Here's another outlier to throw in the mix. I've been losing weight for the past 3 months. Starting weight was 285, current weight is 245. That's 40 pounds lost in 12 weeks for an average of 3.3 pounds per week. More than most would recommend, but whatever, it's my body and my routine. I used to count calories but now focus instead on progression as counting didn't match up all the time. I have been incredibly strict with eating and working out. My meals have been unchanged since day one (about 1300-1500 calories per day). Lots of meat, fruit, and veggies. Low carbs and no sweets. My workouts have progressed steadily in intensity and my typical day outside of working out is always the same. Given that portion size and food intake has not changed and calories spent has increased, shouldn't weight loss also increase (ever so slightly of course)? In fact, the opposite happened. Week one and two will always be the biggest loss (water weight) so I wasn't shocked to see 7 pounds per week then. The following weeks saw about 4 or 5 pound losses. However, it eventually decreased to about 1 - 2 pounds per week. I changed my diet slightly. Increased portions (about 1500-1700 calories per day total), dropped carbs completely for a protein replacement, consumed more water, and immediately saw an increase in loss (just under 4 pounds per week). I have also just started an increased workout routine this week so I expect to see similar losses.

The point being that it doesn't always boil down to the numbers. It's a good starting point and great to know your consumption, but to reach goals (whether it's gains or losses), you have to adjust based on your body's progression.