I agree with what you're saying Drina. For me (in general) this is how it works:
Eat more, move around more, have more energy, lose more weight.
Eat less, move around less, have zero energy, don't lose weight, or lose very little.
I eat 2000 cals most days, and 2250-2300 on days when I do strength training. So far it works for me. In the past I'd tried lower calorie diets but I recognize now that all they did (for me) was sap my overall energy level. That would lead to me being as inactive as possible (even if working out). My only cardio at the moment is a 30-45 min walk 5 days a week (sometimes I have enough insanity to jog for a few mins) and with the training program I'm following at the moment I do intervals after lifting.
I'm glad to see someone still eating a decent amount after losing a large amount of weight. I don't think I have what it takes to survive on 1200 cals a day.