Matthew,

I am in the 1% of obese folks who dumped 85 lbs and have kept it off for 34 years and counting. There is NO answer that works for us all. NO thing that is a magic pill. NOTHING that is particularly universally true, for there is inevitably that One Person for whom it doesn't work. The outlier. The only great truth is this: you and I and all of us have to find what works for us right here, right now, for this body at this age and at this activity level, with these challenges and limitatiuons and allergies blah blah blah. And they are always and forever changing due to age and stress and pregnancy or whatever. Therein lies the issue. If you and I are not willing to walk tht path with our unique bodies, our unique needs, our unique makeup, do the work and watch what happens and do the reading and do the experiments and dump the shit that isn't working, we will always and forever be chasing the Holy Grail. It doesn't exist. The ONLY thing that exists is the commitment to live in this skin suit, learn this skin suit, and take care of it like we mean it. I've done that. It's bloody hard damned work. But that's also why, at 68, I have the body of a 40 yo athlete and the energy of a 20 yo. People tell me I'm lucky. Jesus, you should see my workouts. You should see my fridge. An ascetic would wilt. But that's what it takes. Doesn't mean I don't get a treat once in a while, but those are rare, and I know what's going to happen. That's hard labor.