I lost 40 pounds by eating healthy and lost it over 8 months. Then I got impatient and went on Medifast for a month. While on MF I didn't always get in what I should have so my calories averaged 850. I lost 12 that month but decided that MF was not for me. My system did not move and I felt awful most of the time.

I came here 2 weeks ago, bumped my calories up to 1,600 but zig zagged them. I expected to gain but didn't. I lost 2 lbs in the 2 weeks. My highest day was 2,000, lowest because I got sick was 900 and the total average for the 2 weeks was only 1,300.

I am not sure what I should do. I have read that I need to eat 1,800, 1,200 etc. I have read not to drop calories too low but I can't find any info on what to do if you have done this, how to repair the damage and raise calories correctly.

I go on an elliptical every day for 30 mins and could boost that.

I would love to hear from someone who has lost weight over a long period of time. Did you adjust your calories? Did you hit plateaus? I have been at this since April 22, 2008 and have lost 55 lbs. I am getting close to onederland which is very exciting! My daughter is getting married next January and I am not wearing a fat mother of the bride dress!

Thank you!

Hi Brooke! Don't worry, I don't think you've done any long term damage to your metabolism with a month of Medifast. So put that behind you and concentrate on what will comfortably work for you to get you to your goal.

If you're happy with your rate of loss, why not continue what you've been doing for the past two weeks? Zigzagging works really well for some people and it sounds like it did for you.

As to how many calories you should eat, the only answer will be what your body tells you. As you've discovered, you can find many different calculators with wildly different numbers. But in the end, they have nothing to do with YOU and are only guesses about the "average" person. If you carefully track your calories and corresponding weight loss, you'll have the answer about what calorie level works for you!

As for me, I lost my 122 pounds over 50 weeks. I started at 1600 calories and adjusted downward by 100 whenever I hit a plateau. The last six months were in the 1200 - 1300 calorie range. I didn't zigzag calories but at times I did zigzag grams of carbs with good results.

Please consider adding some weight training into your exercise routine. It truly is the Fountain of Youth for us as we get older. And consider adding some intensity to your elliptical workout, if you're not already. Both of those will help with fat loss.

Congratulations on your weight loss so far and onward to Onederland!

Thanks Meg! You are an amazing inspiration.

I have been low on protein lately so am going to increase that for a few days and see how it goes.

Strength training huh? I am sooo lazy. We have a weight machine in the basement, maybe I'll dust it off. It needs to be in the family room where I can't avoid it.

Brooke, let me tell you about strength training and why you need to get that machine oiled up and ready to go.

I assume you're close to my age (53) since I have a DD who just got married and yours is getting married next year (but please forgive me if I'm insulting you!) Congratulations on the wedding and you are going to love looking slim in all the wedding photos instead of hiding in the back of the group! (if you click on the My Photos link in my signature, you can see me in my mother-of-the-bride dress ) It sounds silly, but I actually thought about how happy I was that I had lost the weight as I was walking my daughter down the aisle. I was proud of how I looked, instead of ashamed and wanting to disappear into the floor.

Back to weights -- I believe with all my heart that weightlifting is the Fountain of Youth for women our age. Not only will we be toned and tight when we reach goal if we lift weights, but it will help prevent osteoporosis, maintain functional fitness as we age (that is, we'll have bodies that work the way they're supposed to), and we'll keep our metabolisms running high so we can stay slim and fit.

You see, muscle is the calorie burner in our bodies -- every pound of muscle we have in our bodies burns 20 - 25 calories per day, awake and asleep. So more muscle = more calories to maintain. Good stuff! Studies show that up to 40% of the weight we lose with traditional dieting without weight training is muscle, which results in a slowed metabolism and a flabby body at goal. Yuck!

So weight training (same thing as strength training, weightlifting, toning etc) is a crucial part of a weight loss plan, especially as we get a little older. It's not an exaggeration to say that it's changed my life. And keep in mind that I was a total couch potato until I started on the last diet in June, 2001!

Also, adding protein is an excellent idea. I try to have some protein whenever I eat because it keeps me full longer. And once you start strength training, protein will help with muscle repair and recovery.

If you need some help getting started, check out this site: Stumptuous.com and this book: The New Rules Of Lifting For Women and our Weight Training forum here at 3FC.

Good luck, Brooke!!