Very good post Longbow. I think the 1500kcal are on the low side, but okay I have more muscle than average. I fully agree that the 2200avg for a guy are crazy for most of us who have sitting jobs.

On the subject of kcal counting, it's really as simple as you say. I carry a sheet of paper in my everyday bag and put down the simplified numbers. For example for a kepab I assume 600kcal, write down 6. Everything gets rounded up or down to nearest hundreds. So today I literary have on the sheet a line saying "07.01. 4+13+1+4" which is breakfast, fast food at lunch and a small sweet in the afternoon. Topping it off with some nachos at the theatre today (Star Wars). Not healthy, but "only" 2200kcal, yesterday I ran low at 1400, tomorrow I'll have maybe 1600 tops. I tend to eat more at work (mostly for being bored) and less during weekends.

In the end a bit of simplified counting easily reminds you that you can have decent fatty enjoyable meals every now and then, but to compromise some other days. Problems start when you go for the nice sugar-loaded breakfast AND the burger at noon AND the chips in front of the TV on the same day, every day.

Also agree on the point made (it's an argument I keep having with a workmate) that you can't beat diet with exercise. Unless you're working up to an Ironman Triathlon or spend 10 hours a week in the gym with a busy program you will NOT burn enough excess to have 2200 or 2500 daily.