is it really all about calories?!

This is a question so few people ask, you get a star.

You're right, it's not all about calories. I'm so tired of that saying, "A calorie is a calorie is a calorie." It isn't. A calorie can either be an empty calorie or a quality calorie. An empty calorie is a calorie you find in junk foods...over-processed foods filled with additives and other crap your body just can't figure out what to do with. Things like trans fats, artificial sweeteners and unnatural sugars (like high fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin) are things your body doesn't encounter in the natural world...and because of that, it doesn't have a way to properly handle them. Some of those chemicals get stored in your fat cells while others, like the unnatural sugars or trans fats, negatively affect your body and help you store more fat.

A quality calorie is attached to things your body can use. Things like protein, carbohydrates (natural ones, not the man-made ones), fats (yes, fats from fruits, vegetables and nuts are good for you), vitamins and minerals are attached to quality calories. This means that instead of confusing your body or making it store fat, your body simply puts the nutrients where they need to be, USING the calories instead of just letting the calories sit in your body as fat. On top of this, you will be healthier because you are getting much more nutrition.

At the end of the day, you shouldn't be "trying to diet" but instead should be "eating healthily and exercising regularly." You don't need to lose 10lbs. You may, you may not, but don't think that 10lbs is some magic number. Weight is meaningless. Some of us are more prone to muscle conditioning, meaning that we can stay the same weight but lose one, two or even more clothing sizes. Some of us are not prone to muscle conditioning, meaning that when we lose clothing sizes we also lose weight. It's all up to your body, and as long as you look great and feel great, does it really matter if you fit into smaller pants because you lost 10lbs or if you fit into smaller pants because you got fitter?

It's a matter of how much fat and sludge is in what you eat. I mean if you cut down on junk food and eat too much of healthy foods you're still going to gain weight. Unless you work all of it off at the end of they day, it doesn't really matter. I mean look at Michael Phelps he eats like 10,000 calories of crap every day but works it off by swimming so much so he stays fit.

No, it's not ONLY about calories. But it's impossible to keep track of all of the factors, and calorie counting almost always works (partly because nobody really lives on twinkies alone or vegetables alone).
Calorie counting mostly does the trick. Exercising seems to make sure it works. Choosing healthy foods almost guarantees it works.

It's also about exercising. It's not just calories in/out, as the body processes food in different ways because of different types of fat and so on.

I go to school.

It isn't for me. It is what I eat and not the amount. However, I probably don't eat more than 1500 per day, and also, exercise each day. So, for me, if I can eliminate the bread and cereal group, I can lose weight. As soon, as I eat bread, pasta, cereal, rolls, I regain weight. So, I could order the hamburger, not have cheese or the bread, and be fine. If I eat the sauce, cheese and bread, not fine. Overeating any one thing is not a good plan, and merely eating vegetables won't provide all the nutrition needed. Dieting to the precision of calories and trying to burn that amount is not really what works out for me. I like to feel full, and if I have seafood and green salad, I feel full. It feel better than when I was all vegan and eating the grains, beans, brown rice, etc. How you lose the weight depends on your body. The book I used is called Refuse to Regain by Barbara Berkely which you can find at the library. I lost twelve lbs. in a month, and all of what I said is explained.