You must have missed where I mentioned 'so far today', but I won't hold that against you.

While I am grateful for advice from those that have done it, this is not the first time I have attempted a weight loss journey. I, like charlaine09, know what works for my body. I know what feels good to me and what doesn't.

i didnt even read your posts so there was no jab meant for you, sorry if you thought it was at you. i eat 1200 on some days, 1300, 1400, 1500 on others and my bodies fine. i never said 800-1000 was healthy. all the numbers in my post are a few hundred at least higher than that. and i have maintained several times in my life just fine after being on this lower calorie diet. my bfs a cook and i often have to maintain if hes having weeks where hes cooking for everyone. i have had no trouble, but thats my body, your body is different. yea my body will probably go lower than the 150 i want, but im just not a big eater naturally. once the junk and fastfood was gone my body runs on a lower number than alot of ppl do at my height. i will probably end up 15-20 lbs lighter than i think. i have no issue with that. my family tends to run either short and fat or tall and model-thin, thats just my body type, thats what genetics doled out to me. i don't binge ive never had a binging problem. thats not even an issue. and i really cant eat more. i get physical pain stuffing myself, do you know how much food 1400 calories of healthy food is? its a tonne. im eating every 3 hours. my post wasn't about you but people in generals attitude in the thread attacking other ppl in the thread about their plans, not even the ops plan. obviously she has to add calories if shes eating 800, but ppl telling others to add calories when they are eating 1500 or 1800? people are just fine with those numbers if thats what works for their bodies. when i get to a level i want to maintain i will slowly and i mean very very slowly add calories back in til i stop losing weight, 50-100 calories a day, for 2 week periods, so first week maitenance ill eat say 100 calories more for 2 weeks and than judge how its going, thats what ive always done and it works for me

I think I was the only one who mentioned maintenance, so I thought it was about me, apologies.

I lost my last 30 pounds or so eating 1200 calories of healthy stuff. It's a lot of food, I know! Even now, I'm trying to eat anywhere in the vicinity of 1700-1800 to maintain (which might not be enough to be quite honest) and I feel like I'm cheating because it seems like SO MUCH FOOD.

When you're at a higher weight, you CAN actually lose safely eating 1800+ calories. There are members who eat around 2000 and lose, but they'll probably have to lower their count as they go along. I think the problem often is that we see those high numbers and freak out thinking that we're eating too much when in reality we're not. It's a mental game when you're tracking your food suddenly after not tracking it (or never tracking it).

Like you said, it's best to find what works for you. I don't agree with telling someone what to do (unless they're doing something that is obviously unsafe, such as a very low calorie diet) but I do think offering up advice and letting people know what worked for me can help them. I've often stood up for those who choose to consume 1200 calories and face criticism--that number may not be too low for them. It's often a battle for us shorter folks...as we have to maintain on a lot less so 1200 is usually what we have to go to to lose, especially if we're at a lower weight.

Even if they're not short, I agree with you that we shouldn't TELL them what to do. We can say "Hey, you might be able to eat more," but we shouldn't pressure them into it. 1400 certainly isn't a starvation diet, so I don't see the reason for bugging folks who are eating 1400, 1500, etc. calories.

Weight loss is a touchy topic. We all think our way is "right" but I try to step back and realize that everyone is different and thus has different needs.

i think we just misunderstood each other.my metabolism is not as good as it should be from trying crash diets and even belumia when i was younger and im very sedetary being a student. at 1800 calories id be lucky to lose half a lb, i lose 1.5-2lbs right now. thatll slow as time goes on since im not going below 1200 and im lucky to get an hour a week of exercise in but on average probably 1-2lbs a week throughout my journey and thats healthy. i know ppl my height lose on 1800 but they havent had my history and work out more than me. increasing my activity level is something im working on but id rather be lazy and pass my uni courses than get less study time

Maybe try the 1500 a day thing and see how that works. If you don't feel hungry and you're losing weight at an adequate rate (like 1-2 lbs a week or something), then stick to it. Maybe adjust it up or down after a couple weeks if you need to.

I've been calorie counting for over a year now. Recently I've been trying to have a weekly calorie goal. So I cycle my daily calories. One day I might have 1000 calories, but then the next day 1700 or something. And I work to keep it all in my weekly range. We'll see how that goes!

Calorie counting is very adaptable, so you should be able to adjust as you need to. Good luck with everything!

A-freakin-men to that. I get agitated by that a lot too. Helpful advice and suggestions are always welcomed, but outright criticizing someone and telling them that they are wrong, not doing it right, etc. is just unnecessary. This isn't a "my way or the highway" kind of group, and you don't always have to shove your rude opinions down everyone else's throat. Be kind, be caring, and be helpful. And I am not solely referring to this thread when I say all this stuff, so people, don't get bent out of shape. I just think we can all use a reminder why we are here, and that we want to SUPPORT one another, not beat each other down. If you are genuinely concerned about someone, send them a private message, don't put them on blast for all to see. xo

Yeah, because your post was so supportive. Get off your damn .

I hear that! Too many are influenced by others and what works for them that they lose sight of their entire journey trying to fit in to other peoples standards.

I, for one, would not support the rudeness I have read by some since joining this site either. Which is clearly what she was expressing by posting her comment. Just in case you missed that.

Ok...so I didn't read through all the replies - but a few things that stand out are:

1. It sounds like a good start.
2. As your lose weight you will need to readjust your calories lower -- just do the same input you did in the first place and get the "new" calorie requirement adjusted.

3. Track your results and if you like, shave off 100 to 200 calories daily - that is a simple thing to do when you start getting used to what everything contains calorie wise.

4. Calorie cycling is a great idea to look into after you become familiar with your program. Try it on, so to speak, and if tweaking is needed, you'll know.

5. Diet smart, not hard. Don't cut corners and be in a hurry because that could lead to malnutrition, binging, guilt, and quitting altogether.

Welcome to the world of counting calories. I think you will agree that when you reduce your program to the most base form you will enjoy your food more and can really get into your program. There is a big difference in actual calories in what you eat and formulaic points assessed to items, which on WWPP seemed to many to be arbitrary at times. When you know exactly what you are consuming, you are freed to make different choices, and some of those "what seem like splurge" choices may actually keep you ON program in the long run.

Best of wishes to you.

Lol, cute.

OP, I know what you mean by 1500 calories seeming high. That is what I'm starting at, and since its enough to eat decent sized meals and not feel hungry, it seems like there is no way I'll drop weight!

I don't have BTDT advice, since this is my first calorie counting outing (previously did juicing and Atkins a few times.) But what is helping me to go ahead and eat my 1500 cals is remembering how much I was eating before: a 500 calorie breakfast sandwich, a 100 calorie coffee, a 400 calorie pastry, a 1000 calorie takout lunch, and then a 700 cal dinner! So clearly, 1500 is much less than 2500+, and a 1000 cal drop has GOT to have some affect.