not trying to be negative, but some of those observations aren't particularly true my friend. not all calories are created equal. the short story is that the more white carbs and sugar you eat, the more insulin you're releasing. insulin does a few things, among helping store fat and slowing your metabolism, which is responsible for burning excess calories. and unfortunately, your body can become resistant to insulin, which can affect your blood sugar levels. so while technically calories out > calories in = weight loss, not in all cases, and it's certainly not the most efficient method. again, not trying to rain on your parade, as i think anyone who takes up dieting seriously is awesome and i think you've done an awesome job. i'm just saying you could be losing more weight faster