Help weight loss ?

What happens if you pass your macro goals ? Is that a bad thing ?

You would start to gain weight over time, because you went over your calorie limit.

1. Exercise: I'd recommend doing at least a bit of strength training. This is because, when you diet, your body doesn't just use up fat, it will use up your muscle too. You really want it to use up as much fat, and as little muscle, as possible. You don't have to go crazy -- even a little bit of regular usage will help send signals to your body that you use your muscles, and so you need them.

Do know that if/when you start strength training, the progress on the scale may stop or change for a bit. Muscle really does weigh more, so if you're building it, it can often make the scale look like it isn't budging, even though you're still losing fat. Basically, maybe you built ~ 1 lb of muscle, lost ~ 1 lb fat, and so the scale doesn't move. (It's not quite that simple, but basically.) It's a really good trade though, as strong muscles will benefit you immensely, so just tolerate the scale for a bit. (Remember, the scale weighs your whole body, which includes water, muscle, the food in your belly, etc. Losing 1 lb is NOT 1 lb of fat, and not losing 1 lb doesn't mean you didn't lose any fat.)

For burning: There's no hard and fast rule... but the lower you go, the worse you may feel, and the more it can hurt you in the long run. You don't want your body to feel like it's starving. I'd also vary it.

Also keep in mind that your deficits are an over time sort of thing. Basically, worry less about whether you are or are not eating exactly 1200, eating back your exercise calories, etc. Look more at your deficits over time, and compare that to your own goals. And try to make sure that you feel okay -- that you have enough energy, that you aren't feeling ill, that you aren't pushing yourself to feel hungry all the time.

2. Food. Yeah, more or less. You may notice a lot of things though, through trial and error. Like, if I eat a really sugary breakfast (say, pancakes), even if it fits my calorie goals, I'll feel mad hungry like an hour later, and kind of sick. I need way more protein and fat at breakfast to balance out any sugar (carbs). If you eat like, half a bowl of lasagna, instead of chicken and veggies and an apple, you might go hungrier than you needed to. That sort of thing.

I do recommend a digital scale though. Weigh everything. And try to make sure you get the tricky things we're likely to forget -- the oil in the pan, the butter, the ketchup, etc.

3. Eat whenever you want. There are a lot of theories, but honestly, eat when you need to, when it makes sense for you, and you'll still lose weight as long as you're getting a good deficit.

There are as many different paths to weight loss as there are people. You will forge your own. Find what works for you, ignore what doesn't. Figure out what will make you happy and be doable long term. Pay attention to your body, and your overall deficits. Don't worry about this or that theory or fad or what the absolute optimal something or other is, as it is unlikely to matter until you're super close to goal weight.