how long does it take to level out

Mandy, I'm going to give you my opinion but you may have trouble accepting it. I thinks it's likely you have caused some metabolic adaptation that is keeping you from losing weight by remaining at such a low intake level for so long. Even at the new increased calorie level, you are still undereating. I went to fat2fitradio.com and plugged your data into their calculators and, for moderate activity, you daily calories goal and your age, weight and height is 2186. With this method, you would not eat calories back from exercise as the activity is already factored in. I'm guessing you did not eat exercise calorie back anyway?

When you only have about 10 lbs to lose, getting agressive about it is counter productive. Looking for a stready and slow loss is the way to go. Anything else and you body will resist you. Even more so in your case with such low calorie intake for a long period.

I would highly recommend you eat at maintenance for about a month to reset your metabolism and normalize your hormone levels. This WILL cause some weight gain. You could start by gaining 3 to 8 lbs I'm guessing as your body refiils it's stores and hold onto water. Even though maitenance should mean no gain, when doing a reset that is not usually the case. After the month, I would go to probaly no less than 1800 or so calories. I'd either calculate my TDEE and take 20% from that or calculate my BMR and add 20% to that. Then ,over time, you will likely slowly lose the gain plus the 10 you wanted to lose if you have not done too much damage to your metabolism.

Truly going from 1200 to 1450 will do nothing. This, I'm guessing, isn't what you want to hear, along with the rest of what I'm saying but what you are doing will not work. I wish it would because I sense in you a real desire to be fit and healthy but it won't. I hope you'll consider what I'm telling you.

I think for a couple years have been eating to few calories. 1200 or under most days with some form cardio 30- 45 mins and no real weightloss. I have raised my calories to 1450 according to what fitness pal recomends. Im 5'6 157-159 wanting to lose 10 pounds. How long will it take for my body to start losing weight since I have been eating to few calories for a couple years? I will 35 in Oct. so I will be tickled to just get back to high 140's at my age.

I don't subscribe to the idea that people can easily stop weight loss by eating relatively few calories. Often, there are things they overlooked. I would double check your calorie intake and make sure that you are working out as hard as exercise guidelines dictate. For example, are you doing cardio five or six times a week at a sufficient level of intensity? Do you wear a heart rate monitor so you know when you are in your high intensity zone? Strength training is good exercise, but it's ability to raise the metabolism has been overstated.