A little bit confused.

Typically, 2 pounds weight loss provides 1200. The magical 1200. What if you could eat 1500 and lose weight?

Why would you lower it beyond what MFP gave you?

How long have you been trying? If not losing at 1200, it's more likely to be a logging issue. How much are you trying to lose and how much do you weigh?

1200 is the minimum you need to breath and pump blood round your body (and all the other clever things your body does without you asking it to). Are you weighing everything you eat? do you use a kitchen scale and log everything totally 100% accurately? That is by far the most common mistake to beginners. MFP is mathematics. Once you enter your details accurately into the chart it will calculate how many calories you need to eat for your level of activity and desired speed of loss.

I certainly wouldn't suggest dropping your calorie goal lower than 1200

Yeah, it'll be slow, but look at it this way: You're retraining yourself how to eat. That's a skill that will last the rest of your life. So focus on that and making sure you have a healthy diet, and don't worry about the speed at which you lose. It'll be better for you in the long run.

Also, my suggestion is to only weigh yourself once a week, at the same time and same day. Weight flucuates daily, and it's much eaiser to get discouraged since you won't be seeing weight loss every day. By doing that once a week, it's easier to stay on track because you'll start seeing positive results.

OP: I know summer is coming. But I would have thought that your health and ability to complete your journey is more important than summer.

So it looks like your maintenance is over 2050 calories a day, and that most calculators suggest that you eat more than 1650 calories a day (at the AGGRESSIVE weight loss setting) for a sustainable loss of weight and to give you an opportunity to practice your eating for the long haul.

The non extreme level of reduction allows you to mostly lose fat and to preserve the highest percentage of muscle mass.

It also leaves you some room to be able to lower your calories in the future as you lose weight. And by allowing you to be less hungry it increases the chance that you will stick to the plan for the long haul.

So your diary says that you eat a lot of carbs, and only a little bit of fat and protein. And you're not eating much. and I got hungry just by looking at what you don't eat : - )

If I were to regularly eat starches and pasta within my calorie allotment like you do, I would be left feeling hungry... which is why I would rather substitute protein and fat for those calories.

Your protein is in my opinion low. If you are combining cardio, with a high deficit and low protein, I think that most people will tell you that you run a higher risk of reducing your muscle mass alongside your fat mass as you reduce your weight.

I am not sure what options you have over there to find out your body composition (what % of you is fat and what % of you is muscle). Tape and caliper measurements are one option. DXA (or DEXA) scans are another. Bodypod and other methods are also available.

I regret not doing a DXA scan right away, but I only pay about half of what I see bodyscanuk charges : - )

Anyway: knowing your lean muscle mass would allow you to further dial in your caloric burn. And it would give you a starting point to strive to maintain.

As you lose weight you will lose fat and non fat mass. I would suspect the whole point is to maximize one and minimize the other!

And the strategy to minimize lean muscle mass loss is: less aggressive deficits, eat lots of protein (up to 0.8g per lb of your lean body mass), lift heavy, don't do excessive cardio.

Having said that, the more excess fat you have the easier it is to lose fat only.

And being in the 'enviable" position of having lots of it I haven't personally lifted anything heavy as of yet, so others will best advise you on that.

As you keep losing weight and as you discover that it is easier to move around and do things I am sure that your goals will adjust. Maybe you will decide to do different activities, or to target something other than pure weight loss as your end goal.

But, as you make various eating or exercise decisions ask yourself whether you are making choices that you can sustain over the next 10 or 15 years. Because if the answer is that you don't see yourself continuing to do whatever... then what happens when you stop doing it?

That's it for me for now in terms of sage advise : -)
I am almost asleep in my chair 'cause it is 2:40am... so good morning to you : - )