Do you know how difficult it is in comparison, to lose weight using a low carb approach? Even if it's more difficult for some, it'll be easier for others.
What do you mean difficult?
Just put less energy in your mouth than you're using. Want a Big Mac? Great! a beer here or there? no worries. Personally, I find it much more difficult to vet the "type" of food I'm eating.
On average, just eat less energy than you're using. For most obese and morbidly obese people that's still an enormous amount of energy, so much so, they can continue to eat some pretty bad shit for a long time.
Anyway, Taubes deals very effectively with the argument you're presenting. The gist is that the number of kilo joules consumed does not have a particularly good correlation with fat stored, because the fat storage mechanism is mediated by insulin, which is heavily influenced by the consumption of carbohydrates.
Because I've seen it work for hundreds and hundreds of people, and I know for a fact Weight Watchers (which is 100% what I'm talking about) has worked for millions of people.
> The gist is that the number of kilo joules consumed does not have a particularly good correlation with fat stored, because the fat storage mechanism is mediated by insulin, which is heavily influenced by the consumption of carbohydrates.
You're going to honestly tell me if I only put 9 gallons in my tank every day, but I burn 10 every day that I won't "run out" and burn up my reserve tank?
You're wanting to make it so complicated you can't see the simplicity in front of you.
When you eat carbohydrates, your body produces insulin, which encourages your body to suck the glycogen out of circulation, and store it in triglycerides. Congratulations, you just got fatter, and worse still, because all of that glycogen has just been stored away, you're feeling hungry again.
That means that if you can find foods that help keep your body from sending the "hungry" signal (by e.g not triggering the insulin-response), then you will naturally eat less.
So you admit that eating less calories is a valid way to lose weight, but that it takes willpower to stick to the diet? Use that free will of yours to eat less calories, and not less yourself become an inanimate eating machine. Sounds like you're letting your body control you, not the other way around.