I know you heard this before but....

My calorie target is 1500 calories to lose weight by a certain time.  Is that the amount I should eat each day or should I subtract something off of that.  I haven't eaten that amount in years.  Is that going to affect my weight loss at all?

Without your stats, it's hard to say. But probably.

When you say you haven't eaten that amount in years, do you mean you've been eating less or more? By how much?

1500 is a weight-loss amount for most, reasonably active, adult (over 21) women who are a little overweight.  Ironically, irregular eating patterns  - skipping breakfast, for example - are a big factor in weight-gain.  So are things like eating very little all week but overindulging at the weekends.  People who gain weight usually do so because they eat rather more than they think they do.

So if you get a steady 1500 a day spread out reasonably evenly in three main meals and a few snacks in between and if you choose good quality wholefoods at the same time you'll probably find it very effective.

I am 5'7 158 lbs and 33 yrs old.  I have only eaten between 1200-1300 calories for over 9 years now. That is how I lost 65 pounds and have kept it off until my last son 3 years ago.  Now holding on to the 10 pounds that I haven't gotten rid of since the pregnancy.

Thanks gijane.  Each day is a learning experience so I am willing to try anything out. 

So you are currently maintaining by eating the utter minimum level of calories for an adult woman? Not good.

You need to start eating more. You haven't been able to lose those 10lbs because your metabolism is depressed after years of under-eating.

When you cut calories to lose weight, you should be able to raise them when you reach your goal weight to maintain - you just kept eating the reduced level, and your metabolism has suffered for it.

Then you've been chronically undereating and your body has simply got used to operating on reduced calories.  The average woman your size that is reasonably active needs 2000 cals or so a day to maintain her weight.  If you're maintaining your weight on 1200-1300 you're either seriously underestimating what you eat  or your metabolism has slowed to match the food available.

If you were to eat 2000 cals a day for a few weeks and then reduce it to 1400-1500 you may find that you pep up your metabolism enough to allow yourself to lose weight.  That's the only thing that's going to help.

Ok I will try to gradually increase my calories and see what that does.  I also I have slow metabolism medically and take medicines for it which was just lowered since it was to high so I am not sure if I have actually slowed down my metabolism since I do take hormone but its worth the assumption is I can't lose the last 10 pounds. 

I just want to add so you dont think that upping your cals is not working but when you do raise your cals your body will gain a little until your metabolism has picked up. I think after 2-3 weeks then you can drop the cals back down to 1400-1500 it should wake your metabolism up.

Great advice thank you.