women over 50

That's me.....my meals are all calorie counted, no alcohol, no bread, and no added sugar, smaller portions, each every 3 hours to get the metabolism going?

I'm 51yo, have lost 10lbs, and have 20lbs to go.

Not really sure what you are asking. It's going to vary greatly from person to person. Your calorie allocation is going to depend on your start weight (vs height), how fast you want to lose, how much you want to lose total, and your activity level. Those variables could be the difference between 100's of calories/day. And then take into account the type of food you like to eat and which nutrients you might be tracking, and the potential meal combinations are quite varied.

Personally, I've not restricted myself from eating anything, if that is what you are asking. My primary goal is to maintain a calorie deficit with a secondary goal to meet my balanced macros for protein/carbs/fats at 35/35/30. I didn't do a high carb macro ratio because I needed more protein (tend toward a protein deficiency at my advanced age), but I also can't do a low carb ratio for other health reasons. So, I've been trying to do a balance ratio, and it has been working for me. What you decide will depend on your goals.

Some days I eat pretty healthy and balanced (fav easy meal is steamed mahi, steamed corn on the cob, fruit for dessert), other days I have some less than healthy meals (beef jerky, pringles, cheese, fruit) though I will try to restrict this to one meal or snack for that day. Though it really doesn't matter for weight loss as long as I keep within my calorie goals. The less healthy meals though aren't the best for getting proper nutrients, but sometimes it's just a grab and go issue. I need to get better at pre-prep of food, to reduce this from happening.

I will say the calorie limit combined with the macros causes me to make decisions about what I will eat each day. Do I really want something with empty calories (like some candy (50-160 cals) or a sweet drink like a can of soda (250 cals)) or would I rather use those calories to fill me up and give me nutrients (like have some fruit (70 cals), or make a protein smoothie (150-240 cals)). Honestly, sometimes that answer is that I'd rather have the empty calories because I really want that piece of candy or that soda. However, the decisions tend to be getting better as I go along, especially when I get to the end of the day and I'm still hungry because I didn't make the more nutrient filled decision. Though I do tend to allocate enough calories for at least a glass of wine or a beer each day (BTW, a light beer or glass of wine has less calories than a can of soda).

Hope some of that helps...

ETA: And yes, as others said, Log EVERYTHING...the good, the bad, and the ugly. Logging every little thing that goes into your mouth - food, condiments, drinks - is key to understanding how much you really are consuming each day.

54, want to lose 20 more (I have lost 20) but should lose 30 or 40 more! I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day and do not stress over it. Although I would like the weight gone tomorrow, it isn't going to happen that way, so I just live my life and eat in that calorie range. I do 20-60 minutes of exercise/activity at least 5 days a week and I get at least 10,000+ steps nearly every day which is about my max during the week as I sit at a desk all day! I started in mid May this year.