Diet...what is right, and why should I believe you?

ebony__

The only One of these that has a definate answer is that per volume muscle weighs more than fat.
A pound of anything weighs the same as a pound of anything else obviously when there's no density or volume involved.

As for the other questions you will have people and even professionals with opposing opinions valid points and studies and links to back them up. The only right answer is what works for you as an individual.

Cr01502

Losing weight can be difficult. Everyone is different and the bottom line is to find what works for you. If you consume less calories than you burn than you will lose weight but the choices of food can make that difficul or easy. Some people choose a high protein low carb diet, some people eat 'clean'. I just eat low GI carbohydrates, the essential amount of fat, and a lot of protein. That what works for me. Although for you it could be something entirely different. It's trial and error really.

SouthernSkylark

What is right is what works for you, that means to start with looking at all the "conflicting" advice out there, maybe reading some books and magazines... trial and error... you'll soon been in tune with your body and how you feel and then you'll be making your own food choices. All our experiences help each each other reach our own personal healthy eating lifestyle.

For me I have found, no cows milk/yogurts, reduced wheat consumption and introducing fish back into my previously vegetarian diet has made a massive difference to my physical well being. I always eat a good breakfast, try and eat as clean as possible and keep the alcohol down to one night a week... that works for me.

Elleinnz

I sometimes think people are looking too hard for the "magic bullet".....

My advice is keep it simple - for most people the effect of when you eat will be absolutely minimal.....it is more important in my book to be consistent day in and day out in WHAT you eat rather than when.....

Make sure you measure everything, and understand portion sizes, check the nutritional values back against your labels - the MFP database can ( and is ) sometimes wrong.....
Be carefully trusting MFP calories burned - most of them are overstated, so if I am not using my HRM I would not eat back more than 50% of my calories

Pick your formula - stick with it for a month - be consistent, and if you then don't see results maybe try something else......

For those people that explain a 2lb gain with " you are building muscle" - for most people other than very serious body builders that is totally impossible.....so that is the biggest crap I see on here....

This article shows what is possible for serious bodybuilders - not the average MFP user starting to work out.....For these people could add 4 to 15lbs in a YEAR - not in a couple of weeks!

http://scoobysworkshop.com/expectations/

pepsi666

Losing weight is easy, its not sticking all that crap in your gob that's not.

Sorry, this made me choke on my tea! Lol

jesz124

ohhh this thread will open a right tin of worms. After being on here for a few months now I have decided it doesn't matter what you do as long as it works for you. People will starve themselves, exercise too much, too little, eat wrong things, eat 100% clean, whatever. Someone will always be able to contradict the way you have gone about your weight loss. As long as you are healthy, your fat loss is steady and you feel fit then you are ok. Anything offered on here is an opinion. It's up to you if you choose to use it of not.

Hellavaloosa

If energy out is more than energy in you will lose weight. Simple! :happy:

Believe me!!! I lost 40 pounds and it really is that easy. The catch is that "yum" food contains way more calories than you'd like and one serving generally looks like something that would starve a pigmy (sorry if you're a pigmy and reading this) :laugh:

Hellavaloosa

ohhh this thread will open a right tin of worms. After being on here for a few months now I have decided it doesn't matter what you do as long as it works for you. People will starve themselves, exercise too much, too little, eat wrong things, eat 100% clean, whatever. Someone will always be able to contradict the way you have gone about your weight loss. As long as you are healthy, your fat loss is steady and you feel fit then you are ok. Anything offered on here is an opinion. It's up to you if you choose to use it of not.

Yea totally this!

JesterMFP

I have read articles this week either in magazines or via Internet links that all contradict each other in terms of diet 'tips' or 'myths'...what information is correct? Also if you favour or consolidate one theory, why should I believe that, over any other theories?

Losing weight is difficult enough without confusing the daily routine with 'do's and don'ts' that may or may not be true!

E.g. "breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and skipping it can lead to your body instigating starvation mode"... Against
"there is no evidence to suggest that not eating first thing in the morning is detrimental to a weight loss plan..."

