The 1200 limit that MFP abides by is a common recommendation of the lowest calorie amount for purpose of safety, getting all your required nutrients in with normal foods.
And it was meant for someone sedentary.

Just like minimum building codes are for safety of the occupants.

But neither is meant as the best for performance, longevity, or aesthetics.

You want you body to work better, to live longer, to look better?

Don't go for minimum for purpose of safety.

All you require to lose weight is to eat less than what it takes to maintain. Scooby is an estimate to figure that out.

Because most people have no clue what that level used to be they ate at, along with little or no exercise.

Does 1700 sound high if you used to eat 3000 and sat on your rear most of the time?

Convince yourself - pick out some days in the Food Diary before you joined MFP. Fill in some very common eating days. Surely you didn't have too much variety that you can't estimate most of the day, including drinks and snacks.

So what were you hitting?

See, you could eat that, and start your exercise routine, and lose weight.

If you want to follow MFP, do it smart. Oh, it did not tell you to eat 1200 - you did by your choices. Probably Sedentary to be on the safe side, and 2 lbs weekly loss because you want to do it quick.

Question is - do you want to start that way, and then do this again next year, and again, and again ......

Go back and select Lightly Active as activity level if you have a desk job 40 hrs week. If on your feet most the day with kids, level higher.
Select 1 lb weight loss goal, that's recommended, and you'll probably lose more than that anyway.

Now log your exercise that is done, and you'll be given credit to eat your exercise calories back, in order to maintain the 1 lb weekly deficit that is already there.
Eat those exercise calories back, all of them. Doesn't matter if something seems high or low, it'll balance out anyway.

Now only weigh the morning after a rest day eating normal sodium levels. And be prepared for weight to drop, or if doing lots of exercise now compared to prior, more inches at first than weight.

bump... because it's ^^ such a excellent reply!

Yep. Good stuff to re-read for any of us!

So since I work a desk job 40 hours/week I would also be lightly active? I used sedentary with 1 lb loss and it gave me 1600/day with eating exercise calories back. So your suggestion HayBales is to use lightly active with 1 lb loss and also eat exercise cals? That gives me 1770/day. I try to exercise 2-4 days/week but only burn on average 200-300 cals. Mainly cardio....I know I have been told to add in strength and I do when I do 30 day shred.

Edited to add: I work for an eye dr so I am not seated allllll day. I am up checking in patients and taking them to the dr. office in between. Seated at the computer with each patient for 5 min or so...

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That would be it, to follow the MFP method. If exercise is too variable, that can work better than the TDEE deficit method this group recommends.

So you can see how your Sedentary really isn't as bad sitting as a desk job staring at a screen.
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Perfect! Thanks for the quick response

Sorry it took so long to reply, I was away with my family. Thank you so much for the answer, I'm now trying to eat 1700, but I need to eat a bigger breakfast because I'm having troubles getting there.Just one last question, I'm actually a college student so should my activity level be lightly active or 1 level higher ?

I could see lightly active, unless you also walk to/from dorms/housing, to store, almost everywhere, in addition to walking between classes.
If you do all that, next level up easily.