It seems like for a lot of people (based on reading blogs, forums, etc) eating too few calories ends up being a problem, because your body starts doing starvation-mode stuff, not metabolizing calories the way it would if you were getting enough. I stick to around 1500-1700 calories a day but I think I may end up raising that because it seems like on my higher-calorie days I lose more.

The way to up your metabolism is fairly simple -- build muscle. At least according to my old spinning instructor, who had the most perfect butt of all the women I've ever met, a pound of muscle burns something like 45 calories an hour just by existing, where a pound of fat burns nothing. So, the more lean body mass you have, the more you can eat, even without necessarily pounding out tons of cardio.

Lifting weights can be intimidating (even after doing it off & on for years I feel kind of sheepish in the weight room with the boys), but it really helps and you can eat way more!

Just my $.02, good luck figuring out what particular combination works for you!

Wouldn't that be 1080 calories a day PER POUND of muscle???

45 x 24 = 1080

Just to chime it - I've heard Jillian give calorie counting advice before on her show, and she usually qualifies the answer by saying that most people underestimate their calorie consumption by 20% or so. So she gives a lower calorie goal, with the idea that most people will probably exceed that number.

I don't know if I agree, but I can see that at least her internal logic is consistent.

Julie, you're totally right. I think she must've been saying per day, which my cursory online research on the subject kind of backs up. There seems to be some dispute as to whether it's true, but I believe it because I lose weight way faster when I'm also building muscle and eating around the same amount.

When you don't want to lose weight anymore, you eat more calories. Not so much more that it will make you gain weight, but enough to make you stop losing. So I don't think you need to worry about whether you can keep up a 1200 calorie diet for life.

I have been staying around 1200 calories for my diet and I don't find it hard, especially when I get enough veggies in. But I still look forward to the day (soon now), when I'll bump it up a little. I love eating and want to eat more! I only lost 1.25 lbs/week when I am exercising regularly and eating 1200-1300 calories a day, so I'm estimating that I'll be able to maintain at 1700, but I'll find out for sure once I get there.

I've been eating 1200 calories 4 days/week and 1500 3/days a week for a year and have lost 140 pounds. The first month or so of serious calorie counting I ate 1200 calories every day. I'm a veggie queen, and eat massive amounts of low calorie vegetables to keep me full and to add vitamins and minerals.

I could have eaten more calories per day, and I will when I enter maintenance, but I was sick and tired of being morbidly obese and wanted faster results. I talk with my Doctor fairly regular and he says as long as I don't "spend" my daily calories on nutritionally deficient foods, (like 100 calorie packs of cookies and chips) I am getting enough nutrition. If a person eats 1200 calories worth of crap, they'll feel like crap and be nutritionally starved. I can honestly say, without a doubt that I get more vitamins/minerals/lean protein in at 1200 calories a day than I ever did at 4000 a day a year ago. 4000 calories worth of butter/cream/pasta/sugar is NOT healthy regardless of the number of calories.

I never went BELOW 1400 calories per day. Most days I ate over 1500 and I lost fairly consistently. I have no worries in regard to my metabolism. After I lost the weight I went back up to 2000-2100 calories per day without problem (or weight gain.) Which means I ate WAY too much at Christmas to have put on the few pounds I did gain back.

You made a very good point Lori. I totally agree with you. Some of my days are around 1200, but it is all good food...not junk like I used to eat. I've broken up with my boyfriends...Ben & Jerry! LOL

By the way...You have AWESOME stats! Congrats on losing so much and Best Wishes for continued success!

I am currently eating 1500 and am losing, and yes, it is somewhat slow--maybe just a pound a week at times. I also calorie cycle and workout every day.

Lori, I find the exact thing to be true for me. I am eating far healthier than I ever did consuming my mass quantities of junk before. 90% of what I eat, if not more is exactly what I NEED--not just processed, overpriced garbage that happens to be tasty. Congratulations on all of your success.

Hi there - I'm new!

I totally agree with what you guys are saying. I've been on a 1200 calorie a day diet and I was not a nice person to be around also I tended to have a bit of a blow out in the weekends. I'm currently setting myself 1500 calories a day and it seems to be just right - its amazing that extra 300 calories satisfies you so much more. I agree if the weight is still going down I don't see the point in decressing the amount of calories. You don't want to start at 1200 and have no where to go - Going under 1000 is not good for the people who live with me!