I was thinking about this and thought I should get some opinions before I drive myself crazy or sabotage my efforts.

Lately I have started eating 1200-1300 calories to lose weight. If I eat this amount until I reach my goal weight, will my metabolism slow down to the extent that I will be maintaining on roughly this amount?

For example, if I eat more and gradually decrease the amount but lose much slower will I be able to eat more in the end?

Sorry if this is confusing, but could anyone at least provide with some numbers that worked for you in terms of losing and maintaining. Did anyone eat 1200-1300 or so to lose, and then be able to eat say 1600-1800 to maintain?

Thanks a million

Hi Cyndy:

as far as I can tell, once you're maintaining instead of losing you can increase your calories a bit, because you can take in as much as you burn instead of taking in less than you burn. I'm far from maintaining at this point but it seems that's the case. Hopefully someone who has been maintaining a while can give a better explanation.

Everyone has a different metabolism, so you will have to see what works for you when you are ready to maintain your weight loss. (Your daily calories you burn will depend on your lifestyle, exercise, age, weight, etc.)
The easiest way I think to do it, is to add 100 calories to what you are eating for weight loss. (1400 for you) and see how you do for a week. If you maintained, or even lost-go up another 100 calories for a couple of weeks. Weigh in and see what happens. If you maintain your weight loss at that level for a couple weeks...go up another 100.
For some maintenance is just a couple hundred over what they are eating for weight loss...for others it is 2000-2400 calories a day. It depends a lot on you, and how active you are. When I lost my weight and maintained the first time (I had another child afterward, so I am doing it all over again) I maintained at about 2000 calories a day.
Hope that helps,
Aphil