gaining on low vs. gaining on high

i would love to hear from anyone who gained on 1,000-1,800, but whose metabolism actually  really picked up when they got their calories higher.  i'm really struggling with this right now.  at first i was trying to reach 2,000-2,500, and my body retained about 14 lbs of water within a week.  the edema was really bad, and i panicked and have had a really hard time getting my calories past 1,200-1,800.  now i'm gaining on the lower intake. i think some of it is fluid fluctuations, but it's not as obviously edema this time.  i'd really like to not be gaining on the lower intake, but i'm having a hard time accepting the counter-intuitiveness of increasing more to really get my body working again.  yesterday i ended up walking alllll day  (i am carless and it was errand day, and finally nice and spring-like, and i got carried away), and my calories by the end were way under...but somehow i gained another pound! 

i realize this subject has been tapped before, but hearing personal experiences always helps.  thanks.

THROW OUT THE SCALE...you are obsessing over numbers a bit too much which is clear by the fact that you weighed yourself even after a super low calorie day. there are going to be water fluctuations and your body is going through major changes. Your inconsistency in your calories is confusing your body which can contribute to the huge fluctuations. why are you consuming 1200-1800? there should not be so much variation in your intake if you're trying to gain since you shouldn't be exercising and 1200 calories is much too low for anyone who is trying to gain. I started at about 1200 calories to gain but it wasn't working, i increased every week until I was consuming at least 2000 calories, and still I am only gaining about .75 pounds a week. I can imagine that once I reach my goal weight I will be able to maintain on about 1700 or so, which is awesome!! if i would have stayed at 1700 i would have continued to gain, but ultimately my maintenance intake would have been around 1500 or less since my metabolism wouldn't have been restored. i would rather deal with the weight gain on 2500 calories and then when i reduce my intake, some of that weight will naturally drop and my maintenance will be higher!! great plan if you ask me :) hope this helps! no exercise, eat more! that's the key, dael with the water weight because you know that logically you can't gain 14 pounds overnight, so do your body a favor!!

A gain on sub-2500 results in weight gain that does not stay on/is not sustainable and does not repair your body or metabolism properly. Think, also: if you gain on a low amount what will you maintain on? A healthy female should be able to maintain on around 2000 a day, more or less.

I am appalled you would ask this in a forum that quite so openly suggests in more than one place to eat 2500 for a sedentary female to gain sustainably.

Its a really hard fact to swallow, but what is mentioned above is right.  You can gain on 1800/day, but it won't be any weight that will last, but you won't get to your goal weight because 1800 is barely enough to maintain...  You metabolism will not speed up, it will stay the same or decrease...  You recovery in regards to weight gain will be even more prolonged and drawn out, thus making you miserable and more inclined to relapse.... 

And above all of that, like lala said, 1800 is simply not enough to repair any internal organs and body systems from the damge you already caused... 

Just not a good idea