Okaaay ... you know it isn't that complex, right? You just intake fewer calories than you burn. Didn't move today? Fast. Did a lot today? Your stomach won't let you sleep until you've replaced anything necessary.

Just give up on the idea of the stupid 3-meals-per-day thing. Constantly digesting is Very bad for you, and we aren't built for it. We're built foragers, and we eat the same naturally as the only other animal with our kind of teeth, which is a freakin' fish. It eats nuts and berries and seeds. Like we're meant to.

Fat doesn't make you fat. Carbohydrates don't make you fat. Protein doesn't make you thin. Exercise alone doesn't either. Breaking the addiction to the huge fake food industry is the answer, and fasting is how you do that.

Following instinct, and not trying to constantly feel full, lets you be healthy. I have never been anything other than 120 pounds. Whether eating heavily, not eating, just water, or anything else. Because it balances. You have a specific weight meant for you, and it's DEFINITELY not the freakin' 160 average for a 5'8" person. It's more like a well-off person in a third-world country.

Here's the deal. Burning calories actually straight up kills you. It's like an engine, eventually the fact that it works is what breaks it. You don't just use the word "burn", it's genuinely oxidizing things. And that means free radicals. And that means telemer and DNA damage. Which results in a shortened, painful time during old age. Ever noticed people working out and dieting don't seem to lose weight, or gain it right back? It's because of behavior alone. That's all.

So take it easy. Don't overthink it, and ONLY eat when you're actually hungry. Not simply not full. If you have a bunch of fat, let your body use it. If you have too much muscle to be easy on your skeleton, let your body eat that. The appearance of health is a fat, dying, and frequently injured person, for an idealized shape decided by Romans. Does that make any goddamn sense? Nope. It doesn't.

Don't learn from other humans. They're no smarter than yourself. Peace be with you, and bless you.