I'm going to trust that your math is right, but the thing is that it's not always very easy to determine either your BMR or your calorie expenditures. All of the calculators are at best, averages and are the most accurate for the smallest people (and even then not all that accurate).
I've used the math since I was 12, and I can only say that over the years, the accuracy decreased over time with each weight loss attempt. So at 12 or even 15, the charts and calculators I found were pretty effective, but the more I weighed and the older I got, the more and more they overestimated my loss.
Probably this is because dieting (or lifestyle changes which involve calorie restriction) can reduce metabolism. Since you can't easily determine your "true" BMR, or the rate at which you burn calories, the best you can do is guesstimate. If you've never dieted before, you probably will be able to burn more calories than if you've dieted many times before.
All I can say is use the math for "fun," or for a ballpark guesstimate, but if your weight loss doesn't measure up, don't assume you failed.
Last edited by kaplods; 12-03-2008 at 09:31 AM.
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