Confused by healthy eating information :S

asalembier

Is anyone else confused by all the information out there to help you learn to eat better? High fat vs low fat, regular sugar vs fake sugar, high carb vs low carb eat this, don't eat that etc. Each thing I read, and I hear I get more and more confused and I am going crazy... am I the only one?
How do you learn to eat healthy again when you have been eating crap for soo long?

Beleren

There's plenty of (conflicting) information out there and people will always argue about what they think is right. Don't go crazy! Start off slow and do what feels right to you. You've already lost 22 pounds which is great! What did you do to lose that weight?

Lizzy622

I hate using the word "bad" for food. There are things you should eat more of like vegetables and whole grains and things we may be eating too much of like fatty meats or greasy chips. The best thing is to eat what you like but stay in your calorie range and try to get to your macros. Just be extremely wary of anything that has "diet" in its name.

asalembier

First 10 was done by portioning my meal sizes to smaller plates, and cutting out night time snacking.

The next 12 lbs was done by cutting out a lot of carbs - breads, starches etc, and sugar, but saying ok to fattier foods like cheese etc as long as it was low carb, I increased veggies,drink infused water and started C25K . Then I read something else that fat is bad. I don't know what to think or do. I read different diet plans, and while I know that diets for the most part are bad, I need something structured and disciplined to follow in order to stick to my plan. I have a carb and salt addiction, and I know that once I get back on that boat, I fail miserably. I allow myself one night a week to enjoy my favourite foods, and so far I have jumped back on the wagon the next day (I don't go crazy, and my husband keeps me in line)

neanderthin

Mostly agenda based from either not enough education or too much education........dissecting nutrition is the new frontier.

Hexahedra

First, read this:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

What matters the most for weight loss is caloric quantities.

Then read this:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/

Barring certain medical conditions, a relatively balanced diet will keep you healthy as long as you keep your calories in check.

glin23

First, read this:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

What matters the most for weight loss is caloric quantities.

Then read this:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/

Barring certain medical conditions, a relatively balanced diet will keep you healthy as long as you keep your calories in check.

Pretty much. You can find advocacy or criticism for almost every philosophy out there. Just find something that works for you and stick with it.

AJ_G

Nutrition can be extremely confusing if you're just reading articles online. If an article doesn't source it's information from a scientific study, it's worthless. The best route to go is to find reputable nutrition scientists who write free articles online, and also to read relevant scientific studies on nutrition. A couple nutritionists I would recommend are Alan Aragon and Layne Norton. They have tons of scientific knowledge, as well as real world fitness and nutrition experience. If you have the time, read some of the articles I've listed, they all have sources to scientific studies. If you're only going to read one, read the first one.

http://impruvism.com/why-calories-count/

http://www.motherfitness.com/what-dietary-fat-did-for-my-cholesterol-my-lipid-panel-results/

http://www.simplyshredded.com/research-review-the-dirt-on-clean-eating-written-by-nutrition-expert-alan-aragon.html

IowaJen1979

First, read this:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

What matters the most for weight loss is caloric quantities.

Then read this:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/

Barring certain medical conditions, a relatively balanced diet will keep you healthy as long as you keep your calories in check.

Agreed! Eat a balanced diet of foods you like, eat more fruits and veggies, and keep your portions in check. You'll do great!

mbucchieri

Is anyone else confused by all the information out there to help you learn to eat better? High fat vs low fat, regular sugar vs fake sugar, high carb vs low carb eat this, don't eat that etc. Each thing I read, and I hear I get more and more confused and I am going crazy... am I the only one?
How do you learn to eat healthy again when you have been eating crap for soo long?

Me too!!!! so much thats soo conflicting..Some say to eat dairy, some don't ..some say go raw, some say meat,some say no meat!! the list goes on and on..I try to eat healthy for the most part, but it can be hard to make good choices when there is so much info thrown at you daily..I say stay away from overly procesed foods and try to go as natural as possible..Isin't that what mother nature intended??There aren't trees that grow low carb cookies, or cows that make fat free yogurt..I personally don't trust alot of the "low fat, carb,sugar" procesed food products because there all filled with chemical crap, most of which i can't even pronounce!! For the bulk of your food, stick nto the outer aisles at the grocery store( I've heard this is the healthiest place to be). Go for whole grains, And stay within your daily calorie goals. Have your 1 free day a week to enjoy pizza or ice cream or whatever you love, and adapt a healthy lifestyle...NEVER DIET!!!!

Kanuenue

I would see a professional nutritionist or dietitian if you feel that overwhelmed. They are trained and studied to advise people just like you. There are a million confusing and conflicting opinions on what it means to have a healthy diet on the internet; from celebrities and models writing books, to magazines, and anyone with a keyboard. See someone who knows what they are doing.