Someone please help me develop a plan

Set up your profile in the Settings, you can choose how many pounds a week you can lose. It's pretty cool.

its like the first thing MFP does when you sign up.

Hi.

know and calculate your BMI. find out where you are either underweight, normal weight or overweight. you can do that here....
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm

once you know your target weight, now you can calculate your BMR. you can do that here....
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

next - update your diet profile on MFP.
- type in current weight
- adjust goal weight
- adjust activities

- adjust goal (i.e lose 1lb/week)

hope this helps

Mfp suggests 1200 but I've read so many times on this board and other places that 1200 is way too low and we should be eating more...this stuff confuses me.

Because it is 1200 net, not gross...MFP is a NEAT method calculator so exercise is extra...you're supposed to eat back exercise calories. 1200 gross when you're doing a lot of exercise is a recipe for disaster down the road...doing it the way it is intended to be done isn't that big of a deal unless you don't have a lot to lose...then there are other issues.

MFP does the math...just make sure you're not underestimating your intake and overestimating your burn. I lost 40 Lbs easily over 7 months just netting to MFPs calorie goal.

MPF probably gave you 1,200-1,300? If you follow what MFP gives you, you should lose 2 pounds a week (except one week a month!). The best thing to do in my opinion is to give it a month or two and then you can see how you are doing. It will take at least a month to see a trend in your weight loss. Women are very cycle-driven in their weight loss so you should wait at least that long to see how you feel, how your losses are each week, and just as important, measurements and how your clothes fit.

*Edited to add- If you are looking for support, feel free to add me. I have logged in nearly 200 days in a row and try to be supportive to my fit pals. )

We're cycle-driven? No. Just no.

I have no clue how to figure out the amount of calories I should be consuming in order to lose 2 lbs a week. I'm 5'4, 215 lbs, and as of right now I don't exercise but I do plan on walking at least a mile or two every day to start out.

Forget formulas, forget math, just KISS.

Eat 1500 calories a day. Log everything. Walk 3 miles a day, four days a week. Weight daily.

Do this for four weeks.

At the end of the four weeks, calculate your weight loss per day. If that number is greater than 2 pounds a week, add 150 calories/day to your intake. If that number is lower than 2 pounds a week, reduce your food intake by 150 calories a week.

Do this for four weeks.

At the end of the four weeks, calculate your weight loss per day. If that number is greater than 2 pounds a week, add 150 calories/day to your intake. If that number is lower than 2 pounds a week, reduce your food intake by 150 calories a week.

Repeat until target weight is reached.

Yes, I got super confused in the beginning too. I have about 70# to lose and thought that the 1200 was way to low too, but as has been said the 1200 should be after all food & exercise has been logged for the day. Feel free to add me as a "pal" ...Starting over...again...and for the last time!

MPF probably gave you 1,200-1,300? If you follow what MFP gives you, you should lose 2 pounds a week (except one week a month!). The best thing to do in my opinion is to give it a month or two and then you can see how you are doing. It will take at least a month to see a trend in your weight loss. Women are very cycle-driven in their weight loss so you should wait at least that long to see how you feel, how your losses are each week, and just as important, measurements and how your clothes fit.

*Edited to add- If you are looking for support, feel free to add me. I have logged in nearly 200 days in a row and try to be supportive to my fit pals. )

We're cycle-driven? No. Just no.

In for the vag bumping;)

If you bump me with your vag we can sync cycles.