Stalled weight loss: Am I eating enough?

A week isn't long enough to judge by. Things like TOM, exercise, too much sodium, can all cause water retention that will mask a loss.
To answer your question, NO, eating more is not going to help you lose.

jfestival wrote: »

What's TOM ? (bit new to all this, not up on the lingo yet)

Time of the month

I too am 5'5", and at 176#. I also am almost 60, so with hormonal changes and a slower metabolism, weight loss could be slower for me.
The 1200 is correct, but consider your range to be +/- 100. So between 1100-1300. If you are also working out, your calories on MFP will be increased. I, personally, do not try to consume those burned calories. I follow a general rule of a 500 cal deficit. If I exercise 500 cal, my consumption should be 1200. If I exercise 800, I need to increase my consumption 300 cal. I have consistently lost 1/2 to 1 1/2 lbs per week using this formula. 500 cal deficiency per day at 3750 cal/pound means about a pound a week.

I try to maintain a diet of 50% whole grain or vegetable & fruit carbs, 30% lean protein and 20% fats.

The real trick to the exercise, is knowing how much you actually burn. Every body is different so the amounts listed on charts and machines for calorie burn are an average. Most machines say you burn more than you actually do to increase their sales, I doubt the averages take into account every body type, or every level of metabolism.

Wear a heart rate monitor during your exercise routine to get a correct reading.

As a general rule, if I walk 4 miles or less, I do not need to add food. I go more by what my body tells me. If I feel weak or dizzy, I have a high protein snack to answer the need.

Be sure to check how you entered your goals on MFP. Some have inadvertently said they wanted to maintain, so we're put at higher caloric levels.

Hope this helps.

Yes, or at least a portion of them. Lots of people eat back 50-75% just to be on the safe side, because MFP can sometimes over-estimate your exercise calories, but you're supposed to be eating them back. MFP doesn't factor exercise into your goal, whereas other calculators do. So, your 1200 goal + 400 eat-back calories is the same as another site's 1600, if it's factoring in your exercise.

AliceDark wrote: »

You got it!

The only other thing that I would suggest is that if MFP's eat-back method really doesn't work for you, try the TDEE method. This factors in your average weekly exercise into your goal, so you eat the same amount every day. (This works best if you have a consistent exercise schedule -- if not, it'll be hard to pin down your daily goal). This is a good TDEE calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

If you go that route, determine your goal and custom-set MFP to that target. You still need to give it about 4 weeks to determine whether or not it's working for you. A week isn't long enough to see any kind of trend.

Good calc