So recently I read a -very- interesting book entitled We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes. His theory about weight gain is that caloric surplus is not the correct reason for gaining weight; the problem is that the modern diet includes a surplus of refined carbohydrates, hence the obesity epidemic in America. According to Taubes, losing weight is as simple as a few nutritional modifications in the form of limiting the intake of sugar, cereals, and fruit. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm comfortable with my weight - but almost everyone has a few pounds they would like to shed. In the vein of empiricism and the Mount Everest mentality, I decided to follow his advice.
So I started cutting out his no-no foods for the most part. I stopped drinking juice or eating fruit related products, switched from milk to cream, stopped buying light butter, stopped eating bread, and portion controlled my amount of rice, pasta, and potatoes. In turn, I increased the amount of red meat and green vegetables I eat, and have started supplementing my diet with things like protein shakes.
Two weeks later, with no exercise to speak of, I have dropped six pounds and am feeling fantastic. Perhaps Atkins was right - either that or it's the world's greatest placebo. I highly recommend Taubes' book, if only to expand your repertoire of nutritional information. And for those of you seeking to drop a pound or two, perhaps it is worth a try.