Correct Maintenance & Weight loss numbers??

[MoparRob]

Hello, I'm 6'3" 280lbs and just started seriously working out. Mainly lifting some very little cardio here and there. My goal is to get into much better shape and lose fat. I am working out pretty hard 4-5 days a week. I did a calorie calculator and it came up with maintenance for approx 2600 calories. Now here is my question; I am not sure how many calories I should be eating to reach my goals. I am eating much healthier and my diet is coming along but I want really would like to get it down to a science. Thanks in advance for all the responses and sorry for the dang book but just wanted to be detailed!
Rob

 

[wearedbleedblue]

The best way to do it is to find out how many calories you currently eat to maintain your weight. So track every calorie for a week or so and average it. If you didn't fluctuate your weight, thats roughly your maintenance. From there, subtract 300-500 calories and/or increase calorie burning. You should be losing weight by then. You want to shoot for 2lbs a week or so. You should reassess the numbers every 6-8 weeks based on stagnation.

 

[MoparRob]

My maintainance is 2600 calories so you think should subtract 300-500 even on lifting days or what do you think?

 

[wearedbleedblue]

Well the idea behind it is to subtract roughly 3500 calories a week, spread over the 7 days.