How did YOU lose weight!?

I stopped eating so much and started exercising regularly. Calories eaten varies each day depending on if/how much exercise I get that day.

Really silly question i know, but i have cut back eating, increased walking and am starting aerobics tonight (!), but from reading messages for the first time today i am now a little confused about the calorie counter. I am aiming to eat 1200 calories, less any exercise i do. Should i be making my exercise take me to a -1200 intake?

weight of 307 down to 270: I ate a horrible range of like 800 to 3,000 calories, definitely not the same everyday...but I walked 2-4 miles about five nights per week and did yoga DVDs once or twice a week. I'll add that my normal-for-me weight for years was 270 so that may have made a difference. I was only at 307 for six months or so, once I realized how much weight I'd gained, and then it SLOWLY yet steadily came back down with exercise. (Nov 2008 to May 2011)

270 to 262: I ate roughly 2,000-2,500 calories most days, but had not discovered MFP so I felt like I was eating far less. I stopped eating beef, pork, and poultry as well as cutting margarine, agave, and nondairy creamer. I barely exercised at all during this time as I was going through a ton of huge life changes (natural disaster, several job changes, divorce, family illness) just the occasional (twice a week) mile walk or so. (May 2011 to March 2013)

262 to 209 (current weight): I STRICTLY followed MFP set guidelines for me. I believe I started around 1,600 calories or 1,700 and now I've gradually gone down to 1,410 with MFP's prompting. This has not been difficult at all. I've gradually made more changes in my diet but still eat everything I love (really). I've also started drinking more water and almost no diet soda (maybe 2 per month). I get at least 4 hours of really solid exercise on the weekend such as hiking, biking and/or tennis. During the week I briskly walk about 2 miles 2-3 times. I should really be more active but this is working nonetheless. (March 25, 2013 to present)

Really silly question i know, but i have cut back eating, increased walking and am starting aerobics tonight (!), but from reading messages for the first time today i am now a little confused about the calorie counter. I am aiming to eat 1200 calories, less any exercise i do. Should i be making my exercise take me to a -1200 intake?

I would suggest you go back to the top of this forum and read the posts that are stickied starting with http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069268-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition in those posts you will find all the information you should need. Your goal should be to NET whatever calorie allotment you have which means you should eat back most of the calories that you are burning through exercise. If you are using the MFP program as intended there is already a deficit calculated for you so exercising just means you should eat more food.

I started counting calories. It's that simple.

When I first came to MFP I was at 1380 a day and ate back my exercise calories (30 Day shred) so I was at about 1500-1600 a day.

Starting in September I moved to the TDEE method and eat about 1600 calories a day period (no eating exercise calories back) and I lift weights 3x a week...

Since joining I have lost 14lbs and 16.5 inches. Gone from a size 10 to a size 8.

It's not that complicated really.

Input your data into MFP and your goals (staying within reason of course) and by that I mean if you have 20lbs to lose don't go for 2lbs a week, try 1/2lb a week...stay within those goals and eat back your exercise calories (as there is a deficet built into MFP) and away you go.

How much calories did u eat and how much exercise did you do?

Lots & lots of calories, lots & lots of exercise - I like food & exercise!
Not sure that other people's numbers really help you but daily average of roughly 2500 eaten and 770 calories burned through exercise.

Just made sure that over the course of a week I had a small calorie deficit. I use the MFP method of tracking food and exercise calories (*) as my daily / weekly exercise varies a lot.

* = as opposed to the TDEE minus a percentage method.

Really silly question i know, but i have cut back eating, increased walking and am starting aerobics tonight (!), but from reading messages for the first time today i am now a little confused about the calorie counter. I am aiming to eat 1200 calories, less any exercise i do. Should i be making my exercise take me to a -1200 intake?

You should eat back your exercise calories. MFP sets your calories at a deficit BEFORE exercise, so when you work out, you are creating an even greater deficit. Which sounds great, but if you underfuel your body, it will backfire on you eventually.

I went with the TDEE method, but modified it slightly. I calculated what the TDEE should be at my goal weight, not my current weight. That way I can learn to eat that amount while losing and then I won't have to change my habits yet again when I change over to maintenance. This is actually working for me so far.

As for excercise, I only do the things I like. Bicycling is my thing but I can only do it on weekends. I have found that I like the eliptical machine at the gym, so I do that on two or three days. I have also found that I positively hate lifting so much that on the days I was supposed to do it, I would just find an excuse to not go to the gym at all. From what I read in these forums, lifting is highly beneficial for maintaining lean body mass, but I'm trying to see how I do without it.

I eat 1200 cal a day and try to fit in a gym session when I feel up to it

Eating less, moving more.(between 1300-1500 calories and bike rides, brisk walks, & strength training)

Weight/measure/record every single food eaten-accurately.
Only recorded actual, on purpose exercise....like bike ride or jumping jacks or hiking for 2 hours on hilly terrain...
...NOT food-prep, NOT vacuuming, and NOT walking less than 3MPH.