Can 1200 calories be maintenance for a smaller older person?

rosebette

So, I've been netting 1200 calories, eating back exercise calories, and have been plateaued for about a month, and told by a nutritionist and a few other folks that I'm gaining muscle and might not lose anymore . I'm a mature person (55), female, and short, 5'1.5". Well, since I'm not losing at 1200, would that be my current maintenance for my current weight, which is between 120-122? If I were a 20-year-old, it might not be enough, but let's face it, I have an AARP card and am post-menopause. I hear all this stuff about starvation mode, etc., but 1200 is not far from my maintenance as a lightly active person, around 1500. Also, when I'm eating back calories, I tend to be fairly satisfied. I might feel very hungry at 1200, but if I exercise between 300 and 500 calories, 1500-1700 is pretty manageable if I choose my calories well (i.e., not pizza or Chinese), and sometimes I can't even eat that much. I must admit that I do have a cheat meal once a week, usually on a week-end, but hubby wanted to go out last night to celebrate a new job. I tracked the meal (I often don't track cheat meals), which was pretty typical of our dinners out, and it was around 2200, 700 calories over what I should have had that day. If I'm eating one meal a week that's putting me that much over, that could be stalling my loss, too.