if it's a myth then how come when *some* people hit a plateau, especially on low calories, all it takes is raising their calories to start losing again? I say some since not everyone will hit a plateau or break one raising calories, but I've read enough posts here that makes it seem pretty common.
I'm not doubting your statement, just wondering what you think. starvation mode is thrown around so much online and in books I can't help but think maybe there is some truth to it.

The evidence that someone plateaus, eats a little more and then loses is actually not evidence that eating more CAUSED the plateau to end. There are too many other uncontrolled variables in play for us to know that.

Weight loss is not linear. If you eat the exact same calories from the exact some foods every single day for 2 weeks, I don't think you'd find that you lose the exact same amount every day. Other factors, especially water retention, impact the scale. If you think about it, the scale is actually a crappy tool to measure fat loss. It weighs all of us, and most of that is water.

As for the OP, while I do agree starvation mode is a myth, I also know that heavier people do need more calories than small people to perform basic functions. Eating 1200 calories will, on average, be harder and possibly less healthy for a 300 pound person than a 150 pound person.

If I were the OP I'd pick a higher number -- say 1800 calories/day -- eat at that level for a few weeks and see if you're making progress at a good clip.

Since you're talking about having a range you can eat from, I'd recommend looking into calorie cycling. This is where you pick an average number of calories that would give you your desired rate of weight loss, and then plan your week so that some days you go below that number, some days you go above it, but it always averages out to that number.

That said, I'd recommend by starting gently. 1lb/week may not sound like much, but it's actually relatively rapid weight loss, and it's hugely better than not having started yet! The most important thing with any weight loss plan is that you can follow it comfortably and happily, and that you can keep on doing so long-term. Deprivation and guilt are not good for weight loss, and they are far more likely to be problems if you aim too low with your calorie level. So start at the higher level that website recommended and give it a few weeks. The beginning of any diet requires a lot of adjustment, there's a lot to get your head round, and you can't process all of it at once. Once you've settled in a bit, and you have a feel for how this all works for you, then you can try lowering the calories a bit more, give that a few weeks, see how it settles. What you don't want to be doing is aiming too low, finding it horribly difficult, and giving up with the feeling that you couldn't succeed at dieting. You can succeed, hon, you just need to find the best way for you to do that.

at Jenny Craig when I was 300 lbs plus, they put me on an 1800 cal diet, and I lost at a good rate (it varied by week, lots of reasons for that). I'd say it's always been easy for me to underestimate the number of calories I eat. That means I'm usually eating more than I think, and I need to take that into account.

for me, a concern is if the calorie level is too low, will I mentally not be able to stick to it, then keep blowing the diet by getting too hungry and overeating (and usually turning to junkier food). I did 1200 calorie diet in high school when I was in the high 200s, and lost 100 lbs, that was pretty tough, and I was struggling with compulsive over eating.

in this last journey downwards I started developing my exercise level at the same time that I changed my eating habits, I started with walking, now I have incorporated time at the gym. of course you can lose weight without exercising, but I really believe the exercise makes a tremendous difference for me, mentally and physically -- that's why I encourage it. there's a huge range of physically activity, I love to walk, and now I love the gym.

it's a good point that what you do one week may not show until one or even two weeks down the line -- that's been true for me many times. so if I work really hard, stick to the plan, sometimes it will take a week or two to show on the scale. and the inverse is unfortunately true, if I get lazy and eat too much, the gain may not show right away. and when I overeat now that I'm on a leaner, lower calorie diet, I can gain a couple of lbs of water weight immediately (which sounds contradictory, but my weight varies quite a bit from one part of the week to the next).

just a few of my thoughts!

good luck!!!

I understand where you're coming from. There are a huge number of myths that are repeated continually. My favorite and perhaps the most common is the myth that one must eat 5-6 times a day to keep their metabolism high.

Regarding starvation mode, the main reason the myth continues is people confusing fat loss and weight loss. Just because the scale is stuck does not mean you're not still losing fat. Women, in particular, can retain lots of water for long periods. There are a number of factors that contribute to this but cortisol is a big one. Dieting is stressful. Having a big meal, or raising calories can reduce cortisol, thus water is dropped and the scale rewards you. Thus, people reach a faulty conclusion based on the data and the myth continues.

This is why I always reccomend Lyle McDonald's site. Tons of free articles and all of them based on science, not myths. Just stay away from the forum unless you have a thick skin!