Do I listen to my body or the numbers?

I wouldn't go too much under your set calories for the day! The body needs nutrition! Just eat healthy and try to get as close to them as you can!

I would say, from looking at your diary, that if you want to eat more calories, you should look at breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day because you're giving yourself fuel to get yourself moving. I would say that at 1000 calories a day, you're risking lowering your energy levels, knocking your blood sugar out of whack and missing out on vital nutrients that make you healthy.

If it were a once in a while thing, I would say no big deal, but if it is a regular occurrence - like it sounds like it is, then I would look at upping it. Smoothies are a good way of getting lots of vitamins and nutrients without stuffing your face; depending on what you put in it, you could easily make up the other 200 calories that you're missing on a daily basis.

I'm guessing you want to make some changes in your life, or you wouldn't be here so the best thing to do is go slow and get to the 1200 daily. You may feel like you're force feeding now, but you'll become accustomed to it, like so many others have to become accustomed to eating less. Your body accepts what it is used to. Without making sure you're having a varied diet, you could set yourself for problems in the future.

Thanks everyone! Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions but I'm very new to this and eager to learn! I really appreciate all your help and am taking it to heart.

I have another question: Before I started eating healthy, sweets like ice cream and chocolate were my vice. Now that I'm regularly hitting below my caloric goal, I'm wondering if I should allow myself a treat, like maybe a candy bar, every now and then to use up the extra calories. I wouldn't make this a regular thing, but I figure if it's just every now and then and I stick to my calorie goals, it can't be that bad, right? Is my logic sound? And if so, how often can I do this?

An occasional treat would be okay, but it's much better to "spend" your calories on healthy nutritious foods. Good high calorie foods include avocado, nuts, and other foods with healthy fats. For treats, try to eat things that are low in added sugars (which rules out candy bars) and higher in protein or good carbs. I like to make my own fruit smoothies with a milk base, which can be pretty high in calories (250-400) depending on what I put in it. I'll allow myself ice cream occasionally. I would also recommend Lara bars as an occasional treat - most are around 200 calories and are made with fruits and nuts with no added sugars or preservatives (most of them... a few have chocolate chips which have sugar in them, but not too much).

Try spreading your calories out over the day and it makes it much less overwhelming.

Edited to add: if you can do an occasional treat and not go overboard, then it's okay, but some people don't do moderation well when it comes to "goodies", so make sure you honestly ask yourself if you think you can do a truly occasional treat. The one candy-bar type thing I allow myself to eat is dark chocolate - but I only have 1/4 of a bar at a time, which comes out to maybe 100 calories or so, and the dark chocolate has good antioxidants in it.