"you should never eat after 8pm as your metabolism slows down and the body stores fat..." against
"it doesn't matter what time of day you eat, as long as you are within your calorie and exercise goals"

"muscle weighs more than fat so those added pounds could be muscle mass" ... Against
"...muscle doesn't weigh more...That's like saying a ton of lead weighs more than a ton of feathers?!..."

I could go on and on, and although I am paraphrasing the statements, the confusion is obvious. What is right?

There are some "facts" relevant to weight loss that are based on scientific evidence and apply to the vast majority of people the vast majority of the time. There are also a lot of things that come down to personal preference. With everyone jumping on the bandwagon to give advice, yeah it gets very confusing. My advice would be:

a) If what you're doing is working for you, continue doing that. Everyone has to experiment to a certain extent to see what works for them. There are some exceptions where listening to sensible advice can help. (eg. if you're on a very low calorie diet and losing a lot of weight, it might seem like it's "working", but it's worth finding out what other effects it might be having).

b) Following on from that, educate yourself on the effects of what you're doing. By all means read these boards. I for one have learned a lot from the MFP boards, but do take everything (including what I say!) with a pinch of salt. There is already some well-intentioned misinformation on this thread. Definitely go elsewhere to get information too. There are some great blogs out there, but try and also get in the habit of reading peer reviewed scientific journal articles and reviews, or at least articles that are backed up by those kinds of sources. Yes, they can be misinterpreted, or become out of date, but it's a good start. If you see certain "facts" being repeatedly mentioned on MFP, but no one can back them up with proper sources, be skeptical.

c) keep it simple, at least to start with. Eat a bit less than your body needs each day. Get some exercise. Eat plenty of veggies, drink fluids, get adequate protein etc. A lot of it is really common sense. If something seems extreme, then do the research first. If someone is trying to sell you something, or trying to pretend there is some secret to losing weight, it's probably worthless. If Dr Oz is promoting it, it's probably not necessary. For most people, eating less (and better) and moving more is what works.

d) if eating less and moving more doesn't work, look into possible medical issues. I mean, if you're trying that for a couple of months with no results, then it's worth seeing a doctor to get checked for any hormonal issues etc.

d) take the time to work out what is important to you in terms of your lifestyle. Do you want to cut out sugar? Cut down on sodium? Get more fibre? Go low carb? Go raw vegan? These are all choices you can make, and you'll find people arguing strongly on both sides. There's no such thing as the perfect diet, because there will always be a group of people telling you you're doing it wrong. Again, find what works for you.

e) take the forums for what they are - a huge group of people from all walks of life and levels of education, a few of whom are experts in fitness or nutrition, many more of whom have been around a while and just learned a ton about what works, and many who are well versed in conventional wisdom. Some are here to get support, some are here to give support, some are here for entertainment, and some are here just to argue. Some are just waiting for someone to say "muscle is heavier than fat" just so they can pop in and educate them that in fact a pound of one thing equals a pound of another. Others are lurking, just waiting for the opportunity to correct someone's use of "loose" and "lose". Read a lot, and take away what's useful to you.

Dudagarcia

I do eat breakfast, but only because I'm hungry in the morning.

I eat at night if I still have calories to spare.

I exercise from once to four times a week. Nothing too consistent. But I'm more active in general.

I eat carbs, though they are whole grains and veggies.

I don't eat Twinkies, or other junk food or fast food. Though I had a s'more last week.

I don't drink soda. I have a beer once in a while.

I measure and weigh my food.

I may be forgetting something, but basically, I eat better and less, and I got off my butt.

My 62 pound loss is since Jan 4. I'm happy.

Love it!! Congrats on wgt loss :flowerforyou:

Dave198lbs

People will keep to the dogma that calories in vs calories out is the way regardless of what you do, but that is not true either.


I eat low or reduced carb. I use intermittent fasting. I've lost weight.

Others eat high carb, and eat 6 times per day. They lose wieght.

Some do a combination.

All of those can fail even if they are in a caloric deficit.

Do what ever makes the progress easiest for you. Trial and Error for your own progress is all that matters.

It is true. Weight loss requires a caloric deficit. There is no way you can lose weight without a caloric deficit. Start there and then if you want to optimize your health, learn what foods your body likes best.

drink water. walk when you can. good luck.

