weight loss help. im trying so hard here..

P.M me your email address, I'll send the papers/studies to you (I'm a science writer).

no i mean im losing. around 1lb every 2 days. not gaining

Ok....do you work weird hours?

You are eating meals and snacks often and quite close together. Try leaving at least 3 hours between each meal and only snack if you need to. You're taking in a lot of protein and not everyone realises but this but protein actually causes the body to release insulin which is the hormone which tells your body to hold/store fat. It doesn't cause the release of anywhere near as much insulin as sugar so don't get me wrong, protein is healthy you just don't need so much!

Take a look at the ingredients in your protein shake. How much sugar? Many ingredients that you don't know what they really are/cant pronounce??

My tips:
Quit the protein shake.
Eat more fat, seriously! As long as you aren't eating fat at the same time as a carb, you will not release insulin, you will not store fat and your body will burn fat as there is no carb present to burn.
Eat three large, satisfying meals and only snack if you absolutely have to.

Give it 5-7 days and let me know if it works. (I know it will.)

Where do you get your information from?

Protein is a VERY important part of any diet - whether maintaining weight, trying to increase muscle or trying to lose weight. The OP is consuming the amount of protein he needs in a day. Protein shakes are great if you need to add protein yto your diet. The default levels MFP gives are far too low for protein amounts.

I've never heard of not eating fat at the same time as a carb... do you have any studies on this? Also, sugar increases insulin. Protein is slowly digested by your body.

You will not store fat unless you consume more calories than your body needs.. I'm not sure wy the advice is to wait three hours between meals.

To the OP, give it time. Follow the calorie advice MFP gives you (set your weekly goal to say 1lb per week - slower weight loss is usually healthier weight loss). Take your time taking the weight off.

Make sure you are eating enough (1500, even 1700 calories is NOT enough for a grown man)... eating enough protein, fiber, fats and drinking enough water while limiting sodium. Get your exercise in and eat your exercise calories back (especially if you are doing hard core workouts). Don't forcus so much on the scale.. weight changes due to so many things.

Carbs convert to sugar which causes an insulin release. Regular white bread actually has a higher glycemic index (70) score than table sugar(68). As someone who checks blood glucose, I pay attention to starches and carbs, not merely sugar.

When you eat carbs, your body wants to burn that for energy. When you eat fat as well, the insulin release in reaction to the carbs will store the fat...that is what it does. If you have fat with very little carbs, your body will be forced to use the fat for energy rather than store it. But, a diet only works if you can stay with it, so it might not be for everyone. But since reducing my carbs to <30g (rarely more than 50g) a day in mid October 2012, I have lost 64 pounds, lost my high blood pressure and my blood sugar is completely normal. (A1C 4.8)
This was without exercise by the way. I have started riding my bike now because I have lost enough weight to do it again.

You don't have to be extreme, though. I was already losing weight with under 100g of carbs a day, but reduced it further to help my blood sugar faster. If you try reducing your carbs (and I know this is hard, but cutting bread/wheat or processed foods in general) and getting most of your carbs from veggies and some fruits or beans and eating the recommended calories for your weight and height (not far lower), you should be able to tell within a month if that helps at all.

I also do a protein shake every now and then. It is hard for me to eat the recommended amount of protein for me each day (100g or so I think). I use Pure Protein Frosty Chocolate, with unsweetened almond milk, adding walnuts, almond butter, fiber, almond meal, cocoa powder, a little splenda for the cocoa, and some frozen strawberries with ice. I will satisfy any sweet fix with this. But I don't do it everyday.
The longer you work at this though, you will learn about different recipe plans and what works for you to keep it varied. I certainly cook A LOT more since starting this!

Your weight loss seems good though. I lost a lot the first month, but a lot of that was water. Since then, 2 pounds a week is about average for me.

(this was partially in reply to Now_or_Never1, but it doesn't seem nested)

Did you get your research from gary taubes? No macronutrient will turn to fat until calories in > calorie out. Also, I assume you are doing a keto diet right? There is no benefit to this long term than a normal calorie restricted diet. You lost a lot in the beginning from water. Less carbs= less glycogen and water stored. It's not to say its not effective, its just unnecessary unless you have a metabolic condition,.

no i mean im losing. around 1lb every 2 days. not gaining

You should aim for 1 lb a week max. Otherwise it wont be all fat, it will be muscle too.

We always agree I know...but I have always been told that 2 lbs was the max. Are there several theories on this?

Ok....do you work weird hours?

You are eating meals and snacks often and quite close together. Try leaving at least 3 hours between each meal and only snack if you need to. You're taking in a lot of protein and not everyone realises but this but protein actually causes the body to release insulin which is the hormone which tells your body to hold/store fat. It doesn't cause the release of anywhere near as much insulin as sugar so don't get me wrong, protein is healthy you just don't need so much!

Take a look at the ingredients in your protein shake. How much sugar? Many ingredients that you don't know what they really are/cant pronounce??

My tips:
Quit the protein shake.
Eat more fat, seriously! As long as you aren't eating fat at the same time as a carb, you will not release insulin, you will not store fat and your body will burn fat as there is no carb present to burn.
Eat three large, satisfying meals and only snack if you absolutely have to.

Give it 5-7 days and let me know if it works. (I know it will.)

Where do you get your information from?

Protein is a VERY important part of any diet - whether maintaining weight, trying to increase muscle or trying to lose weight. The OP is consuming the amount of protein he needs in a day. Protein shakes are great if you need to add protein yto your diet. The default levels MFP gives are far too low for protein amounts.

