dragnet

Exercise is extremely helpful in keeping your energy expenditure up while dieting. It i a good idea to stay above 1000 -1200 cal/day to ensure your body doesn't think it needs to adapt to starvation (there will be adaptation to calorie restriction, but it isn't as big a change)

Exactly right- eating less than the 1000 to 1200 cal puts you into starvation mode. It seems we are very good at avoiding death during short periods of starvation... The trick is to walk the line. It really won't take much, and LadyHawke's suggestion seems spot on to me...

Seems there are a lot of opinions out there, mostly saying you should. The reality is that you should try to keep your caloric intake above 1000 - 1200 cal/d, and really probably shouldn't be trying to lose weight faster than about 2 pounds/week (did you notice that was the most weight loss you could select when you were…

you can do it Ashley!

Congratulations on your 5th! How exciting, and what an inspirational story in your bio!

Good luck! Easy to get bummed, so just focus on small things. For me, I almost make a game of it- what can I find that helps me keep to my target calories. Salads of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber with some balsamic vinegar have become my best friends! Find what works for you!

1 pound a week is great! 2 pounds a week is generally the fastest recommended weight loss. From what I can tell, you are doing fantastic!

OK- so I feel compelled to chime in here. The best answer is 'IT DEPENDS' MFP calculates the energy (calories) you require based upon your current weight and activity level you enter. You tell it your weight loss goals (probably best to target 1-2 pounds/week, not more) and it deducts them from the amount required to keep…