Take this with the ever-present grain of salt, but since you asked about people with similar stats . . .
I started out just "eating less." I was around 185 when I got serious about counting and tracking calories and my daily average goal has been 1400 that whole time. However, I've been looking over my records and realized that, in the beginning, my daily average was closer to 1450 (over the course of a week) and now it's closer to 1350. That was unplanned.
My weight loss has averaged between 5-8 pounds per month. I exercise 30-45 minutes a day, 4-6 days a week.
Hope this helps! I've found 1400 to be a very sustainable place for me, once I focused on veggies and protein, and eliminated extra refined carbs. I still have several weekly treats that fit into my plan - an ice cream from McD's, a Skinny Cow, a piece of 85% dark chocolate . . . life without these things would be a dull place.