Is it really just calories in vs calories out?

I was going over my food diary with a friend, who is also a formal personal trainer, and he basically said that i should be eating less carbs, less sodium, etc etc

Perhaps he feels you need more protein and less sugars?

I changed by Food Settings to 40/30/30, but he said that is still way too much fat consumption for someone trying to lose weight.

Eating too much fat won't stop you losing weight. You've already proved that.

What it might do is end up with your having inadequate carbs and protein and the sort of fruits and veg that fill you up and provide nutrients.

But don't get hung up on the details, you don't have to have a perfect diet - don't lose sight of the fact that you've made huge improvements already. Just take it one step at a time, you have the rest of your life to get this right.

Typically calories are what count the most for weight loss. As far as health, however, other factors are to be considered. My ratio is carbs 45, protein 30, and fat 25.

Weight loss is about calories in/out but where that weight comes from matters (fat vs. muscle). By eating a well balanced diet and losing in a healthy (read: MAX 2lbs/week) fashion - you are increasing the likelihood of fat loss instead of muscle loss. 40/30/30 (assuming carbs/protein/fat) is a solid # IMHO. Lessening sodium really does make a difference though - try it!

I like jennywren's advice above. You're just starting - keep it simple for a while.

Technically speaking it is calories in vs. calories out. If you ate 1200 calories of fast food a day you'd still lose weight, but you would likely have a myriad of other health issues come up. You would also probably not feel very well. I focus on calories and sodium.

I agree with the last statement. As you see your weight fall off you naturally will start to make better choices anyway. As someone who now works out, i doubt you are scarfing down tons of junk after a vigourous workout. If you are still enjoying some of the thing you like and still losing i would not worry. Its a trainers job to tell u to eat clean, we all should eat clean, but hey, if it were only that easy. I have a jillian micheals article on this and she says of course eat clean but focus on calories. here theory is that you can lose weight by cutting calories but when you get down to the last 10-15 that is where it really gets strict because this is vanity weight. When you get down to vanity weight its the hardest weight to drop. At that point everything is analyzed and cut out...sodium, alcohol, sugar..but this is when you are towards the end of your journey...for now keep up what your doing...when you see a plateau, then make changes.

I would recommend you simplify it for yourself while its working. Calories in vs calories out.

If, in the future, you stop losing, that might be the time to look a bit more closely at other things. At least that's what I'd do!!

I agree. I've tried to respect the other categories more or less, but I don't really worry if I go over in carbs or whatever. I try to balance what I eat and get a reasonable amount of exercise.

Just so you're aware, the calories in/calories out method was what I was doing for the first 2-3 months of my weight-loss (along with walking about 15 minutes a day--starting slow, then picking up speed as I felt up to it) and I dropped a lot of weight in safe increments. Now that I'm almost to my goal, I've noticed myself paying more careful attention to the other columns (and even personalized some of them) so that when I get to the maintenance stage, getting enough fiber and keeping my sodium down is as important as controlling my calorie intake. I also exercise more now, because I feel so much more energetic that I just *can't* stay at my desk all day any more. And I exercise twice a day, sometimes more (although there are days I don't even go for a walk) most days now.

Don't try and make it more complicated than it needs to be. I'm trying to keep it simple so I'll keep it up, you know? :glasses:

For weight loss, yes, it’s calories in vs calories out. But for lifestyle change and maximum results it’s is much bigger. There is a recommended “make up” of the daily calories we should be eating. Certain “calories” are better for you and may help maximize the results of your workouts. For example just looking at the two your personal trainer friend mentioned. Sodium causes water retention which may just prevent that scale from going anywhere. On top of that, high blood pressure, interrupting blood flow to your extremities. And fat (the bad kind) can not only cause all those random diseases you hear so often on the radio, but even more basic, may prevent your results from showing. We all know a pound of fat will appear larger than a pound of muscle, so those inches we like to see go or that muscle definition we may be looking for may be harder to attain.

Review some articles on the recommended daily amounts for all categories (carbs, fiber, sodium, fat, protein etc) and go on and ensure your percentages are right. You can adjust any of those in MFP. I have high blood pressure, so after calculating what I need for weight loss I went in and drastically lowered my sodium intake. Some days I am over, but at least I am easily able to identify when/where/how because I set it up just the one time.

Looking at all the other categories is definitely a more effective route, but to NOT do so won’t totally harm your efforts.

For all intents and purposes, yes, it's all about calories. If you're interested in the details, google "The Energy Balance Equation".

Technically speaking it is calories in vs. calories out. If you ate 1200 calories of fast food a day you'd still lose weight, but you would likely have a myriad of other health issues come up. You would also probably not feel very well. I focus on calories and sodium.

Same here!
In order of importance to my health plan - I watch calories first, sodium second, carbs third, fat & cholesterol tie for fourth!