Looking to get serious.

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JanetL86
JanetL86 Posts: 10 Member
edited June 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
Alright, so in the past I have never been successful in exercising and eating healthy at the same time. But last month I decided to work on exercising regularly and not focus on diet. Here it is a month later, and so far I have been successful.

Now, I am looking to change my diet. My plan is to make a list of 3-4 meal ideas per meal/snack with set calorie counts and portions to make it as easy to stick to as possible to include making everything ahead of time as my work schedule is pretty unpredictable week to week.

So I've tried just about any diet imaginable (low carb, low fat, low calorie, etc) and I honestly have no idea what I should do for the best chances of fat loss. Does body type play a role in what I should eat (I carry fat in my stomach and thighs)? Is 3-4 meals a day best or is 6 small meals best? Do I need protein shakes and other supplements? How do I know when I should eat and do I still eat all my meals even if I don't feel hungry?

Additional information: As far as exercise goes, I currently do Jillian Michaels beginner shred 3 days a week. and walk approximately 3 miles 2 days a week working towards Couch 2 5k. I plan on sticking to this until I can maintain both diet and exercise before stepping up the exercise side of things. Simply because this time around I've committed to this for life and I know one day I will get where I want to be. Might as well enjoy the journey and do it right for the final time.

Thanks for your time!
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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    The only thing that matters to weight loss is that you're in a calorie deficit. Everything else--type of diet, foods eaten, meal frequency, types of exercise--is personal preference.
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    edited June 2015
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    The only thing that matters to weight loss is that you're in a calorie deficit. Everything else--type of diet, foods eaten, meal frequency, types of exercise--is personal preference.
    I will second this.

    So I've tried just about any diet imaginable (low carb, low fat, low calorie, etc) and I honestly have no idea what I should do for the best chances of fat loss.
    Low calorie is the way to go, because it’s the only thing that matters when it comes to weight loss. I don’t think you should overthink the types of diets out there and all that stuff: at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that you’re maintaining that caloric deficit. It doesn’t matter where your calories come from. Of course, it’s a good idea to get enough protein (to help maintain muscle mass) and fat (for overall body functioning), but beyond that, it’s all up to you.
    Does body type play a role in what I should eat (I carry fat in my stomach and thighs)?
    Nope. Unfortunately, you can’t spot reduce fat. Your body will lose weight where it wants to lose weight. The type of food you eat makes no difference at all, beyond maybe the fact that some foods could cause bloating and make the stomach appear bigger.
    Is 3-4 meals a day best or is 6 small meals best?
    It really doesn’t matter. Do what works for you. For instance, I don’t eat breakfast, just because I’m not hungry in the mornings, and I’m losing weight just fine.
    Do I need protein shakes and other supplements?
    Need them for what? Weight loss? Nope.
    How do I know when I should eat and do I still eat all my meals even if I don't feel hungry?
    You should probably ensure you’re hitting your macros (protein, fat, etc), so I wouldn’t eat below the point where you’re getting enough nutrition.

    P.S. Highly recommend the use of a food scale to measure your portions - it’s a lot more accurate than cups.

    [Edited to respond to each question]
  • JanetL86
    JanetL86 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks for the reply, but my personal preference is what got me into this mess. I am not a nutritionist and all my doctor told me was to stick to 1500 calories and find a diet that works for me...which isn't the least bit helpful
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Is 3-4 meals a day best or is 6 small meals best? Do I need protein shakes and other supplements? How do I know when I should eat and do I still eat all my meals even if I don't feel hungry?

    As long as you're in a calorie deficit the rest is up to you.

    Find what works best for YOU that YOU can stick with indefinitely. Ultimately you want to have a diet that can be maintained long term otherwise whatever loss you may have will only be temporary. As far as your "problem areas" this is very typical for women. Ultimately it doesn't matter where you carry fat since you will be losing all-over and you cant spot-reduce fat loss.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    which isn't the least bit helpful

    If anything i'd say it's incredibly helpful. No one can tell us or your nutritionist what diet you will stick with, only you can decide that!

    It's much better than them saying "you must do blahblahblah" to lose.
  • JanetL86
    JanetL86 Posts: 10 Member
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    Alright so if I wanted to eat nothing but carbs I could do that as long as I stayed in a deficit? How would that help me? If anything isn't excess carbs what causes fat? How do I know I had to many carbs?
  • JanetL86
    JanetL86 Posts: 10 Member
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    no but having someone say try and eat more of this and less of this is more helpful then saying figure out yourself!
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    Alright so if I wanted to eat nothing but carbs I could do that as long as I stayed in a deficit? How would that help me? If anything isn't excess carbs what causes fat? How do I know I had to many carbs?

