I've been reading some stories that talk about people years after WLS and they usually say they are eating less than or around 1000 cal. per day. Why so few? According to most calorie calculators I have tried it says that a 5'5" 120 lb. woman with light activity would have to eat about 1700 calories to maintain her weight. Is everyone just really short or what?

I am currently trying to change my body composition a bit by lowering my bodyfat percentage, so while this may result in some weightloss, I'm not necessarily aiming to drop poundage. So I guess I'm somewhere between maintaining and slowly losing, as I'm basically trying to eat more rather than less but really bust my ass at the gym to maintain or gain muscle mass. I don't let myself drop below 1500 calories right now, and on days when I work out, it's usually closer to 1900-2000 (aiming for at least 100 g Protein on these days and 80 on others). I've definitely gone up as high as 2300 every once in a while, and while my weight has fluctuated the same 1 lb up and down in the last few weeks, my favorite pants are now so loose that even with a belt, they don't look presentable anymore, so obviously I've cut some fat. For a mostly sedentary woman my size, the approximate amount of calories to maintain weight is about 2000, so given that I exercise, I think I'm pretty close to that estimate as far as my metabolism goes.

So yes, you CAN maintain and even lose fat on a "normal" amount of calories. However, this might involve regular exercise. I don't know if I would avoid weight gain if I suddenly stopped all my exercise and didn't lower my food intake. Also, I'm young and I have a pretty good muscle base from years of weightlifting. If I were 50+ and in poor shape, I would probably have to eat less than I do now. Everybody's different! You may be able to eat like a "normal" person, but be prepared to eat less if you are not as lucky with your metabolism.