Weight loss alone does not indicate a good, healthy diet. There are some very unhealthy skinny people out there. Cholesterol alone does not indicate healthy blood work. It gives only relative numbers for both cholesterol and triglycerides, so it is hard to say how good or bad either of those numbers is only a relative improvement. He is right in his own observation that these numbers are missing something. I would note that based on the numbers in the article, he lost 3 lbs or about 2.5% of his lean mass. On a high fat, low carb diet my lean mass went up substantially while my weight went down.
Also the quality of the calorie matters for long term success. Restrictive diets that leave a person hungry cannot be sustained long term. Sugar tends towards a cycle of hunger as the insulin response drives down blood sugar and leaves you hungry again. Fats combined with low carbohydrate intake satiates better and make periods of food abstinence and fasting much easier so reduced calorie consumption is not felt as strongly.
I eat sort of a Mediterranean and Paleo diet combo.
Mostly animal, vegetable, and fruit with some bread & potato.
I’ve trained hard for 35 years and have had success with different exercise protocols and diet protocols.
One thing I think is correct is don’t do anything linear with nutrition.
People try to eat the same calories daily with the same macros daily.
No biological system, besides humans, does that.
Simplified-shop the perimeter of your grocery store, move everyday, don’t stress, and sleep 8+ hours
My .02