signed up w/ my fitness pal (MFP) (love it!) and trying Calorie Counting for the first time. i've done WW for ever, then joined Met. Research center in August to jump start weight loss... i like it, higher protein works for me and i've lost 22 lbs. and want to get to 165. i don't take any of the supplements at all that they push :-)
i like the Calorie counting method and seems to be working for you on these boards.
i'm 5'8" and currently 178 and want to lose 13-15 more lbs. right now with MFP, it's set at 1200 cal a day. i also walk 40 min. every am 5 days/week.

any recommendations or advice you can give me?

thanks!!

Welcome and good luck ! Sounds like you have a good plan that is working for you.

welcome fellow calorie counter! The only advice I would give is that 1200 is maybe too little with your height, specially with your exercise too! I am 5'9" and I eat 1600 for extreme measures but 1900 will let me lose 1 lb a week still too! I am also on MFP and I generally ignore what it says I should be eating and just use it to track. If 1200 is working for you then keep on at it, but should your loss slow down, I would experiment with putting your calories up a bit.

eat more veggies or more protein? not ready to add carbs in....seems like when i was eating carbs, i'd be hungry and would eat too much... i do love the MFP so i can track every day and can plug in what i'm planning on having for the day...for example if i know i'm going out to eat, i'll know to eat light for lunch and also help me make better choices for dinner. kind of hard to eat an Applebees Oriental chicken salad now that i know it's like 800 cal w/ dressing! :-)

I'm around the same height as you and I've lost 1lb per week eating between 1300-1550 calories a day, with usually one cheat (but not binge) day a week. I also work out 5 days a week, though. Anyway, I'd say you could probably up your calories a bit and still lose.

i think i'd probably have to step up the activity more if i'm increasing calories...i walk every am 40-45 minutes 5 days a week and that's it. work on a computer majority of the day so sitting down way too much! i feel like i eat alot now ...sample day is... 2 eggs , 1/2 grapefruit and lite wheat toast most mornings or 1 egg and cheese toast. lunch is usually salad w/ 4 oz. flank steak or chicken, dinner is usually lean protein 4 oz with salad or cooked veggies and lite bread or melba toast. i also have 2 to 3 small protein shakes (100 cal. each) a day....and a chocolate protein bar daily for after dinner dessert... weight lost is usually 1.5 to 3 lbs / week if i stay OP. if i go out for drinks, that will set me back a bit :-)

you may be younger than me too - i met w/ a nutritionist a couple years ago and kept a journal for her for 2 weeks to evaluate...she said if i was 30 years old and ate like that, i'd lose each week but as we get older, metabolism slows down so have to exercise more and eat a little less...