i've been eating around 1000-1200 calories a day, i'm not forcing myself to do that, i'm just not hungry a lot and when i am i eat a lot of fruits for snacks and salads and such..i really don't want to risk losing muscle mass but i don't feel like i need to eat more either. is this still considered starving?

I stick to around 1000 because I am very sedentary. If I feel like I've been active enough I add some calories.

There is 6" of difference between you, so keep that in mind.

Are you getting enough protein and fats to stay healthy? Also, do you feel like this is a plan you can stick with and that will make you as healthy as you can be? That's how I try to judge things.

You'll probably get 2 camps of people here - some who say yes, some who say no.

Have you just started trying to lose weight (again? as you have already lost 24lbs, congrats)? It's not uncommon for people in the beginning to go straight down to 1000-1200 and stay there for a while, feeling not hungry- it's more of a mental thing. Realistically at 5'4 and 200lbs, you would be eating more than double that just to maintain, so you're cutting your food intake in half, at least, without any hunger. That's where it might be mental.

If you are concerned about not losing muscle mass (good) then yes, you'll need to up those calories. I lose on 1400, and I'm only 130 now at 5'4. At 1000-1200, yes, you will lose muscle mass - realistically *anyone* losing a significant amount of weight will lose some muscle mass (you won't be carrying around a 200lb body anymore), but to minimize it, it's generally recommended to keep at a 500 calorie deficit (500 calories under maintenance). Some people do 800-1000 less, it works for them, it's a personal decision.

I know I didn't answer your question But only you can make that choice.

thanks everybody (: seagirl, i don't know.. i kind of doubt it because i'm a vegetarian, i have been for about 5 years so i don't eat any meat (i do eat eggs though, pretty much every day) so i'm not sure i get enough protein.

sacha, part of me thinks it might be mental but i just don't physically FEEL hungry a lot, and when i do a banana or something cures it. i am sort of just starting again because i lost 25 last summer and have lost another 7 or so since i started a few weeks ago. would exercising and doing freeweights help keep more muscle? somebody told me that i would just lose more weight and therefor more muscle but that didn't sound right to me.

Lifting weights will help you retain muscle. How much protein are you consuming?

i can't really give you an exact number because i haven't tracked... but i'm sure it's not a lot! my diet consists mostly of eggs, salads, fruits, grains (all wheat) and dairy...probably too much, i admit i'm a cheese addict.

Lifting weights, preferably as heavy as you can, along with maintaining an adequate protein intake will help you preserve muscle as you lose fat. Inevitably, you will lose some muscle mass if you lose another 60lbs (your goal), but that's not really a bad thing. At 200lbs and 5'4, you probably already have a higher amount of muscle mass due to carrying that weight around. If you work to preserve muscle while losing fat then you'll have a reasonable, perhaps higher than normal, amount of muscle at 140lbs and 5'4.

If you were 5'4, 110lbs with low muscle mass (aka. 'skinny fat') and trying to gain muscle, you'd be in a far more disadvantaged position. You are in a good position right now to preserve muscle. It's far easier, especially for a female, to preserve her muscle mass than to try and gain it.

If you aren't tracking then are you sure you are really eating 1000-1200 calories? Because I would be so hungry all day long on that amount.

If you feel full on your calories then I think you're fine. Yes it will help to retain muscle by strength training and it wouldn't hurt to make sure you're getting plenty of protein.

Some vegetarian friendly ideas I can think of that you didn't mention eating:

Nuts, nut butter and seeds
Quinoa (love personally)
Beans, lentils
You could also get some protein powder and make your own fruit smoothies

Is OP veggie? If so, seitan is def. one of the best protein sources!

yes i'm a vegetarian! and thank you for the food options, i'll have to try some of them, i've always wanted to try protein powder drinks. and i do track calories, but i don't track protein and nutrients and such is what i meant, sorry for that.

You'll want a good 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight in order to really preserve your muscle mass as you lose fat. I don't think that's going to be possible on 1000-1200 calorie diet so yes, you will be losing more muscle mass than you really need to. Whether or not you choose to sacrifice that for faster weight loss, I don't know, that's totally your decision.

I suggest aiming for a good amount of protein and then perhaps building the rest of your meals around it. Protein powder is around 25g protein per 150 calories (check the label) so if you choose to have 2 shakes a day, you've already got 30g. Cheese has a good amount but also high in fat. Seitan is the big winner, it has a LOT.

May I suggest checking out veganbodybuilding.com - lots of vegans (you can of course keep adding in dairy/eggs) who get in high protein amounts. Check out the journals.

i'll check it out! thanks for all the help! also i've never heard of seitan, but i'm looking into it right now.. is it sort of like mock meat?

Yes, and its around 30g protein for 4oz portion