Yeah, I have to agree that 1200 is too low. Aside from all the other reasons, 1200 is the minimum you should be consuming unless under the care of a doctor - so if you hit a plateau and stall, you have no where else to go further down.

I'd try eating a little more - sticking close to 1500 or 1600 cals a day and that will probably help your hunger a lot.

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I think I'm going to like it here. I love the help. I was so hungry earlier that I went ahead and made a low cal sandwich. I then worked out and wasn't as hungry. I actually made it to dinner! My the time I have my frozen yogurt I'll have eaten approx. 1400 calories. It's only been a week and I want to wait to weigh myself.

Someone mentioned that if I'm eating 1200 cal and don't lose, there's no where else to go. I do understand that if I eat 1200 cal and I don't lose that I should increase my calories...I won't eat less.

Thanks so much!

Curv-

What people mean by 1200 is too low, is because of your current weight.

The more that you weigh, the more calories your body uses every day LIVING. Sleeping, eating, walking, doing laundry-a 210 pound body burns more calories doing these things than a 110 pound body does.

For instance, if a 220 pound woman, and a 120 pound woman walk a mile together, the 220 pound woman uses more calories-because she is carrying an extra 100 pounds along with her. Make sense?

If you are trying for 1200 a day, and you are starving-it's because you ARE. Your body can eat more calories per day and lose, than someone who weighs 60 pounds less than you do.

Because of this, you should be eating at the highest calorie intake that you can, that still gives you results. Then, after you lose 10 pounds, 15 pounds, 30 pounds-or whatever the amount-and you find that your calorie intake isn't working for you any longer, THEN you drop the calories slightly to go with your new body weight. You don't start at 1200, and then try to go up later on-that's backwards.

Let's say you start at 1600 per day. A month or two or three from now, when 1600 calories no longer yields results, THEN you drop down to 1500 a day, or 1400 a day.

1200 is a bare minimum level, and is usually used when you are trying to lose the last few pounds (not the first few).

Thanks. I understand what you're saying. I didn't mean that if 1200 cal. didn't work I'd just keep eating more, but I do understand that sometimes if you don't lose, you either have to increase or decrease calories (or increase exercise). I understand that starting at 1200 is low and, honestly, eating 1500 like I did yesterday was much more comfortable.

I've lost a lot counting calories before, so I know how to play the game. Now I need to figure out how to lose and maintain.

I'll weigh myself next week and see how everything is working.

I love the help. Thanks!

Here's something else I discovered. I tend to go over my calories often and if I set my cal. at 1600, I'll go over. If I set my cal. lower and go over, I'll probably be eating what I need to anyway. Whatever works.

I eat 1400 cals a day, I walk but have stopped doing strenuous working out for the most part, I sit at a desk all day at work, I eat plenty of fiber and protein with every meal and I am still hungry all the time. I just deal with it for now.

You've already got tons of great advice, but here is my two cents. When I first started calorie counting I was hungry all the time as well. Instead of eating I would drink Crystal Light flavored water. My body didn't want water, but if I filled it up with it anyway, there wasn't room for anything else. No I don't even think about it, and my brain has started interpreting those former snack cravings as thirst. Drinking lots of water is one of the two best things I've incorporated into my weightloss plan (running being the other).