I work on the principle that women should have a maximum of 2000C/day and reducing that by about 500C means weight loss. You're right to say that eating too little can stop weight loss and I read that you shouldn't eat less than 1200C/day. It certainly is working for me but I also look at my daily calorie intake with reference to the food types i.e mostly protein, fruit & veg and less fat. TWYE helps me to keep track of what I've eaten each day and balance out the food types. There are some good web sites that can help you work out your calorie intake e.g. http//www.calculator.net Good Luck :-)