You must work out, dammit!

Which might be true, since after beginning an extremely vigorous exercise routine, I gained about 25 lbs in 7 years. But before that, by diet, I lost 40 lbs, without anywhere near as much exercise. Health and size is another story. I’m smaller now than when I was 25 lbs lighter because my body fat is about half what it was before.

I imagine that it's true if you're somehow overweight and just want to lose weight in order to avoid heart attacks and other risks or generally because you (righteously) care about your health, but I vas talking about (and that could be not so obvious, I'm sorry about that) to those who diet with aesthetic purposes without training. I don't think that could bring any aesthetic vantages whatsoever, you would pass from fat to skinny without shaping your body in a pleasant way and gaining nothing but stretch marks on your skin.

I don’t know what that means. But preservation of health is not possible without lots of exercise.