I always tell everyone on here with calorie issues to EAT at least 1200 calories.

Well, I never really counted mine before and I have started today because I was curious to why it was so hard for me to lose. WEll, I think I may know!

I'm not getting enough. I ate breakfast and 1 snack so far. If I eat what I brought for lunch and another snack..to eat 1500 calories I will have 790 left for dinner!

THATS CRAZY...

what I've learned from this, count your calories. It's a pain in the A$$ but well worth it

now that I'm starving, I'm going to find something else to eat haha

I actually read one of your posts last night where you were talking about not eating enough calories. I looked at my daily plate and realized I had only ate a little over 1000 calories that day, so I went in the kitchen and ate some chicken and whole wheat bread, which boosted my calories up to a little over 1200. I totally agree with you. This is something I have to really watch, because when I am in "diet mode," I tend to under-eat and it's not good for my metabolism... or my health! I also take a multi-vitamin just to make sure.

Make sure your getting enough calories ladies! Too little calories is not good for weight loss!

That's happened to me countless times in the past. Seems that "diet mode" means "eat the bare minimum for feeling like you're not starving," not "eat to live." Just gotta be vigilant.

I love almonds and other nuts and nut butters and avocado for getting cals up while not forcing myself to be uncomfortably full. Also gets those good, healthy fats in there

I love avocado. Is there a certain way you eat them? I guess the only way I have ever eaten them is in a salad, or in guacamole.

I'm sitting here starving right now, but I didn't bring enough food to eat another snack before lunch. I really gotta get better at this calorie counting and eating thing.

Illbe - Wow! I'm glad you took a look But now you can prepare ahead for tomorrow and future days!

I actually eat them straight up! ^^ Slice in half, wedge out pit, peel off skin, cut into slices... eat. I really love them on garden burgers. Yum!

wow there is a problem i have never, ever had ! But glad you figured this out for yourself!

Mmm, avocado! I also like it on salads... I LOVE it in a wrap with some spinach and turkey, or on top of a burger (veggie or otherwise). I'll eat it on crackers... plain... as guacamole... on eggs... anything!

I think my favorite part of avocado is actually the prep of it -- getting the big pit out. I love whacking it with a giant knife and twisting it out. I dunno, it's satisfying to whack a knife at something every now and then.

See, I eat small during the day so that I *purposefully* have 800 calories for dinner!

But yeah, before calorie counting I didn't realize HOW HORRIBLE of an eater I could be before dieting (8000 calories on a very bad day) and how STINGY of an eater I would try to be in the past when dieting.

It is such a good idea to actually count calories, even just so you can get a good idea of how much you are really eating.

I personally believe that for an active person that 1200 is not enough. Even though I say that it's hard for me to follow it b/c it has been so beaten in to me that 1200 is the magic number.

I am actually working at eating an average of 1400-1600 cals a day. More when I exercise. I am hoping that this slight increase will actually increase my losses with time.

Unfortunately my body is so used to being abused that when I start to restrict it almost senses what is coming and I stall or gain (first week I lost 2.5, 2nd week gained 1.2 while counting everything and averaging 1200).

Yes, I calculated my active metabolic rate to determine how many calories I need to eat to lose 2lbs a week and it said 1,400 something. So yeah, I have around 800 calories left for dinner now..I'm hungry..and it's only 1:30 haha