how many calories should i eat a day if i want to weigh 120 agian?

Question

i'm 22 years old, 5'4 and i currently weigh about 146.
i've been going to the gym regularly and i do about an hour cardio then about 30 minutes of light weights. i don't think i'm doing this right because i'm not losing any weight. I used to weigh 120 two years ago, but since the stress of my failed marriage, and school, i gained the weight from depression.

i don't think i'm eating right. i think i'm still consuming more calories then i'm burning.

what is the appropiate amount of calories that i should consume to reach my goal?

Answer 1

It sounds like you are doing the right amount of exercise (it may be a little on the heavy side).

Here are some suggestions:
1) Start monitoring your food intake. Keep track of your calories and expenditures. Check out the free website http://www.fitday.com and start recording your information. They don't spam you either. If you aren't keeping track of your calories, you are merely guessing. I suggest going no lower than 500 calories than what you need in a day (so if it recommends you eat about 2000 calories, you shouldn't consume less than 1500).

2) Muscle weighs more than fat. There's a chance that you are gaining muscle in the gym, which weighs more than the blubber you are burning off. So you could be making some significant gains.

3) Be sure you aren't sandbagging it in the gym. If your workout is an hour on the treadmill, be sure you aren't going at a snail's pace. Get your heart moving and be sure you are breaking a good sweat. The light weights might not be doing you much good either. Be sure they are challenging. Don't worry about getting big -- women don't have enough testerone to get big like guys.

Also be patient. Weight loss takes time. Educate yourself by reading magazines / books. There are plenty of good ones at the book store. Remember, knowledge is power, especially when it comes to weight loss.

Feel free to contact me for more info or what not.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Usually if you eat 10 calories per pound and are moderately active you will lose weight. So, you should eat around 1200 calories a day.
Your work outs are great, if you are eating less and don't lose the pounds, it could be that you are converting fat to muscle, and that's good in the long run. You will start losing weight and the more muscle you have, the more calories you body will burn.

You will find that improving your eating habits and exercising regularly will increase your endorphins and your depression will lessen. Good Luck!

Answer 3

Don't count calories since it will make you more depressed. This has happy foods-- see firsth thing it tells you to make. It is mostly NOT your fault, if you need to lose weight. The way you have been taught to eat is responsible for making obesity the number one health problem in the world (according to Atlantic Monthly magazine) replacing hunger and infectious disease. You need to re-learn how to eat so you can become thin.

Find out about fastest way to lose weight, gradual ways to lose weight, most effective exercise and anti-water. Lose bodyfat and retained water which also makes you a lot fatter (bloated). Plus click on "Pure Water" to make sure the water you drink doesn't hurt you. Most important-- make sure to read the last "fat loss tip", first before anything else, to see the number one food that causes Americans to be fat. Then click on "prescription for happiness" with info from top psychologists and religion to help you feel better.

http://phifoundation.org

Answer 4

Put variations on the amount of calories you intake. For example, eat how you normally do one day and only fruits and veggies the next. Your body will always try to adjust to the amount of calories your eating. The fruits/veggies one day and normal (but healthy!) the next will trick your body into thinking it will recieve the amount of calories it does on a normal day. So then on the day that you only eat the fruits and vegetables it will burn more calories than you are consuming. Combine this diet with exersize and your good to go!

