Okay, some say I should contribute more (some less;) ) here.
Here's the problem. Look at out slovenly, fat, disgusting Western society. Atherosclerosis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia--these are all diseases of the western world. Why? We're trained from birth to think we have to eat at least 3 meals a day, AND that we MUST eat when we're hungry. :silly: Uh, thanks Mom. Furthermore, there's a Mickey Dee's on every corner, and everyone knows there ain't nothin better than a Quarter-Pounder on the fly.
Now here's our body. Our bodies are perfect--we're the ones effing them up all the time jamming all this shat into our systems. Our bodies, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THINK & BREW OVER, are designed for long periods of starvation, dehydration & salt deprivation . ie, the underlying physiology is slanted for survival, not excess.
The whole attitude in this country is just hilarious. Everyone's focused on weight loss, diets, working out. Meanwhile, the prime "concept" is completely ignored. That "concept" is that we've got it all wrong--we're jamming up a system designed for conservation and survival. Of course, our smart bodies are gonna take that extra energy and save it for later. Teleologically, the people that are the most obese in this country, would have survived famine for longer periods of time, selectively, than their thinner counterparts.
A great example of this phenomenon is Africa. How much diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, obesity, dyslipidemia, etc. is there? NONE. ZILCH. ZERO. Why? They don't eat. They don't feel the need to eat. They do fine. What they DO die of is inadequate acute medical care, Tuberculosis and AIDS, but that's another story. Now you take that same population of blacks that came over here during slave days, and only the ones that could "hang on to salt" the best could even survive the long boat trips with periods of dehydration. The populace spawned by these same folks are now the WORST hypertensives, particularly salt sensitive, in the USA. Why? The western diet in conjunction with their salt "conservative" physiology.
Do you see where I'm going? STOP FOCUSING on food, for crying out loud. One small meal a day is PLENTY. The only "general" intervention ever shown to prolong survival in rats is CALORIC RESTRICTION. You've got to understand that when we eat, our body must convert all those carbs, fats & proteins into high energy phosphate bonds for cellular energy (ATP). In the process of that, oxidative phosphorylation must occur, with the production of free radicals that cause cellular damage--particularly mitochondrial DNA damage (since oxidative phosphorylation occurs primarily in mitochondria). Know what aging is, and what it really all boils down to? It's mitochondrial DNA damage. That, my friends, is new theory, and you'll hear more about it later. Perhaps in the next decade or so.
I could go on and on, but for practicality, just remember this:
1) Protein and fat promote delayed gastric emptying, thus "fooling" you into feeling full most of the time.
2) Protein and fat cause the release of glucagon and suppress insulin
a) Insulin is a growth hormone, which causes fatty cytosolic synthesis from glucose, ie makes you FAT
b) Glucagon suppresses insulin production, promotes elaboration of cellular glucose and fat stores for energy, hence making you utilize fat for energy. Glucagon is your friend, if you're fat & trying to lose weight.:D
3) Thus, it follows that the best way to lose weight is the pseudo-Atkins way. Not full, but pseudo. Have eggs for breakfast, not toast or cereal. Eat small protein and poly or monounsaturated fat-rich food meals and you will notice an improvement in LBM (lean body mass), which is what most are after.
I myself, don't have much of a problem with obesity because figuring all the above out, pretty much suppressed my appetite--permanently.
Let's face it. We're lazy, fat people obsessed with food. Change your philosophy on intake, and you'll be fine. Good luck.