Hey rocket scientist, c'mere please :)

Dang... I was hoping to come in here and have a chat about escape velocity or gravity's affect on trajectory... I can't help you with this calorie stuff.

I think the calories sound right.

I don't eat breakfast, I never have and never will. I have a cup of coffee with 1 sugar a little low fat milk and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. I am a late night eater and have most of my calories from dinner til I go to bed. I don't believe it is when you eat it is what you are eating all day. I try to eat 4-5 times a day and stay under 150 healthy carbs (with no more then 45 per meal) and 1400 cals. a day now that I'm maintaining. No candy, cake, soda, chips, pretzels, or any other carb I consider bad, unless it's a special occasion and even then I think before I reach. If I do I try to make it fit in my day. As my snacks I usually eat low fat popcorn, Grapes ( change each season, clememtines are my fav now), Frozen berries and low fat yogurt, 1/2 cup Egg white omelets with peppers and onions or spinach and tomatoes, 1 oz cheddar cheese and wheatable crackers, Sometimes an apple or Graham cracker with a little crazy richards natural peanutbutter or smuckers low sugar jelly ( not artificial sweetened, I can't stand artifical), low fat pudding with a graham cracker crushed in it, if I want something sweet. But popcorn is my fav. as my snack. I eat low 40-45 cal Pepperidge light style whole grain breads or Thomas's sahara mini pitas for sandwiches with 1 oz of lunch meat, mayo or mustard , lettuce, tomato, hot peppers and if I use cheese, I make it low soduim and fat. I like lean cuisine meals but make sure they are under 600 sodium and under 30-40 carbs. They are all low in calories. I add frozen left over veggies to them to make them more filling without adding a lot of calories or sodium. When I eat starch with dinner I only have 1/4 cup of whole grain rice, 4 oz of potatoes, 1 oz of pasta or 2 cups of spaghetti squash loaded with zucchini, yellow squash, onions and canned no salt tomatoes. If I eat mac and cheese or things with sauces I stick to about 1/4 cup. I eat a lot of grilled chicken but no more then 6 oz., White fish 6 oz, salmon 3-4 oz, lean pork and beef 3 oz.. I try to eat a side salad after dinner every night with 1 oz of full fat dressing on the side (except when I have a lot of veggies with dinner), it helps with the after dinner muchies. For me the more carbs I eat with a meal the hungrier I feel after the meal. Processed soups and canned veggies are so high in sodium so I try to stay away. I'll make my own. I stay clear of most sauces and gravies too. They are a waste to me.Empty calories I could use for something else. I bought a food scale and it was the best tool I could have done for weight loss. I was shocked to see how much I was overeating and not realizing it. I don't exercise. I am the person who buys a club membership and never goes. I did not want to depend on it for weight loss. I cut calories and found healthier versions for the foods I love. I don't really follow any fad diet, except healthier carbs. Low Sodium is really important for me too. Here is a sample of an average day for me. Sometimes a little under, sometimes a little over. I don't obsess the way I use too.

you are calculating it right. give the 1500 cal a chance for two or three weeks. see how you feel. its normal to gain after increasing, your body needs time to adjust

Not a rocket scientist.

Your calculations are correct.

The weight gain you experienced is mostly water weight. You've been chronically under-eating and I'm sure your body jumped at the chance to replenish it's glycogen stores. With glycogen comes water. It's not a biggy and it's not worth anxiety. You'll start losing again soon.

There IS also a possibility (probability?) that your metabolism changed due to your chronic under-eating habits. You've been under-eating for a year, after all. So your maintenance might not really be 2045. Does that mean you should go back to eating 1200 or less calories a day? Naw. You don't want to live like that forever. If you stick it out at the higher calorie level, you might gain a few actual pounds (not water weight, but real weight) as your body adjusts, then you'll start losing again.

There are several great threads about repairing metabolisms... if you do a search (one of them is something about a 700 calorie a day diet), they should come up. They'll give you actual sources and such that you can read.

Anyhow... I think you should stick with it. Take some measurements. Those help when the scale goes up but they don't.... and good luck.

Ha ha...you actually attracted two people hoping to discuss rocket science!

and just to throw a wrench in the whole works...have any of you that are so closely counting calories, ever thought about using the atkins program?? I am just wondering. I have lost 14.6 pounds in just over 2 weeks. I don't count calories, just net carbs (total carbs minus fiber and subtract any sugar alcohols that come from artificial sweeteners) and for me, this works. VERY WELL. I had lost 50 pounds a few years ago, and got lazy about what I was eating....and those 50 pounds came back with some friends....