Females trying to lose weight...READ THIS

I think it's subjective - I've realised (by calorie counting out of pure curiousity) that quite often if I completely cut out snacking and just eat three meals a day my calorie intake does end up around or below 1200 calories...

If it does, you're not doing what you should, and unless you are weighing absolutely everything you eat, it's pretty unlikely you are accurate. and no, I'm not talking about measuring with measuring cups, I'm talking about weighing with a food scale.

You don't have to get irritable, it was just an observation. And even if I'm not accurate, I would have to be out by quite a lot for it to be much above 1200. The things I don't weigh (with a scale - I don't own measuring cups...) are fruit and vegetables anyway so unlikely to be throwing calculations out by much.

I'm not being irritable, I'm trying to be helpful. As fruit has quite a bit of sugar in it, and is dense, by not weighing an apple or a banana, you can be off by quite a few calories. with one fruit.
when I said you were doing the wrong thing, i meant not eating over 1200 calories. You aren't eating enough. Unless you weigh 90 lbs and are about 5 feet tall, and are extremely sedentary, it's not likely your calories should be 1200 or below.

Thanks for enlightening me on caloric intake! My question is, if my goal is to lose weight and build muscle, how much of my exercise calories do I eat back? I presently consume about an average of 1400-1500 calories daily. I workout 4 times a week, in which I burn about 400 calories (not including weight training). I weight 136lbs, and 5'4.5. Thanks you guyz!

Good read I even posted it to my Facebook

If people used MFP the way it was designed, this wouldn't be anywhere near an issue. It gives 1200 as a very minimal baseline when a user selects sedentary. If the user is sedentary, he or she should eat back their exercise calories and log all activities above sitting on their butt at their job (this is why MFP includes housework and carrying bags in their exercise section).

If you set your activity level to sedentary, go work a job where you're on your feet for eight hours THEN go work out and expect to survive on only 1200 calories a day, you're going to have a bad time.

By logging all my activity for a few weeks (I use a HRM for at home workouts and track walking with runkeeper) as an experiment, it seemed I needed to consume about 1600-1800 calories a day to NET 1200. I then went and ran my numbers through scooby's accurate calorie calculator again (I run my numbers every few months or when my exercise routine changes) and it estimated I should be consuming about 1800-1900 a day to lose weight.

The numbers work out pretty similar, if you use the tool properly.

I think dieting is the best way for weight loss. It is regarded as natural way. So it should follow for the betterment for both body and health.

I have eaten 1200 calories for the past year, and I have done cardio four days a week for the past six months.

I dunno, I think it's working for me.

yeah, worked fine for me too, and i do measure / weigh / log EVERYTHING. ive been known to log 2 skittles, and my mfp friends have laughed about it, but i do. i also would bring my scale to restaurants with me at times. i logged every crumb that went in my mouth... i felt great, still was able to get my workouts completed 5 times per week, and not feel a lack of energy when i was losing. on top of my cardio, im also a mother of 5, have 4 cats, 3 dogs, a disabled husband, and im a full time student... and yes, i had energy for all that as well! i never felt like passing out when eating low calories. maybe some people can do it with no problems, and some cant... now im maintaining, and still doing and feeling great!

best idea for those who think those of us who lose / lost at lower calories are going to fail, is to go about your business with what works for you, and let others do what works for them without telling them they are wrong and you are right! many of us have been very successfull at losing ALL of our weight, and maintaining. there are many paths to weight loss, not just 1. i am extremely healthy, athletic, and full of energy... im maintaining with no problems on anywhere from 1800-2600 calories per day depending on my activity level... so no, i did not baloon back up as soon as i started eating at a igher calorie level... my hair is thicker than ever and growing like a weed, my nails are nice... never entered into this mysterious "starvation mode" that is thrown around here on the mfp forums...

I have eaten 1200 calories for the past year, and I have done cardio four days a week for the past six months.

I dunno, I think it's working for me.

yeah, worked fine for me too, and i do measure / weigh / log EVERYTHING. ive been known to log 2 skittles, and my mfp friends have laughed about it, but i do. i also would bring my scale to restaurants with me at times. i logged every crumb that went in my mouth... i felt great, still was able to get my workouts completed 5 times per week, and not feel a lack of energy when i was losing. on top of my cardio, im also a mother of 5, have 4 cats, 3 dogs, a disabled husband, and im a full time student... and yes, i had energy for all that as well! i never felt like passing out when eating low calories. maybe some people can do it with no problems, and some cant... now im maintaining, and still doing and feeling great!

best idea for those who think those of us who lose / lost at lower calories is to go about your business with what works for you, and let others do what works for them without telling them they are wrong and you are right! there are many paths to weight loss, not just 1. i am extremely healthy, athletic, and full of energy... im maintaining with no problems on anywhere from 1800-2600 calories per day depending on my activity level... so no, i did not baloon back up as soon as i started eating at a igher calorie level... my hair is thicker than ever and growing like a weed, my nails are nice... never entered into this mysterious "starvation mode" that is thrown around here on the mfp forums...

Add another one. I did 1200 for around the first six months, and 1300 the last several. I also weigh, log and count everything i put in my mouth. I am 5'4 btw. Its worked out great for me.