You definitely need to be eating more than that, unless you are really short.
Basically, here is how you calculate what you need:
Get your BMR here (this is the daily MAINTENANCE calories you would need, JUST TO SURVIVE. Without exercize or anything.)
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Then plug it into the Harris-Benedict equation to get your daily needs: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-ca...dict-equation/
So say you are moderately active, and have a bmr of 1417 (to get this I used a woman who is 5'6, 146 lbs, 39 years old.)
Multiply that times 1.55 to get your DAILY CALORIC NEED: 2,196.
As you can see, that is WAY OVER what the BMR is, because it assumes you exercize moderately 3-4 times a week.
If you are biking more than 3-4 times a week, your caloric needs will be even higher. This is just to maintain your weight.
To LOSE weight, take that number, the final number after calculating your exercize in, and multiply that times 10-15% (15% being the maximum you should cut.) Then reduce calories by that amount every day. You will begin to see weight loss, provided you maintain the level of exercize you initially start with, or increase it.
You don't need a special diet. A combination of reduced calories plus exercize will result in weight loss.
A pound of fat is 3500 calories. If you reduce by 250 cals a day, and burn 250 cals a day (easy to do and more with a moderately hasty bike ride of about 12-15 miles) then you will lose a pound a week. It doesn't matter what you eat. You could eat potato chips all day (but would you want to?) as long as you keep your calories at whatever number is calculated for your height and weight. You obviously have to re-calculate as you lose weight.
Take it slowly, and it will stay off. If you do a severely restricted diet, you might lose a whole bunch of weight in the beginning, but you will soon plateau and become discouraged. A pound to two pounds a week is the healthy way to go.
An easier but less accurate way to calculate: Take your weight, multiply x 15. That is your present maintenance. Reduce by 10-15%.
So, unless you are sedentary and short, I would not reduce my calories less than 1500-1600 per day. Got to fuel the muscle, you know?
I lost 18 lbs since March 1st simply by doing the above, and upping my exercize.
Indy



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Indy
My weight is around 162, and I know I'm a large build, again, confirmed by a doctor when he took measurements.
