On the metabolism issue. I believe it to be real.
Mark, one of our RV friends that we travel with has to eat three full meals a day, including fried foods, with two minor meals in between. He is 6’ 2”, weighs 175, takes zero medication, and can’t recall the last time he was sick.
I’m 6’ at 210 lbs eating a small cup of yogurt with added blueberries and one banana for breakfast. No snacks in between the second and last meal of the day which is dinner about 5pm. Moderate activity level meaning I don’t spend time on the couch. Got to be up and doing things, yet I can’t get the weight off.
Metabolism HAS to be an issue.
Dennis, you’ve left out the rest of you food consumption for the day. People often underestimate their daily caloric intake or feel like they eat really good during the week, and don’t count the weekend cheat meals or extra beverages. It’s very easy to eat 1,000-2,000 calories in a meal depending on your food selection which could 2/3 to a full days calorie intake. There are apps like Lose It! or Cronometer for your phone that will let you track calories, you can track for at least two weeks before making any changes to your diet and see what your calorie intake is over those two weeks. You might be surprised.
Lean muscle mass does increase metabolism by some margin. If you both weighed the same and one of you had a higher amount of lean mass, that person would have a slightly higher metabolic rate.
But if you really have a hard time losing weight and suspect it’s not dietary calorie intake you should see a doctor.