Answer 5

I asked my husband this yesterday!! My goal is also 120, I'm 5'7''...I just want to lose the weight to better fit in my clothes. Gained it from pregnancy....here's what he told me...(he's in the military and went to fitness classes)..women need 1500 calories just to function. We HAVE to get at least 1500 calories for our bocy to function right. Men need a little less (lucky them)...anyway, anything you take in over the 1500...will be stored up as fat. So you need to burn twice that to lose it. So, if you take in 150 extra calories over the 1500, you'll have to burn 300 that day to lose it. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Honey, its not about how many calories you eat, its about what you eat, and definately excercise!!! I come from a very large family "Naturally", I'm the smallest one of us all, but we're all very big boned people!! When my kids were all babies, and strangers would comment on what a big baby , I had, My response was always: "We make em' Big, in our family& a man are we ever so proud, of their sizes, too!!" with a Big smile on my face.. A sincere smile too, we're not Amazon's but, just big boned.. However, it isn't in an unattractive way, trust me.. Back, to your counting calories.. Okay, remember, my telling you we are a big-boned family.. well according too charts big-boned women my heighth 5'6",,should weigh in around 145 lbs.. thats a healthy weight... And believe me, I've been heavier, and didn't look fat or even over weight, at all, and still got compliments, from my family, and friends... I watch, Tyra Banks show, alot.. She had an overweight program on, one day.. To make a long story short, I have a "Deadly Disease", and my energy level, comes and goes.. But, when I'm feeling good. In bed at night I do what "Top" models do.. I ride the aerobic, pretend, bike.. on my back, with my legs in the air, right above my tummy, as straight as, can be, and I, so sets.. Like I'll ride as perfectly upright, as able, too. Rest, relax... Do crunches, in between, with my stomache, then , go back, to the bicycle.. And I'm getting my hour glass waist again, my legs are thinner , than they've been in years. and for my arms, I just can watch T.V. And just do anything with them!! Pretend like your boxing with them.. Or you have one of those weight things between, isometrics, work just as good as any expensive work-out equipment.. If I can do it , in my condition, honey, you can too... then, for eating .. Go to the produce section , and pick out all your favorite fruits, and squashes, carrots, zuccini, you name it !!! Then go to the bread, section.. And get you some of those, honey brand muffins, some whole wheat berry bread.. And any kinds of 100% juices, that you really enjoy.. Cranberry doesn't have an appealing taste, but honey, it has so much good stuff in it.. Cranberry juice, and prune juice will also keep you regular.. Get some potatoes, some salsa.. Go get the best fresh smelling "Salmon" in the meat section.. Or some skinned boned, chicken, thighs, or breasts.. And a bottle of the darkest, honey,, you can find.. Go home , get out your cutting board, your Big pots & pans, and you can cook for two or three days, worth of this diet... And eat as much as you want.. For your fish, just put seasonings & Extra Virgin Olive Oil on it.. For your chicken, any seasonings, and a little water in the bottom of your baking pan, squeeze some honey over the top of that chicken, and bake either or both the chicken, and fish, at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.. Until golden brown.. Bake some potatoes, while you have the meat in there.. Before all that get all your squashes ready.. slice those up in cubes, with your best butcher knife in the kitchen, their hard too cut, so you definately need a really good strong knife... Some good squashes to me all of them.. Especially butternut, summer, acorn, YUMMO!!! Add some carrots, and zuccini, to that ...steam away... Once your meal ,is ready , Dont add salt, or butter to anything .. Thats what the olive oil on the fish was for ... For your baked potatoe, have salsa, in the slice.of your potatoe.. In the mornings, for breakfast have a banana, with a honey bran muffin, then walk around your neighborhood, you will get so much energy from that banana, if you eat it before, you have coffee... For lunch, eat, some vegeez, one peice of whole wheat bread (no butter), a peice of chicken, or some of that salmon.. And the same for dinner... For snacks, get some of those small yogurt's, or granola, or fruit, or whole wheat no salt pretzels, or crackers, with no salt.... But, I only ate apples, in between, and honey, remember in the beginning my saying my weight suppose to be 145, for our "Big Boned" sized women.. I lost a just shed the lbs.. I was working at Thrifty Drug Store at that time, and I weighed, 120lbs.. Too skinny, now I look back.. but every other week I was asking my boss, for Smaller & smaller smock-tops, to where to work.. The people at work couldn't believe how fast, or how good I looked. Its work, but, the fruit gave me so much energy, I eventually got so use to preparing those meals, that it became fun & easy, after a couple weeks.. Good-Luck & Good Eating, to you friend!! Trust me you will love this meal, and these foods!!!

Answer 7

water

Answer 8

depends on how much you wanna gain