It seems your previous self and my previous self both have something in common. Well in my case, I intentionally started consuming a lot of sugary meal and all with the aim of getting fat but still yet nothing happened. Eventually I just gave up and maintain my routine of exercise.

I still consider exercise to be a lot economical compared to dieting. There are some low sugar no cholesterol kind of food that cost way higher than regular meals and based on situation of the country right now, I would say only a wealthy and disciplined person can maintain a strict diet without relapsing.