Lana -- This is absolutely a place to come to talk about the bad days. You learn a lot about yourself by talking about your own (and helping others through theirs). Please join us on the weekly numbered thread if you haven't already and you'll see what I mean!

(Don't get freaked out by how fast they move!)

Peraxies- A little number crunching healthy information for ya'

It takes12-15 lbs daily to sustain one lb.
So if your goal weight was 160
then 160 x 12 would be your calorie intake level to sustain a weight of 160 lbs
That would be 2400. I know it sounds like a lot, but this is the healthy way, not the 10lbs in ten days way.

Then, if you go more than 15-20% below that 2400, you will set your starvation trigger off. So, that would be....1920

You cannot eat below this and expect your body not to store fat, and everything is fat to a starvig body, for the famine.

Things are much different when you are breastfeeding, so you should check out the La Leche League web site, I know they have some caloric intake requirements on there.

I hope this helps, sometimes crunching numbers helps me.
Carolyn