I use the phone app to keep track of how much I am eating. Yes, it is hard at first to find the right amount, but you find foods that have fewer calories so you can eat more , or find more filling foods. (LOTS of vegetables. lots and lots of vegetables).

Find salads that you like, or make new ones. Add protein and some rice/quinoa/grain and you have a filling meal. I have cut out a lot of creamy-type dressings and now make my own vinaigrette.

Lots of days I don't complete my food diary because I know how many calories I have left by supper and just estimate from there.

I pop in from time to time also. MFP has really opened my eyes to how many calories are in the foods that I eat. I never truely realized how much I had been eating in the past.

Mo, don't do it!!!! Do not eat 1200 calories, even if you eat your exercise back. It will kill your metabolism and set you up for gaining it all back. Please read my thread and check out the eat more to weigh less board. I've been eating 1800-2000 a day for the past 2 months. I feel great, I have energy, I've lost inches like you would not believe and I'm down TWO pants sizes since increasing my calories BUT I've only lost 1.5lbs-and that is OK! If you read and are still confused, LMK and I'll help you out. It's a MUCH healthier and more permanent way to lose.

You don't want to cut to 1200 and lose all of your lean body mass (which is what you will lose at those calories) and then eat normal again some day and gain it all back and then some. I've been there and done that plenty of times.

I've recently bought a bodymedia fit arm band which calculates my calories burned in a day. I found that I'm burning a bit more than I thought and I'm slightly increasing my calories again. But the bottom line is that you do not need to drastically cut your calories like MFP suggests.

I just joined!!! More than willing to keep up the group!!!