woman is meant to eat between 1500 and 2000, and the average male between 2500 and 3000. And even when cutting back in a diet you shouldn't cut more than 500 calories off it otherwise you risk starvation mode.