Plateauing for a long time, could use some help.

Over doing the cheese in place of protein is a huge no-no. Fat free greek yogurt is not a problem, but stay away from cheese. A little sprinkle is ok but unless its fat free, the majority of calories from cheese is from fat (obviously sugar is not the problem with cheese)...

A couple questions for you, since you're a personal trainer and have studied nutrition for 10 years:

What exactly is the problem with dietary fat?

Why should cheese be entirely avoided?

The problem is Cheese contains Saturated Fats, which are not healthy fats. Unless you are doing enough cardio to burn this fat, it will sit in your body as gained fat...which I am guessing is the main thing everyone here would like to lose.

Now lets take the fats you get from Salmon and avocados for example. These foods are high in fat, but contain good fats like Omega Fatty Acids. These fats your body can utilize and have a better chance of being absorbed and used by the body instead of just sitting in your fat cells and adding to weight and body fat.

This is all pretty common knowledge, stay away from saturated fats found in cheese, milk, butter, and meats. Instead opt for fat free, like fat free cottage cheese, skim milk, and lean cuts of meats like the filet. This is also why you want to skin your chickens ad avoid eating the skin.

Over doing the cheese in place of protein is a huge no-no. Fat free greek yogurt is not a problem, but stay away from cheese. A little sprinkle is ok but unless its fat free, the majority of calories from cheese is from fat (obviously sugar is not the problem with cheese)...

A couple questions for you, since you're a personal trainer and have studied nutrition for 10 years:

What exactly is the problem with dietary fat?

Why should cheese be entirely avoided?

The problem is Cheese contains Saturated Fats, which are not healthy fats. Unless you are doing enough cardio to burn this fat, it will sit in your body as gained fat...which I am guessing is the main thing everyone here would like to lose.

Now lets take the fats you get from Salmon and avocados for example. These foods are high in fat, but contain good fats like Omega Fatty Acids. These fats your body can utilize and have a better chance of being absorbed and used by the body instead of just sitting in your fat cells and adding to weight and body fat.

This is all pretty common knowledge, stay away from saturated fats found in cheese, milk, butter, and meats. Instead opt for fat free, like fat free cottage cheese, skim milk, and lean cuts of meats like the filet. This is also why you want to skin your chickens ad avoid eating the skin.

I can see from your pictures that what you recommend works for you, but everyone's body doesn't work exactly the same. Further, there is no evidence that saturated fat causes weight gain on a caloric deficit. In fact, that's quite impossible. So telling people to avoid saturated fat is pointless in a discussion about weight loss. There is some evidence that links saturated fat to cardiovascular disease (some of which has been disputed), but there is no indication that it causes weight gain independent of caloric intake.

For the record, this isnt a competition. I am here to help, I;ve been in the fitness industry for many years, I;ve worked as a model for Nike. I am here to help give advice and encourage my clients to use this program so they can track their diets which I can also check on through their profiles. No one has to take my advice but its what I do everyday and I personally know what it takes to lose weight and most importantly keep it off. As far as cheese is concerned, I advise my clients to keep it to a minimum, ask for light cheese when eating out, and stick to fat free versions whenever possible. Each Fat gram has 9 calories, making it incredibly easy to over eat and not realize the amount of calories you are taking in.

Well let me put it this way. I am healthy, strong, train on a weekly basis, eat healthy, and am not trying to lose weight. I know how to lose weight and keep it off. I have helped my clients lose hundreds of pounds and I have trained everyone from actors to models, to professional dancers, and your everyday person. I get paid thousands of dollars a month and I am able to support myself by helping others achieve their fitness goals. I am very successful at my job and I am also a certified Pilates Instructor. You are welcome to visit my website at FitnessBeverlyHills ......I am not sure if you also work in the fitness industry, but considering this is my job in which I make my living, I think I know what I am talking about and I would be more inclined to listen to someone with experience. If you are serious about losing weight try listening to someone who is a professional or just read the hundreds of studies on saturated fats. This I thought was common sense, but I realize that this is probably why this country has such an epidemic of overweight and unhealthy people. Many people are very misguided on healthy eating. I just saw a post yesterday by someone asking why fried zucchini was so unhealthy. I'm not telling you these things to argue with you, I'm trying to help you and the original poster. Saturated fats are no good, Eating Bacon is NOT HEALTHY unless you want to look like Paula Dean and eat Bacon, biscuits and fried chicken all day. No Bueno

Saturated fat is not in everything. There are no saturated fats in Vegetables, fruits, fat free cottage cheese, it is mainly found in Dairy and meats. Saturated fats in very low amount are fine like skinned chicken, turkey, low fat meats, but in high amounts it clogs your arteries, increases your cholesterol, and leads to excessive weight gain. Thats just how it is, I don't think "mother nature" has anything to do with it. There are many things in nature that when taken in access are very harmful. Just because its in nature doesn't mean its healthy to eat. Mother nature made Poison Ivy..would you chop it up into a salad and eat it? I don't think so.

There are plenty of foods that contain healthy fats as I stated earlier like Salmon, Nuts, Olive Oil, Avocado..these fats are good for your body and healthy to consume. Here is an article you can read and there are plenty of others just google "bad fats"
http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

Im not the one trying to lose weight so how has eating all that saturated fat been working out for you? Its not healthy, do some research, this is common sense. Yes whole milk from a cow will have saturated fat, then there is a process called centrifugation where the fat is removed from the milk. I personally prefer either organic milk or almond milk. This again is general knowledge. And sorry to inform you but eating a bunch of saturated fat causes clogged arteries and numerous health problems..just like cigarettes cause cancer, gee who still says that SMH I must be so old school to think that eating bacon, cheese, and fried chicken could possibly be horrible for me.

The issue is not completely cutting out saturated fats, its reducing them. You might eat salmon over a flank steak because of all the healthy fats it contains which are beneficial, either is a fine choice IMO, However its better to reduce your saturated fat intake by not consuming the fat and cutting it off.

I feel like this is an argument that was already researched in great length in the 1970's and I'm shocked that in 2013 there is still so much misconception and a lack of education in nutrition. It really is no wonder Americans are so over weight and unhealthy. You can believe what you want to believe, its your health thats at risk, but it doesn't hurt to listen to a professional that might possibly have more experience in the matter than you.

Why would anyone want to choose to eat saturated fat when they have other choices better and healthier for them? think about what it is your eating.. bacon grease, etc. Wouldn't a salad be better? (thats a rhetorical statement).

I dont buy the high saturated fat diets like what Atkins promotes. I mean really. What health benefit do you get from high saturated foods besides you like the taste?

I think people who love the high fat diets are those who still want to eat crap because it does taste better (in a way if you're used to it), and who dont want to give up their usual fat laden foods. imo.