Well, if you are a healthy person between the ages of 20-40 (an adult, but pre-menopausal if you are a woman) I'd suggest beginning at 1800-2000 calories and doing that for a few weeks. If you aren't seeing half a pound or so gone, lower the calories by 250 and try again.
We are our own science experiments. Pick a number and start testing! Just be sure to accurately calculate the calories of what you are eating (with a food scale and journal) and give it at LEAST three weeks before making any conclusions about whether the amount works for you or not.
I would try 1800 also.it takes a little experimenting to find what works best for you. 1500 may be the right number also but I do think 2550 is too high if you want to see a loss.
I eat no junk. I get plenty of protein, healthy fats, 3 servings each of fruits and veggies, healthy snacks like nuts and dairy. My daily ranges from 1200-1600. It really depends on what you eat and how you feel on it. You have to experiment and find what works best for you.
I tried doing 1200 and lost AWESOME....for a week, then my weight refused to move at all. Now I eat `1600-1800 and seem to be losing at a decent rate. Typically I try to stick closer to 1800 though. The more you can get away with eating now, the easier it will be if you hit a plateau and need to drop your calories.
I probably could get away with eating more and still losing (I have been losing about 3-3.5lbs per week at the calorie intake I am at now), but 1) I am impatient, and 2) I don't want to mess with something that's working...I already struggle to get all my daily calories in!