Starting point question
 

Is 1500 calories a day a good number to aim towards? I don't want to do an elimination diet more of a portion control and calorie counting one.

Thanks!

It really varies by person. Have you ever used a calorie counter? I use MyFitnessPal. You can enter in your height, starting weight and goal weight, and how active your lifestyle is, (they give examples for each intensity to make this easier), and it will give you a calorie goal to hit as well as carbs, fat, protein, etc. Doesn't mean you necessarily have to use it to keep track, but you can at least complete that step and get a good idea for yourself. Hope this helps. Good luck to you! :)

xRiotGirl: Thank you for the info! I will get the app

It depends on your height, age, sex, activity level etc. But for most people starting out 1500 seems a very reasonable goal. I didn't do an elimination diet either, just portion control and calorie counting. It definitely works. You can do this!