: Identifying the right caloric intake for weight loss So far I've lost 30 pounds, and I did it all with caloric restriction. I have gotten to where I can keep my caloric intake between 1500 and 1700 daily. However, since I

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Let your own body figure this out You'll get better results if you increase the amounts of healthy foods, at least 400 grams of vegetables and eating only whole grain products. With only 1700 Kcal intake per day (which is pretty much what I eat for dinner alone), it's quite hard to get the large amount of nutrients you need for optimal physical performance when you are burning 700 Kcal doing exercise. Note e.g. the importance of magnesium for your body.

The human body is going to work hard to maintain itself. If we compare the human body to a factory and compare eating to supplying raw materials, then it's clear that a diet that is not supplying the nutrients in the right proportions will cause the body to either store or excrete the compounds it gets in relative excess. Suppose that your magnesium intake is too low compared to your calorie intake. Then the body will tend to store the calories in the form of fat, as it needs magnesium to burn calories. While this example may be a bit too simplistic, there are many biochemical pathways available for the body to do what it needs to do, it's still going to be constrained by the intake of nutrients on the long term.