I would say, most of use here are calorie counters, not all, and that it most definitely works.
I can't tell you how many pounds are good number to lose every week because we all lose very, very differently. I can tell you a good range to shoot for is 4-8 pounds per MONTH. You'll lose more at the beginning, and then it will slow down.
I'm personally a SLOW loser. I have a tendency to low big one week out of every month and stall the other three.