advice needed calories in -v- calories out

As Long as you eat at a deficit - you will lose weight.
Calories in / calories out
Eat less then you burn and you'll lose.

But here's where it gets tricky - you must be as accurate as possible to be sure your really eating at a deficit. Get yourself a food scale. Learn all about how to weigh all your solids and measure your liquids. Even things like butter, peanut butter, oil, sauces ,dressings must be accounted for accurately. ( those things alone can add up to an extra 500 calories per day so it could wipe out your deficit completely if your not accurate)
Learning how to use a food scale and log the items here accurately is harder then it sounds. It takes patience and practice at first but becomes easier in time.
Weight loss comes down to calories. Be accurate and precise with your calories ( no guessing, quick adds, bar codes . seriously weigh everything!) And you'll be fine.

tara2502 wrote: »

thanks so much - that's the reassurance I'd hoped for - have the food scales etc and have used MFP on and off over the years so thought I was right on this but not certain - am I right that a 3500 cal deficite equates to 1lb?

Yes, although our bodies aren't computers so things like hydration, constipation, hormones, etc, can all throw this off a little. You may not see a strict 1 pound loss every week, but if you stay on plan, you will reach your goal.

When I was losing weight, I would sometimes not lose one week and then lose a bit more than I thought I might the next week.