I recently read Dr. Peter Attia's Longevity, which I didn't finish because it bored me with the technical details. However, one statement about how hard it is to develop any nutritional theory because every person has a different DNA, microbiome, lifestyle, etc., resonated with me.
After failing many diets since I was a teenager, I started a food diary in which I recorded each day my morning weight, what I ate, and how I felt. The discoveries were what no health and nutrition book could tell me. Here are some of them:
I need tons of carbs, sugar, and fat in the morning, or else I'm sick, weak, and miserable.Eating protein in the morning makes me sick and depressed.My metabolism is insane in the morning and sluggish at night.A low-fat diet makes me depressed and unsatiated.I gain weight from a salad - if I have a lot of it.Legumes make me gain weight drastically (like 3 pounds overnight).I need to eat animal protein (I was vegetarian for 27 years), but not a lot.Some herbal supplements make my blood sugar drop.Portion control is my best friend - eating enough to be somewhat satisfied but avoiding fullness.Sometimes, it takes my brain two hours, not thirty minutes, to register satiety after eating.Eating when I'm not hungry makes me gain weight.I gain weight when eating at night.Intense exercises, stress, and lack of sleep make me gain weight - a 20-minute walk is better for me than an hour walk (though I love long walks).
All these conclusions are relevant to me. Your metabolism might tell you a completely different story. The only way to learn how to lose/gain weight is by ditching all diet theories and listening to your body. You might discover solutions no one even thought about because no one else has your unique biology.
