The calorie calculator says to eat 1800 for "extreme fat loss" if I work out 3X per week...I scoff at that. I don't think I have ever experienced extreme fat loss no matter how hard I work out or how heavy I was. That being said, I am 5'2", 22 yeas old, and I shall be working out at least 4X per week relatively hard for at least an hour. So is 1700-1800 daily appropriate? Should I eat more on days I work out and less when I don't? I just want my body to work efficiently. Thanks for the help chickies!

I would definitely start at 1800. I'm a proponent of starting with as many calories as you can to lose at the rate you want. Then, later, if your weight loss slows down (as it logically would when you become smaller & require fewer calories), you can always drop down a bit. Give it a shot & see how it goes.

ok, will do. Thanks for the advice!

great advice, lin! i second that...you don't want to starve yourself, and you also don't want your body to get "stuck" at 1200 cals and then never be able to go down from there.

Keep in mind "extreme fat loss" most likely means 2lb per week. I think 1800/day is about right for that level of activity. That doesn't mean you have to eat all of them every day if you aren't hungry though. (A big part of this process for me is figuring out when I am actually hungry, and when my brain just thinks its time to eat.)