what is a "safe" defecit?

I want to apologize if I am new and this has been asked a million times. But I thought he goal was to have a calorie defecit, right?!

So I eat about 1200 cals a day, some days I don't quite make it. and I workout 5-6 days a week. How much of a defecit is tooo much? I am not tired, and have plenty of energy for my workouts.

Right now you might not feel tired and have plenty of energy because your body is feeding off of the extra fat your body has stored. Once you've used up all of that, though you're going to stop losing. I would recommend going to a dietician and finding out what type of good carbs and proteins you need to be taking in to reach that 1200 calorie mark. You really shouldn't be at more than a 100-150 calorie deficit.

I'm new to this as well, so I wouldn't take me completely on my word. Check with your doctor or continue to seek advice. I know I was told to find my normal "pre-diet" calorie intake for the week and cut 3,500 calories (it was 4,000 when I learned, but I guess they've changed it) that way I should lose 1 pound a week. I'm currently trying to cut 6,300 calories a week and stick to the 1200 calories a day.

The calorie goal MFP computes for you, the 1200 calories, already has the deficit built in. You set in a goal weight loss, 1 lb or 2 lbs per week type of thing, and put in your body stats and daily activity level. That allows MFP to estimate how many calories you burn on a daily basis, and then subtracts off to meet the weekly weight loss goal. I haven't heard of the site setting a goal below 1200 calories for anyone. Basically the 1200 calories is if you

If you eat to many calories, you put on weight because your body is turning the excess into fat. Obvious, we all know that. If you don't eat enough your body doesn't have the fuel it needs to function properly. It would be nice if our bodies burned fat to make up the difference, but it doesn't work that way. You have to have calories to burn calories.

i go for about 20-30% less than than my maintenance. so that works out to about 1680-1900 calories a day. i'm losing an average of 1-2 pounds a week.

judging by your screen name, i'll just go ahead and say that 1200 calories isnt enough. when you eat below your BMR your body will use muscle as fuel especially if you arent doing any weight training. from what i understand your body can convert muscle to fuel easier than fat, so even if you are obese and not giving your body a reason to hold on to the muscle, it will go for the muscle.

also i dont get how you're struggling to eat 1200 calories? not to be rude but people dont get obese eating 900 calories a day. they get obese for eating several hundred calories a day over their BMR for a long period of time, so unless you're 125 years old and 2 feet tall there's no way eating at least 1200 calories a day is that big of a stretch that would have caused weight gain.

my plan is not only about losing the weight, but also keeping it off forever

in any case you're an adult and will make your own decisions. i'm personally having a much easier time of this weight loss thing by a small reduction in my calories. i'm losing at a safe pace, workout 6 days a week for about an hour and taking the time to correct all my bad eating habits that led me to be 80 pounds overweight

I saw something online saying that half your Total Daily Energy Expenditure was the lowest you should eat to be safe. That makes 1200 too low for me, and I do suspect it triggered my anaemia (I had never been anaemic before mfp, despite being vegetarian).