dr put me on a 1200 cal diet then he said 1500 cal diet. I dont know which one to do. i weigh 250 so do you think he meant 1500cal does that seem about right.

I'd definitely go with the 1500, or maybe even a bit higher. I started out at 1600 calories when I weighed a bit more than you and lost quite nicely. Save the 1200 calories for when you get to the last few pounds.

I second Meg, at 1500 or even 1600 you should lose weight. I eat a little less than 1500 everyday and I am still losing! This should give you more room to move the calories down should you need to later.

I definitely think that you might want to try 1500. I do better on 1200-1400 hundred but I am much older than you. Also, when a person is having to be too restrictive, it is much harder to stick with a diet.

Usually 1200 is considered to be the lowest you should go. I shoot to stay between 1200 and 1500 a day. You'll learn what your body works best with. It takes 3500 calories to burn a pound of fat so the 300 calorie difference in what your dr said would only amount to 1lb of difference (1200/day vs 1500/day 7 days per week) every week and a half... so all in all not too big a difference. See how you feel and how your body reacts to each and go from there.

I think it would be best if you call your doctor's office and ask them to clarify how many calories you should aim for.

I agree, call the doctor to clarify to be sure...
I'm at about your weight and I aim for 1400-1600 calories a day...

Do most of you journal your caloric intake? Meg you look amazing, did you lose all of your weight calorie counting?
It really is ALL about Calories IN and Calories Out, no matter what you do.
I enjoy reading all of your successes..but if I part take in this board?

Hi LJ and thanks for the compliment. Yep, I lost my weight with calorie counting (an emphasis on whole foods) and lots of exercise. Diet plans that told me what I could and couldn't eat always felt too restrictive.

I used Fitday to log my daily calories when I losing and still do, so I have Fitday records back to June, 2001. It's always helpful to me to plan my day in advance, though by now I mostly eat the same foods every day and have a pretty good idea of what works (and what doesn't, like Christmas cookies! )

What works well for you?

That is true and the hard part for me is realizing what my body needs in terms of calories while using other people's experiences as a guide not as a comparison.

Do you use the free site of Fitday or the premium side with monthly charges?
Karen

Karen that's exactly right....as a 'guide' not a 'comparision'

Meg...I can't seem to follow what I am doing for the exact reason you mentioned...being told what I can and cannot have.
I am on day one of this...and yes, a holiday party tonight, but I think I'll be ok because I am counting calories and not points or carbs or whatever.

Quote message in reply wouldn't work, so I responded to both of in the same post. I hope to learn from everyone here.