Just as your mind longs for balance, your body strives for a steady state. Too cold? You shiver and warm up. Too hot? You sweat. Believe it or not, this natural inclination applies to weight, too. Your body aims to maintain an optimal level of fat -- not too much and not too little. But look around and you'll notice that a lot of bodies --  perhaps even your own -- are out of balance. About 60 percent of Americans are obese or overweight, and many more struggle with a few stubborn extra pounds and low energy. The traditional weight-loss route, however, doesn't always work: You cut back on food, wrestle with appetite and cravings, but your weight doesn't budge. Or it goes down a little only to inch up again.

The Recipes:
Breakfast: Ranchero Frittata
Lunch: Chicken and Mango Salad
Snack: Spiced-Up Hummus
Dinner: Halibut in Green Tea with Quinoa

Plus: Healthy Metabolism Tools

This back-and-forth makes many people wonder: Is my willpower to blame, an inability to choose steamed kale over French fries? Or is this just the way my body is? Some experts say the problem lies elsewhere: a metabolism imbalance. We think of this energy-regulation system as set in stone, blaming our thick thighs on our slow metabolism or coveting a slender friend's speedy metabolism. But it's more complex than that, says Mark Hyman, M.D., author of "UltraMetabolism." This intricate system can be dragged down by bad food choices, too much stress, and not enough exercise.

"Your lifestyle patterns can get you stuck," says Hyman, "but there are ways to get unstuck. We have a huge capacity to transform our bodies." He and like-minded doctors analyze a patient's biochemistry to see how lifestyle and diet affect her body's ability to turn food into energy.

Once you understand your body's inherent intelligence, you can give it the tools to do what it does best. "The goal isn't to speed up the metabolism," says Leo Galland, M.D., author of "The Fat Resistance Diet." "It's to normalize it." It's not difficult, say both doctors. Key lifestyle adjustments can help get any body get back on track -- and stay there.

The following pages will help you understand your metabolism and beat it at its own game.

By Kathryn C. Kukula