as promised, here's the post from lorelei1 that was on the 100 lb club board.
"I thought I would share with you a website I found to calculate your basal metabolism. Basal metabolism is the minimum amount of calories your body needs to just to keep you breathing, heart beating, blood flowing, etc.. every day. Even if you were ill and just layed in bed all day you need this many calories to keep you going. If you know this number and you eat a few hundred less than this daily you WILL lose weight. Actually I eat my basal metabolism amount because we all do more than lay in bed all day right??
Mine says 1900 is my basal metabolism calories based on age height and weight. With normal activities my calorie needs are 2400 calories. If I ate 2400 or so I would maintain. If I ate 1900 which is just enough to keep me going I will lose since my body will have to pull some calories from "storage". I hope this makes sense!!
the website is
www.room42.com
just scroll to the bottom of the page and click on basal metabolism calculator and input your numbers!! "
i'm not sure whether this idea really works, as it never has for me, but my body was so screwed up from all the yo-yoing that perhaps nothing would have worked except the FINAL SOLUTION.