Is it okay to stay under my calorie intake?

Why not just eat the 1400? You'll gradually decrease your intake as you lose anyway, and you should still lose at 1400 if you input your info correctly. This isn't a race.

1200 calories is a very arbitrary number. For shorter/smaller people, they can eat less. For bigger/taller people, their minimum should be much higher. I'm 5'4" and 37 yrs old. I shoot for a net of 1200 - it works well for me. When I was bigger, that wasn't enough.

Being under by 100 to 200 occasionally is not a big deal. But if 1200 happens to be your magic number and you're routinely eating significantly less, yes it would be an issue.

Yes it is okay to be under your calorie intake. Yes you are supposed to Net at least 1200 calories a day, but, and here is the kicker, you should determine your BMR and your TDEE and set your caloric intake based on being between those numbers. No idea what those are? Here is a site to find out what your proper settings should be: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators.html and here is a great place to start understanding what you need to do to be successful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Lastly remember, it is relativity easy to lose weight, it is difficult to maintain that loss, which is why you have so many opinions and so many views on what works and what doesn't.

Good Luck, and keep striving to live a healthier life.

I agree, unless you just are not hungry, eat your calories. I have made slow steady progress, following the guideline's/calories recommended. Some days I am under by a few, some days by 100, and a few days over. It is easier to stick to it if you make changes slowly, that you can stick to for life. Don't think of this as a diet, more as a life change. make it something you can live with.

I agree, unless you just are not hungry, eat your calories. I have made slow steady progress, following the guideline's/calories recommended. Some days I am under by a few, some days by 100, and a few days over. It is easier to stick to it if you make changes slowly, that you can stick to for life. Don't think of this as a diet, more as a life change. make it something you can live with.

Suppose the hunger is suppressed due to hormonal issues that can only be fixed with increased calories?
This is a side effect of metabolism slowing in some individuals.
Most people when they first drop cals too low, leptin plummets and ghrelin rises to make you hungry.
Over time this isnt so much of an issue but isnt necessarily dieting correctly.



Notice in underfeeding that Leptin, IGF-1, Thyroid, Protein synth....all the things you want in dieting down are pushed pretty low.
Doing this for extended times can actually increase the time it takes to diet down so if you dont have the excessive body fat to fuel the system then try taking a day or 2 a week and hit the higher numbers.
Eat a pizza or something.

I'm not a doctor or a scientist, however I find it hard to believe in "starvation mode", really. It doesn't make sense. I know that for several months I was in true starvation mode a couple years ago and I dropped weight very, very quickly. I lost 50 lbs in a very short period of time because I would go days without eating, or without eating much but then I'd have a day or two where I practically binged like crazy to make it up. I'm not saying this is healthy at all and I don't condone it, I just have a hard time believing that someone truly in starvation mode wouldn't lose weight.

My goal is 1200/ day. I find myself having a harder time meeting that...and I work out almost every day, which means more calories to make up. Today I have eaten well, been full every time I eat, having my snacks...and now I have over 1000 calories left (after working out). Well, I can't eat a thousand calories, especially at this late time of day. Do you force yourself to eat more calories? I have found myself unable to actually eat entire portions that I have prepared for myself...and I still count it as if I at the entire serving, but still come out short at the end of the day.

I don't understand I guess. I am not feeling like I am over doing it...I am doing a variety of things (swimming, yoga, walking/jogging, some strength training). Sometimes 30 minutes, but usually an hour. If I feel like I need to I take a break. At work I am generally at my desk, so it is nice to have some activity in the evenings. Why is 3-4 times optimal?

I don't understand I guess. I am not feeling like I am over doing it...I am doing a variety of things (swimming, yoga, walking/jogging, some strength training). Sometimes 30 minutes, but usually an hour. If I feel like I need to I take a break. At work I am generally at my desk, so it is nice to have some activity in the evenings. Why is 3-4 times optimal?

Its about having a plan of attack and a rest period.
Make sure you have some lifting program in line.
Dont make up your own!
Walk at least 10k steps a day so if you need a 20min walk after dinner then do it!
Sleep!
Get 6-9 hours sleep since REM works in 3 hour cycles.
this is when the construction workers in your body come out and repair stuff.

Heres an outline of how I do things diet wise http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Ok...I get what you are saying, but how can I eat more if I am not hungry? I mean, I don't know if you can see my food diary, but I think I'm generally eating a pretty balanced diet. I fully expected that I would be hungry at only 1200 cals/day, but I'm not. And many days I can't even eat a whole meal. I've always been a big eater....I love food. I am not eating out, at least very seldom and that is probably the biggest change I have made. I find home cooked food fills me up a lot more. So, I would love any suggestions for increasing my calorie intake without feeling like I have to force myself to eat food I'm not hungry for. I do agree that you have to eat plenty of calories to be able to lose weight. But I feel like I have a lot more energy and I WANT to exercise every day, whereas before I didn't have the motivation or energy to get my butt off the couch.
That said...the first week I lost about 5 lbs and in the last two weeks my weight loss has significantly decreased (just 1 lb last week). And I'm ok with that, as long as I'm losing/not gaining. But I think it probably has something to do with not eating enough and I worry that I'll stop losing all together. I don't want to do that! I just don't know how to get more calories in my meals without feeling miserably full.