confused

bluecrayonz

The more I read and hear on diet and exercise the more confused I get...everybody contradicts each other and I'm just not sure who to believe

caitlyn30

for me, I do what works for me. I might ignore some advice, and try some advice. but you are the only one that will know what is working for you. I don't eat back calories, it doesn't work for me, even though it might work for you.

Matt_Wilken

Golden Rules of dieting.

#1 - Eat at a small deficit to preserve muscle mass and to prevent loose skin (3500 calories a week ~ more or less 1lb loss a week)
#2 - Eat whatever and whenever you want as long as you hit your macronutrients(Protein, Fat & Carbs) as closely as possible


Exericse
#1 - Compound exercises should be the staple of your workout routine (Bench Press, Shoulder Press/Military Press, Rows, Pull ups, squats & deadlifts)
#2 - Don't train the same muscle group on consecutive days.
#3 - SLEEP

fizzletto

The important thing to remember is that everybody is different. There is no rule which applies to all people. There is no sure-fire, never-fail way to lose weight consistently and effectively. You need to experiment with various techniques and discover what works best for YOU. There are so many different techniques and ideas and beliefs out there, you can't possibly try and take every piece of advice you hear.

Is there anything specific that you are confused about? We might be able to help by explaining why there are contradicting viewpoints if you have a particular opinion that you're confused about.

MidwestAngel

This

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

and

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

this too

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

LittleMiss_WillLoseIt

This

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

and

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

this too

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

Listen to this girl...so is logical and stuff.

WinnerVictorious

The more I read and hear on diet and exercise the more confused I get...everybody contradicts each other and I'm just not sure who to believe

the contradictions are intentional. people trying to separate you from your money deliberately make the whole process confusing. they are trying to sell you books, supplements, shakes, equipment, DVDs, etc.

ignore them all.

losing weight is all about eating less and moving more. there is no secret.

health is all about nutrition and fitness. nutrition is about monitoring your micronutrients (vitamins mostly) and macro nutrients (protein, carbs, etc.). fitness is about cardio exercise and strength training.

you don't need to pay people or buy products to learn how to lose weight, get fit, and eat a nutritious diet. all of the information you'll need can be found here and other places on the web for free.

WinnerVictorious

The important thing to remember is that everybody is different. There is no rule which applies to all people. There is no sure-fire, never-fail way to lose weight consistently and effectively. You need to experiment with various techniques and discover what works best for YOU. There are so many different techniques and ideas and beliefs out there, you can't possibly try and take every piece of advice you hear.

Is there anything specific that you are confused about? We might be able to help by explaining why there are contradicting viewpoints if you have a particular opinion that you're confused about.

except for that small percentage of people with unusual medical conditions, we are not different. our bodies work the same way. we might have different hair color or eye color or skin color, but underneath the skin, we are NOT different. the same metabolic process occurring in my body are occurring in yours. eating less and moving more works for almost everybody. how you decide to implement that routine in your life may be different from how i implement it in mine, and if that's what you meant, then ok. but how our bodies work is not different.

watfordjc

Everyone is different and everyone is the same.

Some things apply to everyone (e.g. calorie deficit and other general rules) but ways of achieving losses/gains "what works/worked for me" varies as do results (e.g. undiagnosed hypothyroidism and TDEE calculators).

Other things are controversial simply because they are. Are saturated fats that bad? Dietary cholesterol? Fast food and processed foods? Caffeine? Alcohol? Salt? Does acai berry, green tea, very low calorie diets, "gallbladder cleanses", "eating more", "eating less", moderate activity, intense activity, fasted cardio, cardio followed by weight training, weight training followed by cardio, pre-/post-workout drinks/meals/timing, interval training, skipping/never skipping breakfast, cutting carbs, eating clean, ad infinitum, work for you?

This is where you filter out the rubbish and scams, filter out the stuff that you know will kill your compliance rates, and try something as an experiment to see how your body responds or just keep doing what you know works for you (back to the universal rules).

Firefox7275

The more I read and hear on diet and exercise the more confused I get...everybody contradicts each other and I'm just not sure who to believe

Everyone is different, not so much physiologically but mentally and lifestyle wise. So to some extent different approaches work for different people. As far as physiology is concerned humans are very similar (disease states notwithstanding) read up on the science yourself, learn to evaluate the quality of your sources. Good websites might include universities, many western government ones, UK National Health Service, healthcare charities, medical and fitness registration bodies, Google Scholar, PubMed.

Many 'nutrition' blogs and articles are just opinion, theory, based on one or two small studies or are sales pitches. Look at what eminent healthcare professionals, consultant doctors, registered dieticians and university researchers have to say. Have a red flag and check your facts carefully if the author is a self proclaimed nutritionist (unregulated title in many countries), journalist, alternative 'doctor' or other layperson. One of the few commercial diets I pay any attention to as a healthcare professional has been 'The Smarter Science of Slim' because if you listen to the podcasts he refers to a ton of published research, and the programme has some good mainstream endorsements.

Ensure you are eating a basic balanced diet containing all the nutrients the body needs for health before you manipulate it, eating more or less from different food groups say. Be cautious not to combine restrictive diets with your own restrictive tastes - too many people don't eat oily fish or much dairy, or no nuts or seeds, then wonder why their diet is a disaster when they cut out grains, beans, lentils and fruit.

PikaKnight

Yoovie posted this and is a definite must read!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes


For more information about fitness and nutrition, I highly suggest checking out and joining this group:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

Read all the stickies. It's great information to know.