The BASIC weight loss strategy. No gimmicks.

So simple, isn't it... and yet so hard to do sometimes.

Okay, this is killing me. I have consistently stayed under 1300 calories since I've started tracking (about 3 mos). I actually went over for the first time about 3 days ago (around 1350).
I have been stalled for almost 3 weeks, no budging of the scale, yet more important not budging of inches! I do NOT eat back my exercise calories, and do lifting 4 days a week, followed by 25-30 minutes of cardio. The fifth day I do cardio and abs.
I was trying for a pound a week but obviously that wasn't working (My friends on here kept telling me to up my calories) so I changed it to 1/2 a pound and my calories are now 1490. My TDEE -20% is 1650.
So I'm supposed to eat more and suddenly this will start working? Which one of these is my magic number??

I think perhaps you misinterpreted my final comment, or took it out of context. I was refering to the actual function of calorie counting, not the relative ease/difficulty of adhering to "X" number of calories. What is your target loss per week that puts you at 1400 calories? I pretty much have mine set for 1/2 lb/ week. My base mfp number was about 1850 - my TDEE minus 20ish % is 2335. I aim for 2300 to keep it in round numbers. Yesterday for dinner I ate 1/2 a 12" dominos thin crust pizza with pe, saus and veg - and had 4 beers. I was over for the day by 200. So I know I need to make up for that over the next few days.

My TDEE minus 20% is a little over 1400 per day. I think on MFP I put in a target of 1 pound a week, and it has me at 1350. It's low. It sucks. Maybe I am quick to misread peoples' intentions because I am so hungry/angry (hangry?) .

I'm a short girl, though. And fairly sedentary. Need to up my calories out and put on some muscle, then I will be able to maintain at a calorie level that is easy to keep.

Multiply your goal weight by 10 and this will be your maximum number of calories allowed in a day. Subtract 500 from your maximum daily calories and this will be the minimum allowed.

800-1300 calories a day? Yikes. No thank you. I'll stick with the other guy - 1400 is hard, but your thing is impossible

Good lord you are whiney. Sorry to say but it's true. First somebody asks what is so hard about paying attention to how much fuel you put in your body and you go off on this rant about how hard 1400 calories a day is which has nothing to do with what she said. Now you are complaining about these numbers? I think it's actually pretty reasonable for weight loss and MFP seems to agree. My max should be 1350 kcal/day and MFP says around 1328. My minimum would be 1100 or so. Very resonable. I only eat when my body tells me I am hungry and yesterday I came in just short of 1,000 kcal. My point is I'm not sure what your whining is about. If 1,400 kcal/day is hard, you may want to look at the foods you are eating and find more nutrient dense foods. When I am eating clean, healthy foods, I have a hard time finding 1,300 calories to consume each day. In fact last night for dinner I ate too much at once and I felt like a pig afterwards. When coworkers bring in cake, I don't have any. If I were too, who cares? Going a few hundred calories once in a great while won't ruin all the work you have done. It's actually good to keep your metabolism going and can speed it up.