"but the math almost never works out the way you described." It's not the math that does or does not work. It's the psychological and mental effects of the ab

"but the math almost never works out the way you described." It's not the math that does or does not work. It's the psychological and mental effects of the above advice. If person A feels physically sick and completely unable to function while in a 500 calorie daily deficit that's a very different outcome than person B who barely notices that exact same deficit. That's what leads to this silly argument over whether the "math works" or not. I think the rational calorie deficit/surplus calculation needs to always be accompanied with a large amount of sympathy and understanding that the psychological and mental effects of these "simple steps" can vary dramatically.