How I figured out calories to loose weight

When I first started to loose weight 1200 calories was the number that popped in my head so I started there. That could have been a bad decision. Luckily for me it worked out. I later discovered in a fitness magazine a formula to tell me how many calories I needed to maintain my current weight of 185. Once I figured that out I knew that if I decreased my calories and increased my activity level I should loose weight. I am sorry to say that I don't remember what magazine that was in but I did find a link on the web that does the math for you. Here is the link:http://www.caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight-tool-kit/weight-maintenance-calculator-women. If you go to this link it will ask for your current height,weight, age and activity level. It will then tell you how many calories you can have during the day to maintain that weight. For me at 185 and light exercise I could have 2034 calories a day and maintain my weight. I knew that technically I could increase my calories to 1500 and still loose but 1200 has been working for me so I have stayed at that. What I like about loosing weight this way is that I have no limits as to what I can eat as long as it fits into my daily calorie amount. When you think about dieting deprivation always comes to mind and it shouldn't. You need to think more about portion control. You also need to realize that you can enjoy special events and still be on track. You are not failing if you plan for special events and having cake. That is not cheating! That is customizing your plan so that you can loose weight and be successful! Good Luck!