need 1200 cal. a day for weight now.to lose 1 lb. a day, how many should I have

Hi Donna,

I do not recommend cutting your calories any lower.  Decreasing your caloric intake will cause your metabolism (rate you burn calories at rest) to slow down, which you do not want.  If you cut your calories more, your body will start to think it is "starving" and will fight to hang on to every extra pound it can. 

My first inclination is that the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight is incorrect.  If it is not wrong, then to lose weight your best bet is to increase your activity level to burn more calories and build muscle - more muscle equals a higher metabolism.  I do not recommend cutting your calories below 1200.

hey =]

okay...

im no expert.

but i read on line (in many places)

that to lose about one pound a day, you would have to eat about 500 calories less than your suggested calorie intake you would need to maintain your weight.

now, that does not mean to 'starve' yourself, that would be horrible. (that would probably ruin your chance of losing weight cuz it may cause people to binge eat..)

you can go on line, and find the amount of calories you would need to maintain your weight.

here's a website.    http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/calneed

you can use this to see how much calories you need for your body.

subtract 300-500 cal, and see from there.

hope this helps.  :)