How many calories should I both consume and burn?

Question

I am 19, female, 5'6" tall, approx 190 pounds and currently trying to lose weight safely.

How many calories should I be consuming daily and how many should I be aiming to burn?

Answer 1

If you consume less than you burn, you will lose weight. How fast you lose weight depend on how much less you consume. On the other hand, if you starve yourself, your body defences take over and thinks there is no food, so it stores what you do eat as fat (for your own survival).