I guess the 35 pounds I lost in the last 3 and a half months eating burgers, pasta, pizza must be a figment of my imagination. Or could it be that instead of a whole pizza, I learned to have a slice or two. Instead of a plateful of pasta, I cut my position into a 1/4. Anything in modersatiom is fine as long as you don’t over eat. But if you are trying to fine tune your body and metabolism and get from 12% body fat to 6%, yes you have to start making smart choices. Don’t over indulge, eat in moderation. And it isn’t my gut bacteria telling me to eat bread, I enjoy bread. Have zero desire to stop eating it anytime soon. Cause it tastes good!
I feel that life is too short to completely deprive yourself of things you enjoy. I love pizza, ice cream, bread, etc. but as others have noted, it's important to practice moderation. I balance what I eat with how I exercise so I can enjoy the foods I love yet still look great when I take my shirt off (e.g., I treat myself to ice cream every Saturday night and then I run three miles Sunday morning).