Good luck with your goal! Be careful, though, not to go to the extreme, diet-wise. If you can't maintain certain eating habits, the new toned you will be back to square one in short order! I speak from experience.

Suz and Teri - WOW! Amazing job! You're both stunners in your After pics.

you are very brave for doing this. I have to admit, you look super nice already. I am smaller in terms of BMI, but I don't think I look near as good as you do.

Cheers for your goal, IK! It sounds tough, but you strike me as an incredibly tough lady

Wow, I am so impressed you posted before pictures - shows you are really committed. You already look like you are in great shape, but it is far from me to discourage fitness goals. 1200 calories with heavy workouts does sound low, but it you feel ok and are eating a lot of protein, it is your body and you know what you can do.

Well that decides it, time to go upstairs and exercise!

I'm cheering you on IK!!

Yay IK! You look great and toned already but I'm sure you'll feel even more fantastic and conditioned with the new exercise program. Just make sure to take care of yourself and liberalize the calories if they are not enough to sustain you especially with the heavy workouts. Good luck and we're cheering you on!

IK, first of all, you're a brave, brave, brave and motivated woman. I'm in awe.

Second, as everyone has said, you look good already yet I can completely get behind your motivation to look *great*. So completely cheering for you.

But (did you hear that coming?) I'm going to agree with Meredith and others, and suggest you check in with a nutritionist or doctor about this calorie-restriction plan. For someone your height and weight, that sounds very drastic --- enough to reset your body's metabolism pretty permanently to famine mode, and that is VERY BAD for future health, which is your main stated aim. Those are baseline calories you're talking about, do note!

I'm all of 4'10'' and was pretty sedentary when I restricted myself to 1000 calories a day. It worked, sort of, for a little while --- then I started putting on weight like never before. It was years before an actual trained nutritionist cottoned on to what was happening and why --- my diet, while VERY healthy in its components, had been too restrictive and my body was constantly suspecting I was on the edge of famine, so stocking up. I'd be super careful with that, because the way my body reacts to less or more exercise and lowered or extra calories these days is not something I'd want to wish for you. I had to watch not just my diet but my activity (as in, not even TOO much exercise) for years before my body yielded a little, and I still have to be watchful or my weight yo-yos like mad.

Another small suggestion: Get a different sports bra? This one doesn't look so much like it is supporting you as it is cutting into you (like bad shapewear)!