I suggest starting at a higher calorie count. You could probably safely lose on around 1800 calories a day (or more). I wouldn't go for the 1200 range until you're much closer to your goal weight (and therefore have less "wiggle room" when it comes to creating a deficit).
I didn't do any better with weight loss when I paid attention to nutrients vs when I just counted calories. I still lost at the same rate, but I had more energy and felt better when I ate real food and had higher protein/lower carb
Good luck!