@mmmfood- What weighs more, a hundred pounds of feathers or a hundred pounds of lead? In my opinion, the same distinction exists between refined and whole foods. It’s really just a matter of preference.
Granted, it’s easier for some people to control calorie intake when they eat whole foods, but that doesn’t mean a whole foods diet is inherently lower in calories. McDonald’s doesn’t cause weight gain; calorie excess causes weight gain. You could lose those extra pounds eating every meal at McDonald’s, if you put your mind to it. People have done that.
I agree that some of Matt’s writings imply that a person should eat excess calories in order to increase metabolism. You learned from firsthand experience that the calories led to unwanted weight gain. Does that mean you made a mistake? As it happens, I made the same mistake, though I didn’t go quite as far as you did.
what do you do now? Matt didn’t make you eat all that food. I know you’re still young, but no one is going to take responsibility for your actions but you. You have plenty of time in front of you to turn your life around.
Metabolic syndrome is an umbrella term for the “diseases of civilization” that lead to heart disease and diabetes. High blood pressure and high liver enzymes are early signs. I personally started having high blood pressure when my BMI got into the obese range, but it went back down to normal after I lost the weight. These are diseases that, for the most part, you have control over.