Losing Weight Safely While Eating More Than 1200/1500 Calories Poll

Please post if you are:

1. Female and eating 1200 or more calories a day or male and eating 1500 or more calories a day (or eating fewer but doing so under a doctor's care)
2. Have been losing weight

I'd like to know the average number of calories you eat a day and how much weight you have lost. Thank you!

And since I'm starting this, I'll go first:

Average calories/day: 1700
Weight lost so far: 24 pounds (as of August 9)
       &nb sp;               &nb sp;     30 pounds (as of August 25)
       &nb sp;               &nb sp;     42 pounds (as of October 18)


(edited to update weight loss)

Average daily-1400
Weight loss-5 pounds

Female, age 38.  Started at 205, am now at 161.  Lost the first 20 in 8 months through exercise and "watching what I ate", but not counting anything (not food groups, calories, etc).   Then I started counting calories a year ago (a year next week, actually).  I average 1400-1700 depending on whether I exercise or not, and I've lost 24 pounds in this past year.   That looks like a slower pace, but that's because there was a 2.5 month period when I didn't work out, quit counting calories, and gained a few pounds.  And it was HARD to get back into the groove, and took me a full month to lose the weight I'd gained.  So disregarding that period, it's 24 pounds in 8.5 months. 

That's still a lot slower than I'd like, but when I cut calories lower than that, I can't sustain it.

I eat anywhere from 1200 on a low day, 1500 on an average day, and once a week I eat 1800-2200 and I have lost about 55lbs so far in 3 months.  I work a lot and I'm always on the go... I gained the weight form convenience foods (FAST FOOD and SODA).  Once I cut those out it just melted off.  It's good to know that I can still enjoy food and go out once in a while and lose weight, who REALLY likes fast food anyway?  I can live w/o it!

Average calories/day:  1800-2000; a rare low day would be about 1600, I surplus over my calories burned by a couple hundred at least once a week.  I do use a Bodybugg to help me track calories in/calories burned as accurately as possible.

Starting weight 1/1/07: 225; current weight 177

Height 5'3"1/2; female, 32 years old; overweight my entire life.

I am living proof that you don't have to eat low calorie or even low-fat to lose weight.  I eat probably 70-100 grams of fat a day, 120+ grams of protein and 200ish grams of carbs a day.  I lift heavy weights 2 or 3 times a week, do hard cardio maybe 3 or 4 times a week for 30 minutes or so and that's it.  I have been losing weight at the rate of about 1 lb a week since last May.  I have lost about 8% body fat since starting.  My motto has been slow and steady with slow gradual lifestyle changes and my current eating plan is one I will be able to maintain for the rest of my life.  

Most new folks on here seem to set themselves up for failure by either restricting calories too much, working out too much or both.  You have to live a lifestyle you can maintain and eat a diet you can maintain for the rest of your life. 

I'm female, 27, 5'9'', 135 lbs (i have gained 10 pounds over the winter and i feel lethargic and tired all the time).  i know this is already in the "normal weight" category, but i have gained the wrong kind of weight from refined sugar and sweets, and i don't feel well.  plus i can't help but feel that since i spent most of my life at 125, that's my personal healthy weight.

i consume 1400-1800; i average about 1650.

i run m-f 3-5 miles in the morning, then i go to the gym for an hour of eliptical/bike and a half-hour of weights.  on saturdays i go for a long run.  sometimes i throw in yoga.  anyway, you can see i'm active (but my job is sedentary, which should be an option in the profile!)

anyway, perhaps you will say i'm eating too little for my activity level, and i think that's right, but if that's true, then why am i gaining and not losing?  i've been keeping this up for about a month.

if i do need to eat more, what should i eat more of? 

i'm concerned that because of the odd profile i've been given you all won't take me seriously when i say i have fat to loose in order to be healthy.  i have strange genetics - yes, i'm tall and i'm not technically overweight, but when i eat poorly i gain weight in my thighs/arms (think disporportionate), plus i don't feel well.

 

ok starting today(7-17-08)...1200 or less a day. combined with one hour to 1.5 hours of exercise a day.

oh yea i weigh 155 and my goal is 140 in a month...then ill eat 1500 or less a day to get back down to 125. after 140 it doesnt matter how long it takes. but i need to lose 15 pounds to at least go out in public!!