Need help with raising my calories

Hi! I've been dieting for around a month and a half now if not more, and I made the school boy error of wanting to lose weight there and then. I put my statistics into MFP, I clicked that I wanted to lose around 2 pound a week. It told me to eat no more, no less that 1200 calories a day, and of course eat my exercise calories back. However as I was impatient I stupidly started eating around 1000 calories and burning 500 a day, thinking "oh, great I'm going to lose so much weight i'm literally living on 500 calories a day " After I'd lost a ton of weight, I upped my game, I started thinking that the 1000 I was eating was far too much, so I started eating well below 1000, some days 600 calories and burning 500 a day. I even got that scared of eating food that I'd turn my nose up at someone offering me a single crisp (I know I'm mad) I actually noticed that I was not losing any weight any more and my weight loss had come to a holt, I even noticed that I seemed to be putting on a bit of weight, 3 pounds to be exact. I know people are probably thinking this isn't much, but i was devastated as I thought I was putting so much effort in and getting nothing back (besides the 3 unwanted pounds) I've since been reading subjects on upping my calories to a higher number, I read some topics on it and it seems logical, when people mention things like "starvation mode" but then I'll read someone commenting "oh starvation mode is a myth", i'm so confused! :(I am now 138 pounds and I'm aware this isn't obese however I do want to lose a significant amount of weight, I am 18 and I am 5'7, I also exercise around 6 times a week doing about 36 minutes of cardio each time. If I make my calories higher, will I actually lose weight? will I not be putting more weight on, by doing this, or will it work? And before anyone tells me that I've only been on MFP for 2 days, this is incorrect, I did actually have another account but I deleted it and started this new one, as a sort of clean slate as you will. I am so sorry that I have probably bored everyone to tears, but I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could help, ANYONE. thankyou!! x