I've never heard of not eating fat at the same time as a carb... do you have any studies on this? Also, sugar increases insulin. Protein is slowly digested by your body.

You will not store fat unless you consume more calories than your body needs.. I'm not sure wy the advice is to wait three hours between meals.

To the OP, give it time. Follow the calorie advice MFP gives you (set your weekly goal to say 1lb per week - slower weight loss is usually healthier weight loss). Take your time taking the weight off.

Make sure you are eating enough (1500, even 1700 calories is NOT enough for a grown man)... eating enough protein, fiber, fats and drinking enough water while limiting sodium. Get your exercise in and eat your exercise calories back (especially if you are doing hard core workouts). Don't forcus so much on the scale.. weight changes due to so many things.

I'm not saying protein isn't important, I'm saying he is having to much in comparison to other macro-nutrients. Have you heard of rabbit starvation? Perhaps google it.

I'm also not saying he should eat less, I think he needs to up his intake of fat and veg.

I know sugar increases insulin...I said that. I also said that protein does too but not at the same levels.

For information about not eating carb/fats together, google the Harcombe diet or watch Gary Taubes on YouTube. There is a really interesting story about how some of the poorest people in the world are fat, and they definitely don't consume more calories than they need. The calorie theory is a whole other debate though..

Carbs convert to sugar which causes an insulin release. Regular white bread actually has a higher glycemic index (70) score than table sugar(68). As someone who checks blood glucose, I pay attention to starches and carbs, not merely sugar.

When you eat carbs, your body wants to burn that for energy. When you eat fat as well, the insulin release in reaction to the carbs will store the fat...that is what it does. If you have fat with very little carbs, your body will be forced to use the fat for energy rather than store it. But, a diet only works if you can stay with it, so it might not be for everyone. But since reducing my carbs to <30g (rarely more than 50g) a day in mid October 2012, I have lost 64 pounds, lost my high blood pressure and my blood sugar is completely normal. (A1C 4.8)
This was without exercise by the way. I have started riding my bike now because I have lost enough weight to do it again.

You don't have to be extreme, though. I was already losing weight with under 100g of carbs a day, but reduced it further to help my blood sugar faster. If you try reducing your carbs (and I know this is hard, but cutting bread/wheat or processed foods in general) and getting most of your carbs from veggies and some fruits or beans and eating the recommended calories for your weight and height (not far lower), you should be able to tell within a month if that helps at all.

I also do a protein shake every now and then. It is hard for me to eat the recommended amount of protein for me each day (100g or so I think). I use Pure Protein Frosty Chocolate, with unsweetened almond milk, adding walnuts, almond butter, fiber, almond meal, cocoa powder, a little splenda for the cocoa, and some frozen strawberries with ice. I will satisfy any sweet fix with this. But I don't do it everyday.
The longer you work at this though, you will learn about different recipe plans and what works for you to keep it varied. I certainly cook A LOT more since starting this!

Your weight loss seems good though. I lost a lot the first month, but a lot of that was water. Since then, 2 pounds a week is about average for me.

(this was partially in reply to Now_or_Never1, but it doesn't seem nested)

Did you get your research from gary taubes? No macronutrient will turn to fat until calories in > calorie out. Also, I assume you are doing a keto diet right? There is no benefit to this long term than a normal calorie restricted diet. You lost a lot in the beginning from water. Less carbs= less glycogen and water stored. It's not to say its not effective, its just unnecessary unless you have a metabolic condition,.

I got my research by looking what foods cause blood sugar levels to spike and reducing those foods. I tested before meals and a few times at various hours after meals to see how they affect me. I have done that for a few months that I am pretty confident in what I eat now. Low carb has been the most effective diet I have ever tried. I was not seeking to lose weight, but lower blood sugar, but it does both for me. I never said anything about calories in/calories out. There is much discussion on that, but with a diet (And I mean way of eating, not a temp way to lose weight) with more fat (like I am on now with about 65% of my calories from fat), I am not hungry between meals.

Again, no one diet will work for everyone...you have to find one that you can actually stick with or it pointless. In the past, I have tried low fat diets. Sure I would lose weight, but I cannot stick with them forever. Low carb is easier for me and a lot of other people. No longer having acid reflux and having more energy is also a plus.

EVERYONE would benefit from eating less processed foods, and if you reduce those, you are sure to reduce carbs as well...they are stuffed with them.

As far as no benefit long term, you cannot prove that. The studies I have seen (where it works better than a low fat diet) were short term. I agree that long term studies are needed. In addition, most studies I have seen have called 150g or similar "low carb", which it is not. It is lower carb than the SAD for sure, but not low carb.

You appear to not like low carb, and that is fine. I know it works for me and makes eating the right amount of calories for me easy. And I eat real food more than I did before.

Gary Taubes is not a doctor nor a researcher. He is a nutritional journalist and almost every single one of his theories has been disproved. Spend more time with REAL research facilities, not one trying to sell books to you. Below is a good document from Harvard. Here is the first sentence

"It’s no secret that the amount of calories people eat and drink has a direct impact on their weight: Consume the same number of calories that the body burns over time, and weight stays stable. Consume more than the body burns, weight goes up. Less, weight goes down." It's all about calories, not carbs or even insulin. Many of us eat 200g+ of carbs without issue. Only when you have a metabolic issue, like my wife, does carbs become a critical part of the diet.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/diet-and-weight/