Brit expat in USA needing to lose body fat

What is your BMI - higher BMIs (over 30) carry a significantly increased chance of incurring health issues.

I would have a look at this and not listen to the doc, his advice seems to go against most of the evidence based research out there.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Cheers

There are plenty of different ways to lose weight in terms of macromolecule distribution (that is, the percentage of calories/energy you get from carbs, fat, and protein). Most people stick to around 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fat. It is pretty universally agreed upon that this is ONE very healthy way to structure your diet.

Cutting out "all carbs" is deadly. Carbs are fruit, vegetables, and grains, as well as crackers, bread, soda, and candy. One easy way to help yourself lose weight is by changing the type of carbs you eat. More vegetables and whole grain (like brown rice, whole wheat bread, etc.) will fill you up and keep you full longer than the same amount of calories in the form of sugar and processed carbs (white bread, potato chips, soda, etc). Absolutely cut back on these "treat" foods and try to eat from the outer edges of the grocery store (the produce section, meat section, and a bit of whole grain from the bakery) rather than the middle (where they keep the bagged snacks, canned and frozen dinners, etc.)

EDIT: It's a really good idea to speak with a dietician/nutritionist if you can! Your doctor will often refer you, and it's often covered by insurance if you're significantly overweight! Message me if you have questions on what I said, too.

t cut out all gluten and dairy and you'll loose weight super fast!

First of all, welcome to MFP! It's a great community and you can get a lot of support and questions answered. Don't be afraid to just post away!

If you're trying to decrease your body fat percentage, burning off fat is more than likely also gonna lead to weight loss. So while losing weight doesn't seem to be your primary focus, it will probably still happen, which is just fine! One of the main keys of shredding body fat is proper nutrition. If you're trying to lose body fat, exercise is one step forward, but a poor diet is two steps back! That being said, you pretty much need to determine your daily caloric needs. This helps you to know how you Base Metabolic Rate (BMR), or many calories your body needs on a daily basis. Then you adjust for your average daily physical activity level, and then adjust further for weight loss or weight gain. All you need to determine this is your height, weight, and age. You provided two of those in your OP (and your profile page lists your age at 34). you can do this youself using many formulas. They can be found online, especially here:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/178764-caloric-intake-formula/

Using the Harris-Benedict Equation, your BMR comes out to: 66 + ( 6.23 x 260 ) + ( 12.7 x 74 ) - ( 6.8 x 34 ) = 2,445. This is your minimum number of calories to support your body doign nothing. You also stated that you are usually sedentary at work, so I would multiply this by 1.2, so that 2,445 x 1.2 = 2,900. Then you can next adjust it lower for how much weight you want to lose. For example, if you want to try to lose 1 pound per week, subtract 500 calories to get 2,400 calories.

As for what to eat, I certainly wouldn't cut out ALL carbs. Carbs are what fuels your body and gives you the energy needed hroughout the day and when you exercise. However, it sounds like you should definitely limit the amount of carbs you consume. If what you mostly eat is carbs, your body needs other macros and nutrients as well. Look to add in some proteins and fats (yes, your body does needs HEALTHY fats, too!). To help you with that you need to change in your diet, it's best to know what is your diet.

What you should try to cut out as much as you can are processed foods - usually boxed, prepackaged meal-type of "foods." They tend to be high in calories and sugar but have almost zero nutritional value. They are just empty calories (Remember, not all calories are equal!). In place, eat more fruits and vegetables along with some grains, meat for protein (chicken, fish, etc.) and some fats (peanut butter, almonds, avocados, olive oil). Just remember to plug it all into MFP and you can track exactly how much you are eating.

Hello!

I think you should get a second opinion ... SERIOUSLY!

ALL foods has a certain amount of carbs - veggies, fruits, dairy. If the physician is suggesting to cut out REFINED carbs like white flour based items, white bread, pasta, etc then I may not think THAT ill of him/her.

Before you go cutting out an entire food group you may want to really reflect if you want to have a quick fix or really adopt to healthier lifestyle change. To omit an entire food group is just not sustainable for any length of time.

Instead of dumping an entire food group perhaps start reading food labels and select items you eat regularly and just chose the lower carb & sugar option. Do a couple of swaps a week and before you know it OVERALL you will be consuming less carbs & sugar that you can actually maintain.

Even the Induction phase of the Atkins eating plan doesn't cut out ALL carbs (it allows up to 15 - 20g of Net Carbs a day & those should be coming from vegetables) so ... second opinion ... yea.

Like many can attest, this healthy lifestyle journey is rather individualistic - there is no universal answer for every one. Maybe start with baby steps & look to trading out refined carbs high in sugar for complex carbs (whole grain).

For Example:
Swap out regular white bread @ 160 Calories (2 slices) 30g Carbs, 4g Sugar
vs.
Sara Lee's 45 Calories and Delightful 100% Whole Wheat Bread @ 90 Calories (2 slices) 9g Carbs, 1g Sugar

This simple swap saves 70 calories and 21g of Carbs and you won't feel like 'OMG I want to eat the whole loaf of bread' as you pass it by the grocery store because you have deprived yourself of something every body needs in one form or the other.

Just something to consider - Good luck!