I do not have time for lots of exercise beyond the occasional walk but I hated that I was 40lb over my healthy/ideal weight I used to be. So I simply ignored all the tactics of others in my life chronically struggling to lose weight or keep it of and did the research on the Standard American Diet.

All data pointed to Americans simply consume way way too many processed foods, carbs, and artificial sugars. No one should be surprised, but no one wants to change this because shit food tastes so good. I simply dropped all high processed foods, dropped to about 100g of carbs a day, and cut out soda completely. All the extra weight fell right off over 6 months. I did nothing else. Also my dopamine response has changed and healthy food and canned sparkling water now feels as good to consume as fast food and soda used to.

Meanwhile friends with the same problem try lots of exercise and never lose any weight, and others use ozempic with no diet changes and also lose no weight. No one wants to hear they have to do something as hard as a permanent major diet change, but blame biology and terrible nutrition education. I am just the messenger.

YMMV, but my own experience certainly agrees with this study.

Commit to stop eating like an overweight American long term and you are likely to stop looking like one.