Im not claiming to be a nutritional expert but I have done alot of research and reading upon various "diets" and eating styles, so I do have a good amount of knowledge on the subject. After all, when you weight 270 lbs you better find out why you weigh so much before you can do anything about it. Anyways, from personal experience, and from various studies I have read, it seems that the reason why so many Americans are fat is because as a society we are eating way to many processed foods that contain tremendous amounts of carbohydrates and not getting enough protein at the same time. In other words, the key to a successful diet is not about limiting the quantity of your diet, but improving the quality of it instead. I will briefly touch upon what I believe is the best "diet" too follow, and at the same time explain why some people, like myself, get heavy even though we eat the same as everyone else; and then how to correct it.
After about an hour or two, any unabsorbed energy is stored in two ways, as glycogen or as bodyfat to be used at a later time. Glycogen is stored in the liver, where it is used to provide muscles energy. Generally speaking, people with high metabolism burn their glycogen at a fast rate, while those with slower metabolisms burn glycogen at a slow rate. So the person with the normal metabolism is always utilizing their body fat for energy because they are depleted of glycogen, while almost non-existent metabolisms like mine hardly burn body fat at all.
The trick for people like me is too force your body too burn body fat BEFORE it burns glycogen....which scientifically is called Ketosis. Ketosis is as delightful as sex and sunshine, and it has no drawbacks...While a person is going through Ketosis, bodyfat is utilized as the primary source of energy, not glycogen, which allows even people with the slowest metabolisms to experience steady and safe fat loss. Ketosis is in fact the basis behind the Atkins Diet, which worked wonders for me....and anyone interesed in losing bodyfat should try the Atkins Diet....it really works. So how does one get their body on ketosis....simple, you must severely limit your carbohydrate intake, while eating more protein and even fat. A good rule of thumb is too limit your intake to around 20-40 grams of carbs a day to experience fat loss. Anymore carbs than that, and your body will revert to burning glycogen first, and knock you off Ketosis. Yes, limiting carb intake can be extremely difficult to do, with soda, bagels, pizza, bread, kool-aid, beer, and the bazillion other carb heavy foods out there....but at the same time, a Ketosis diet permits you to eat things that most conventional diets shun.....like Steak, eggs w/cheese, lamb chops, mayo, hamburger, organ meats (which I personally dont eat but to each his own,) real butter, etc. So you see, the Atkins diet is not limiting.....it actually is much healthier than most other diets, and you dont starve yourself, which keeps your metabolism up. Probably the most important thing too realize is that overweight people, like I once was, are not overweight because they sit around eating cake and crisco all day......its mostly due to genetic factors that lead some people to have poor metabolisms. But by cutting the carbs, most overweight people can overcome their bad genetics and be as lean and muscular as anyone through ketosis. Its tedious yes, but well worth it.
Rule #1
Try to remove all high carb foods from your daily diet, completely. Not only are these foods keeping you fat, but they are generally unhealthy and devoid of any nutrients. White bread, for instance, is just empty carbs. No vitamins, no minerals, just carbs. In fact, 2 slices of white bread have the same nutritional content as a can of beer. Beer belly = bread belly. Other worthless foods that keep people fat are regular sodas (sugar and carbonated water = bad for you) sweetened cereals (hey more sugar and white flour mixed) and generally anything over processed like pop tarts, hot pockets, etc.
Rule #2
Replace the high carb foods with foods high in protein, and even foods high in fat. People often shun steak an eggs when trying to lose weight, which are exactly the foods they should be eating!!! Protein rich foods like these do not cause the body to release insulin at all....which means no more slowed metabolism. Furthermore protein rich foods are loaded with vitamins and minerals, help build muscle, and keep you full for a much longer period of time than carb foods do. Have two eggs, and a small piece of steak for breakfast and tell me if your even remotely hungry when it comes time for lunch.
Rule #3
Don't skimp out on the "good carbs." Even though I villified carbs on this page, some carbohydrates are excellent for you. Vegtables, fruits (in moderation) and beans are all loaded with good stuff, relatively low in simple carbs, and have nutrients in them that are lacking in protein foods like vitamin C and A.