For me personally, activity level is a huge factor.
I actually worked at McDonald's for 7 years before moving into an IT career.
For 7 years I ate 2-3 meals per day there. My weight was stable, my cholesterol and blood pressure were perfect.
As soon as I took a more sedentary job in IT, eating less fast food and more healthy home cooking, I immediately began gaining weight, and my cholesterol began to rise. Blood pressure is still steady, but monitoring it closely with each visit. Doc said the difference is I was on my feet 8-10 hours per day running like a chicken with my head cut off, burning calories.
So far the only non-exercise change I've found that has helped me lose weight consistently is cutting out soft drinks of any kind. That, unfortunately, is a wagon I cannot seem to stay on.
Purchasing a bicycle this past fall and riding 2-3 times per week really made a huge difference. Now, with colder weather, no trainer for my bike or even a place to put it if I had one, the weight is coming back with a vengeance.
