Concerned advice I was given

Maybe she meant 30-40%? Carbs give you energy and are not the evil Dr Atkins and other diets would have you believe!

Seems like everyone reacts differently to carbs and protein and etc ... I'm not real convinced there's one formula that works for everyone. My husband thrives on high protein and low carbs, whereas I feel like crap. I'm much healthier, happier and more energetic on a 40-30-30 mix. I respect your friend's credentials but I'd ask your doc what he/she thinks as well.

I think it depends on both your goals and your personal physiology.

Personally, I do much, much better when I focus my diet on protein. If I eat too many carbs, I start to crave junky food and I'm hungrier. But some people don't do well on a low-carb diet.

What I do is make all my meals (and I consider my snacks to be meals, too) to be protein focused. So I don't have things like a granola bar for an afternoon snack. I have cheese sticks, cottage cheese, greek yogurt or hard-boiled eggs or a second lunch instead. Rethinking snacks was a biggie for me.

For meals, I always pick out the protein source first, then figure out what the rest of the meal will be. I eat a lot of lean meat with a side of veggies for lunch and dinner.

Like someone else said, it can vary from person to person. I do horribly on a high carb diet. If I did MFP's auto carb allotment I'd gain and feel like poo. I do best on an Atkins/SoBe type diet - to lose or to exist. So for me, your trainer's advise is spot on.

Test out different eating types and see how your body responds. And if you want good nutritional information, look to Harvard School of Public Health's Nutrition Source. They have info based on science, not interest groups and lobbying.

YOU SHOULD HAVE ONLY 2 FRUITS A DAY? REALLY?

Honey, granola, pita bread, sausage muffin – I see why you were high on carbs that day but looks like you only had 2 fruit servings (1 banana and strawberries), you are definitely not too high there.

To the person who said don’t eat more than 2 fruits a day, do others agree with that? Seems really low to me considering Health Canada's Food Guide along with the US’ food pyramid say 5-10 servings of fruit AND vegetables – they don’t differentiate between to 2.

I’m trying a vegetarian smoothie week myself just to be different and crazy, lol and so I’m getting probably 6 servings of fruit a day (1/2 banana, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, orange juice and light apple juice for example in a day combined with lots of spinach carrots, cucumber and celery)

Thanks!

YOU SHOULD HAVE ONLY 2 FRUITS A DAY? REALLY?

Honey, granola, pita bread, sausage muffin – I see why you were high on carbs that day but looks like you only had 2 fruit servings (1 banana and strawberries), you are definitely not too high there.

To the person who said don’t eat more than 2 fruits a day, do others agree with that? Seems really low to me considering Health Canada's Food Guide along with the US’ food pyramid say 5-10 servings of fruit AND vegetables – they don’t differentiate between to 2.

I’m trying a vegetarian smoothie week myself just to be different and crazy, lol and so I’m getting probably 6 servings of fruit a day (1/2 banana, 1 cup strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, orange juice and light apple juice for example in a day combined with lots of spinach carrots, cucumber and celery)

Thanks!

Fruits are (especially certain fruits, like bananas) very high in sugars. Yes, it's a natural sugar, and the impact is slowed down due to the fibre content of the fruit, but it is still sugar.

I have often heard the limit to two fruit servings a day, and it is what I try to stick to.

Thanks viviakay

Ok, I’ve done a little googling and it looks like in general terms 2 cups of fruit a day and 2.5 cups of vegetables is what’s recommended.

2 cups is = 4 servings and I’m definitely getting all my veggies so it’s not one sided and I will make sure to keep it to 2 cups max this week. Other sources recommend 4-5 servings a day (so that’s the same thing) so I think I’m ok. For the op though watching her carbs, just don’t overdo it on lets say apples – try watermelon, much lower in carbs.

20-30 carbs per meal is by no means "low-carb".

Noone outside of advanced athletes needs more than the 200 carbs you have alloted.

I have no idea what your current weight, fitness level, and goals are but I do question the amount of calories in general you are supposed to be eating.

I'm a 31 year old male who works out daily and I'm 6'3" 220 pounds...and my daily caloric goal isn't much higher than yours.

If you burn 500 calories each day from excercise I'm guessing you could still eat in the 1900-2000 calories per day range and still lose 2 lbs/week.

Again, I'm doing a lot of speculating because I don't have all the facts that your trainer does but I'm guessing your goals don't involve maxing your squats or deadlifts.

Ask her what she thinks about lowering your calorie goals to 1950/day or so and see what she says.

Finally, I like the ratio your trainer has for weight loss. You have to be thinking "protein" early and often. If you find yourself hitting the wall on carbs early in the day try to find other sources for your carbs:
There are a ton of whole wheat breads that don't have 24 carbs per slice. Trader Joe's has a great wheat bread that has 14 carbs per two slices (6 being fiber) and a whopping 10 grams of protein. Also berries, canteloupe, green leafy veggies, etc. are all ways to add in good healthy carbs. You can eat spinach untll the cows come home on about any diet and it will fit.

Plain Greek yogurt is also a great source of protein that has little to no sugar in it. Sweeten it with previously mentioned berries and fruit.

Every meal should have carbs, fat, and protein, and you are doing better than many in this department, you just need to work on your ratios. I'll give you a parting example based on your diary from this past Wednesday:

For breakfast you had a sandwich that consisted of 260 cals made up of 29 carbs, 8 fat, and 18 protein. You could've supplemented this by making an egg white scramble with two egg whites and a quarter tbsp. of butter. This would've added 2 carbs, 3 fat, and 12 protein to the meal for a total of: 335 cals made up of 31 carbs, 11 fat, and 30 protein. That almost hits your ratio perfectly.

Hope this helps, but again, make sure you talk things over with your trainer before making any changes.

If you bump up your protien and non-starchy veggies and skip the breads and pastas, that goal is attainable and sustainable.

For example: (sample from SB diet phase 1)

Breakfast- veggie omlette and a cup of veggie juice....... (under 20 carbs)

Snack- sliced peppers with mashed avacado mixed with lowfat cottage cheese, chopped onion, garlic, cilantro.... (about 15 carbs)

Lunch- Chili and a big salad with a low sugar dressing...... (under 20 carbs)

Snack- shrimp cocktail with homemade low sugar cocktail sauce....... (depending on you sauce, practically no carbs)

Dinner- grilled lean meat or fish of some sort, roasted asparagus and zucchini, large green salad with your choice of veggies and low sugar veggies....... (still under 20 carbs)

So this is roughly under 80 carbs for the day which leaves you wiggle room for some bread, pasta, rice, or fruit. (as unrefined as possible) Just try not to have those at every meal. It is also very satisfying. Maybe have extra carbs at breakfast or your morning snack. That way you are using those carbs throughout the day and eating less carbs later on.

Personally, I don't have any issues with low carb, provided it is a lifestyle, not a diet. I used the SB diet to reduce my dependency on white flour and sugar. My carbs are pretty high for a low carber just because I am vegan and eat alot of beans and rice, but I don't eat bread at all. And I don't even miss it, which is something I never thought I'd say. I stick to brown and wild rice, quinoa, and sometimes gluten free pastas. All in all, just more veggies and less bread equals a signifigant reduction in carbs without much effort at all.

This!! Fresh fruit has so many vitamins, minerals and fiber that the (natural, unprocessed) sugar it may contain is irrelevant!

it's not irrelevant for everyone. for me, sugar in fruit is a big deal. for diabetics, sugar in fruit is a big deal. for people who get migraines, sugar in fruit is a big deal.