Hehehehe
It took me years to understand that diet is so important. I was like your friend back in hs, strong but chubby and always hated that. I was so focused on calories in and out that never paid attention to nutrition itself.
For example, having a steak is not the same as having a protein bar (not even close) but they have similar calories. 1 calorie from junk is not the same as 1 calorie from real food