Dave198lbs

Eating breakfast is only essential for gaining energy first thing in the morning, and it also helps curb cravings throughout the day for most people. And eating after a certain hour at night only hurts because you aren't giving yourself much time to burn off those calories. Plus, once you're asleep, your body is in rest mode and doesn't exactly burn foods like it would if you were awake.

all three statements are false

nexangelus

Where to start. As someone said in the thread already, the diet industry is worth billions (this includes supplements, equipment and all that jazz). The right diet and exercise plan is the one which suits YOUR lifestyle and goals the best. There are many fads out there...aerobics, zumba, venus index, blah de blah......I have a shelf full of books on this diet and that one. They all seem to contradict the previous.

What works for me may not work for you. You may have health issues which I haven't and vice versa.

I think being active and eating right together are what means the difference between success and failure. By activity I also mean choosing the stuff that works for you. Some prefer tonnes of cardio, some prefer strength training, yet others choose a combination.

All I know from my small amount of experience with my own body is that I prefer strength training with daily cardio (cycle as only means of transport) and higher protein to complex carbs ratio. I eat full fat everything and eat six meals per day. This works for me, it might not wok for you. Find out what your specific goals are and set a trail towards that goal. Don't clutch at straws and don't follow the fads. Do what feels right and works for you. But remember it is a big change and a lifestyle turnaround for most. It is not easy and like all things in life, time and a bit of hard graft will get you there. Time being one of the operative words. It all takes time and longer than we like.

Good luck and I hope you find your preferred method. There is no "right", just "right for you and your body".

MichelleLaree13

I strongly believe eating home grown food is the best for you. Chemicals and the additive junk they add cant be good. That being said, I just buy my food from the store

comet_wow

It's simple...eat less, move more.

nsblue

Doesnt really matter what's right or wrong...n you will always come up against such opposing statements. The most important is to watch your own body...see how it reacts, n do what is best for you and your health. What one might do...another might say is wrong. I was told if I went under 1200 cal i would be starving myself and go into starvation mode...yeah OK lol. I was followed by doctors and did fine and am healthier for it. Yes it was hard onn the head and confusing at times...but I did what I felt was right for me and it worked. I find if you ask for help or advice in this forum...you will get it...thing is it will be wide spread and conflicting at times. In the end we all choose what is right for us.
Best of luck.

darrensurrey

I have read articles this week either in magazines or via Internet links that all contradict each other in terms of diet 'tips' or 'myths'...what information is correct? Also if you favour or consolidate one theory, why should I believe that, over any other theories?

Losing weight is difficult enough without confusing the daily routine with 'do's and don'ts' that may or may not be true!

This is a good approach when looking to lose weight properly. There's so much bull**** flying around. I call it Moscience - dieting "tips" that hobby-dieting mothers hanging around outside school gates give each other as their weights zigzag upwards. "Have you tried this diet?" "I'm on that diet." "I heard eating blah burns fat." etc. Don't take any advice at face value but think how you got to where you are today. You never hear anyone say, "I used to be slim but did a **** load of exercise and ate less than my calorific requirements and now I'm morbidly obese!"

Stuz359

One thing that actually does help is buying a kitchen scale and weighing your food. People are often surprised at what constitutes a portion of something, especially something like a bowl of cereal for example.

Nina2503

Everyone is different and what will work for some people wont work for another - I know what foods sit well with me and what dont. I try and eat healthily by eating lean meats and lots of vegetables and fruit and good carbs (not too many as they dont like me) I have learned portion control - it is surprising how much some things actually weigh or what a portion of something really looks like! I also plan meals and make sure I have good food in the cupboards/fridge/freezer - then there is no excuse!

I dont get too hung up articles anymore as I would spend my life worrying. I work on the basics that I need to eat this many calories a day and if i need to lose weight I need to eat less and move more. I avoid really bad stuff and eat a balance of foods.

LMPMOM4

The important thing to remember is that the only kind of diet that will work is the one that you can live with for the rest of your life. Eat what you want, substitute the bad ingredients with healthier stuff, and watch those calories.

I think this is the answer right here. I have been on so many stupid diets that I could only stick to for a few days because they were unsustainable. I've also been VLC for way to long. Right now I'm just eating healthy foods I like and trying to restore balance in my body. Then I'll try to lose.