I'm just starting out, and it seems I really find this easy. In 4 days I've lost alot of fluid retention (4cm off my waist infact) I've been working out and aiming for at least 25% of my calories from protien. Fitday is amazing, and I'm learning alot.

But as I don't have alot to lose, it's hard to know how much to reduce my calories too. I've been aiming for 1200-1400...but sometimes by eating healthily I find it hard to reach this it seems. I don't want to go much higher, cause that will take me to my original intake which has made me the shape I am. I keep hearing that this is far too low to start, as I will have nowhere to go should I plateau...but I'm naturally small (before I got fat!), naturally don't eat that much normally (I try to stop when I'm full, and generally that is off not much food at all) , and don't think I should eat that much?

Do I need to start higher so I have somewhere to go? Or should I just stay where I am?

Ideally, you will eat at the highest calorie level you can that allows you to lose weight at a a reasonable rate (1-2 lbs per week). So if you can eat more in terms of calories and still lose weight, it's a good idea to try to do that. As others have said, this gives you some room to drop your calories if you need to.

You can eat foods that are higher in calories but lower in volume that won't fill you up. For example, a quarter cup of nuts will easily add 150 calories, maybe more, depending on the type of nut, to your diet without really being very much in terms of the quantity of food you are eating. Cheese is another example. Avocados, believe it or not, are another example (1 oz of avocado, which is about 1/4 of a small avocado) is 50 calories. All of these foods are good, healthy snacks.

But, having said all that, I'm not sure that you'll be able to lose weight at a higher calorie level. As you said, much higher than what you are at now puts you back where you were when you weren't losing (and were maybe even gaining). I started at about where you are now, and I have trouble losing at over 1400 calories (and that's with A LOT of exercise). When I was exercising less, I dropped my calories to 1200-1300 and was only able to lose 1 lb per week at that level. In fact, I'm currently dropping back to that level (and reducing my exercise commensurately) because eating at a higher level (1400-1500 calories) just wasn't working, even with more exercise.

Four days isn't really long enough to tell what's going to work for you over the long term. I would give it a couple of weeks at the higher level. See if you lose weight at that level. If you do--that's great. Stay at that level until you stop losing weight (and I'm talking about a month or so with no loss; you may not lose weight consistently every week). If you aren't losing weight at the higher level, drop it down by 100 calories at a time until you start losing. When you drop 100 calories, stay at that level for at least a week, maybe two, before deciding that you need to drop further. You won't see an immediate result from a change in your calories, you have to give it time to have an impact.

I agree that you need to take more time in determining your calorie level. If you are aiming for 1400 a day, then do 1400 for the next couple weeks and see what happens. If you weigh in and have lost a pound or two in the next 2 weeks, then you are doing it right. If you have not lost anything, then go down to 1300. Do that for 2 weeks and see what happens.

Also, because you are starting out smaller than most of us here, you need to realize that you are going to lose slower. Someone starting at 250 pounds is very likely to lose 2-5 pounds in their first week, and lose at a rate of 2-3 pounds a week for a while. It is normal at your weight to only lose 1/2-1 pound a week.

I also wanted to make note, that weight loss doesn't happen like clockwork, either. Losing a pound a week on average, may mean that you lose nothing one week, and 2 pounds the next-but it averages out over the course of the month to about a pound a week. This is why I suggest 2 weeks at a particular calorie level to test it out.

Also, what are you doing for exercise? Dropping calories down is only part of the equation, increasing exercise, or at least the intensity of it, is the other.

These gals are right. Trial and error is the way to go.
Stick with us as you go and we'll help you along ... maybe talk about why you're having trouble filling up you calorie quota?

Wow you guys are great

I do realise that I probably won't lose as fast as others, Ive watch my mother struggle with her weight her whole life and I just want to learn to live so that I won't have to.

For exercise I'm using the gym at my apartment with a friend. I've been doing alot of light weights, to tone, and a bit of cardio (rowing, etc). Also i walk for approx 1/2 hour up a massive hill everyday to get to Uni.

I guess I have trouble filling up my quota because generally I don't know what I will be eating for tea (depends on my flatmates most days) and therefore leave alot of room for that meal to fit in? So if we do have a really low-cal meal, I have a problem, because I don't want to eat at night, and yet I need more calories.

The nuts are a great idea, I should increase my intake of those, also cas of the protien in them. And there is an avocado sitting in my fridge right now that i think I might go eat

You all keep reiterating the need for me to get to my required calories, so I'll trust you on that one.

Thanks guys! You're great