everyone is VERY different and what works for some might not work for others!
all i know is that for me and my current shape and current exercise and the fact that i sit in an office all day (and i only work out in concentrated bursts)....pretty much i take away 500 cals from what my body needs, and that's how one would lose a pound a week or so. it's really just math at that point. and my 1300-1500 cals a day is different than Michael needing 2500 cals a day because perhaps he is way more active, being a man means more cals burned as well, he has more muscle mass than i do, etc. i guess now that i look at my records i never really go below 1300 a day. it only happens on a weird sunday where i just don't feel hungry.
can never really compare men and women, young and old, or even two women the same age. truly everyone is different. my metabolism was tested through 5 minutes breathing into this medical device that measures your metabolic rate through oxygen or some weird thing (they use this on Biggest Loser i guess). it measured 1730. 1730-500 = 1230. but that's if i do nothing all day. if i exercise, i can add another 300 cals or whatever.
i too have some semi sweet Belgian chocolate truffles at the house. i never go wild and eat too many. i have a few of those each week
they do help me feel like i can have nice treats and since i don't have a massive sweet tooth, dark chocolate is perfect!
again as long as you're fairly healthy and feel ok, that's the best. and if you want to improve, go for it! the worst is to lose weight for some one else or someone else's ideal. definitely not the case here because no one's told me i should lose weight other than a doctor, who did say i could lose a few pounds. my clothes are just SO tight! LOL. not good.
and i understand the whole thing with being thin also being an issue, look at my husband, he also got made fun of growing up for being extremely underweight and to this day people think i don't even feed him, which does suck because i'm a good cook dammit! they probably think i eat all his food since i am bigger. whatever, fuck 'em. you can't please everyone nor should you try.