Started out with 1700-1800 calories a day primarily whole foods. Nothing budged. Then I cut it down further to 1200 calories and now the weight is coming off but I'm just not hungry. I'm sure there are days I'm going below 1200. How do you find the right range and the right foods? Is it all traial and error?

I don't know. How long did you try the 1700-1800 range? Are you measuring so you know your counts are accurate? Have you been to a doctor to see if there's a metabolic issue? If you stuck with either of those calorie ranges, I would expect you would lose.

It is trial and error finding what works, but I think mostly that has to do with finding a plan you can stick to. For most people, eating less works. If it's not for you, there may be some other issue.

Yup.

You can use calculators and things to try to get you in the starting ballpark. Then you tweak from there.

If things get stuck for unreasonably long, get a check up for underlying medical issues.

A.

I tried the higher range for about 2 months. With the lower range its a fight to get to eat. I just don't feel like eating anything and that worries. me. I have zero desire to eat.

I did see a dr recently who said my thyroid looked fine. I do have IR and PCOS.

It IS all "trial & error". We all lose weight differently, different rates, different diets, etc. You may find yourself "not hungry" one day (or week or month, whatever) and then suddenly find yourself feeling famished & thinking "Good googly moogly, why am I SO FREAK'N HUNGRY???" -this happened to me last week! after 6 months of not feeling much hunger at all, suddenly, for about 2-3 days, I was just ravenous! E-gads...danger zone!!! but I came here & got some good advice & took some of that good advice & got over my "crazy hunger mode".

My "range" of enough food is between 1450-1600 but I usually stick to right about 1550 calories per day. (I'm tinkering with the idea of calorie cycling, which would be 1485 calories for 4 days, and then about 1885 on day 5, then 1685 on day 6, and back to 1485 for 4 days.) Some days I do go lower, and some I may go higher, but so far the 1550 is kind magical for me. It took me MONTHS to get to that number. So yes, I say it IS trial & error!

Have you tried eating more frequently? Keep the calories the same but break them into 5 or 6 smaller meals?

Good luck!

I have PCOS/IR too but I also have some other things.

Hormone shifts def influence my eating. But it still works out. I like this calc and use it on advanaced with the bodyfat%. I think that's closer to what I need as a PCOS person than the other formulas. It also makes up the zig-zag if you want to keep it varied but averaging the same.

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Hope that makes sense.

Then there's the PCOS guidelines too as exchanges for various calorie levels.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/pcos...ml#post3910560

Just scroll down to your level.

HTH!
A.

Thanks Beach... makes me feel a little less mystified about my body. Maybe the low calories ae making it worse and I should try to up up 1 or 2 hundred. Just the thought of eating puts me off right now.

Thanks loli and catastrope. I will look into the calculator and also try spacing out meals a little more.