Everyone else has said what I'd pretty much advise you.

For a while I was only eating about 1,000 calories, too. But I boosted it up to about 1,600 calories. I realized that I can eat a bit more of dinner (maybe 2 servings, if I am that hungry). Or I can have a snack after breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. I also lost more weight eating more calories!

I am on a budget too. When you go shopping, check out the sales that are going on for the fruits and vegetables and work your snacks around that. This will also rotate which fruits/vegs you eat every week so you won't get bored. Like this week I am getting a 5lb box of clementines. It was originally $7.99 and on sale for $3.99!

I have the same problem. I have an average of about 800 calories a day. Which is not enough at all, but after I've lost 30lb. I am so scared of gaining weight, it makes me scared to eat more. Not to mention if I go a day or two without losing or even gaining, it makes me not want to eat more. Or that I'm eatting somthing I should not be.

OK, I definitely understand being concerned about putting lost weight back on. However, I've read in many places that the lowest one should go is 1200 cals per day. So, you need to up those cals. Or, you might go backwards sometime soon.

Try more exercise to increase caloric need and then you can eat more while knowing your body needs the nutrition.

good luck :) you CAN do it :)

This is worrying. I'm not a professional and I would never in any way make any kind of attempt at diagnosing anything on a message board, but this does sound like you're creeping towards an eating disorder. It might be a good idea for you to talk to a doctor or a therapist about this. :)

On a more practical level - by eating 800 calories or less, you're screwing up your metabolism so badly that you will likely quickly regain the weight lost if you ever "slip" or decide to eat more. The only way to lose weight and KEEP IT OFF is to do it healthily.

At the rate you're eating once you get to your goal, your body will not be able to handle a regular maintenance level of food, unless you start taking care of it now.

Please please please please talk to someone and get help for this fear of yours. If you keep going the way you are, you're going to damage your body beyond repair.

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One thing that I wanted to say about eating organic--

If you are trying to eat organic and can only afford a few things that are organic the following list is good to keep in mind:

1) Organic milk lasts much longer-- if you only consume small amounts, but organic because it won't spoil as quickly. It also contains higher amounts of beta-caroteine, vitamin e, and some other good stuff... so the extra $2.00 is worth it if you can spend it.

2) Celery, lettuce, spinach, sweet bell peppers, peaches, nectarines, apples--all most likely to expose people to pesticides... buy organic if possible

3) Onions, sweet corn, asparagus, sweet peas, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, avocados, pineapple, mangoes, kiwi, and bananas all consistently test clean-- don't buy these organic if you can't afford it.

4) Buy fresh-- freeze your own if you need to... the frozen, pre-cut veggies are far more expensive than fresh!

5) Buy in season... not only is it cheaper, but these produce items have a higher nutritional content (especially if they are local), taste better!, and stay fresh longer...

Ditto this. If you are on a budget, use beans instead of or to stretch meat and use the money for veggies. Frozen veggies are cheaper than fresh veggies out of season, but not cheaper than fresh in season

Also...this is a toughie and doesnt work for everyone but it's sometimes worth a shot. A friend of mine was on a very very tight budget and she really wanted organic fruits and veggies for her kids. She talked to her local organic grocery and asked about buying the stuff they were pulling OFF the shelf to throw away. She did the same with farmers at the farmers market. Some of it she gets free, some of it she pays a cut rate for. Some say yes, some say no. It does mean she has to show up at the store at specific times to deal with the produce manager directly.

A lot of the food is near the end of its useful life...so the apples might not be great eating apples, but she can make apple sauce or chop them small for salads. She usually takes a couple hours to clean and freeze the other veggies for the week.