    No. Excess calories cause weight gain, not excess carbs. As I said, you should meet your macronutrient recommendations, but beyond that it doesn’t much matter.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Deficit deficit deficit. What you eat and how much is most importnat. Its good you have the consistency with exercise and thats helped, but its the deficit and most importnatly the one from consumption that is the key.

    Learn about basic nutrition, eat things you like and ht your calorie goals. I prefer a variety of fruit and veg with complex carbs and lean protein(supplements are only for convenience for not being able to hit the traget, real food is better imo). Make a plan that suits you in terms of being food you like or is ok(includes eating pattern), stops you feeling hungry and provides enough nutrition that your body needs.

    Maybe get some friend with open diaries or hang out on the food pages for recipes. Its no a bad plan to have 3 or 4 of different meals to make it easy and keep it simple, but as long as the calories are controlled then its not oing to matter if you vary a little.

    You are doing well especially becayse youve picked one aspect and have started to become consistent.
    Its also nice to see you asking qyestions becayse knowledge will really help you.

    Good luck.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    Alright so if I wanted to eat nothing but carbs I could do that as long as I stayed in a deficit? How would that help me? If anything isn't excess carbs what causes fat? How do I know I had to many carbs?
    Carbs over maintenance will cause fat. Same with fat. And protein.

    From a weight loss perspective, you could eat 100% carbs and lose weight if you eat fewer calories than you burn. That's likely not a feasible long term approach, but unless you have medical issues -- your doctor apparently didn't say you did -- carbs are not the problem.

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    edited June 2015
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    Alright so if I wanted to eat nothing but carbs I could do that as long as I stayed in a deficit? How would that help me? If anything isn't excess carbs what causes fat? How do I know I had to many carbs?

    Excess calories cause fat. If you eat 300 grams of carbs and are still within your calorie goal, you'll lose weight.

    The key is to find out what works for you. Many people succeed on LCHF diets; others can't. Many people go paleo. Many more practice moderation of everything, while others have to cut foods out that they can potentially binge on. Try a diet out for 4-6 weeks and see if you can stick to it.
  • JanetL86
    JanetL86 Posts: 10 Member
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    I'd rather someone tell me try and eat so many cups of fruits and vegetables (or grams) and less carbs then someone tell me eat all you want of whatever you want as long as your in a calorie deficit. The food pyramid is a bunch of bs, because one size isn't fit all....I figured people with the same body type as me would have personal experience on what they feel works best for them
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    Figure out how many calories you want to eat to lose weight.

    Eat .6g of protein per pound of body weight. Eat (your total calories * .30) / 9 in fat grams. Eat the rest in carbs.

    There you go.
  • Tydeclare44
    Tydeclare44 Posts: 572 Member
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    It seems like this is all kind of a bit overwhelming so let's take a step back. When/what do you like to eat? what do you think you can live without, or what do you think you could not? All in all, if all you care about is pure weight loss (both fat and muscle) then yes, calories in calories out is something easy to follow.
  • Kman4evah
    Kman4evah Posts: 67 Member
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    Alright so if I wanted to eat nothing but carbs I could do that as long as I stayed in a deficit? How would that help me? If anything isn't excess carbs what causes fat? How do I know I had to many carbs?

    In theory you could. It would be relatively unhealthy because you need protein to keep your lean muscle and your body needs fats to function. But for pure weight loss, all you need is a calorie deficit.
    Generally you want to fill your diet with enough protein to keep your muscle and enough fat for your body to function, and the rest as carbs up to your calorie limit (at least that's the way I'm trying to do it). But you can really do it however you want.
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    edited June 2015
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    I'd rather someone tell me try and eat so many cups of fruits and vegetables (or grams) and less carbs then someone tell me eat all you want of whatever you want as long as your in a calorie deficit. The food pyramid is a bunch of bs, because one size isn't fit all....I figured people with the same body type as me would have personal experience on what they feel works best for them

    Hit.your.macros. Beyond that, eat whatever you like. Maybe play around with the IIFYM calculator to figure out what that entails. You say you want to get serious - getting serious usually implies wanting to put in the effort to learn good sustainable eating habits.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    Alright so if I wanted to eat nothing but carbs I could do that as long as I stayed in a deficit? How would that help me? If anything isn't excess carbs what causes fat? How do I know I had to many carbs?

    Nope. ;)

    http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

    This guy lost 30 pounds in two months eating.... nothing but twinkies.

    CALORIES are what make you gain weight or lose weight. Let me break it down for you because you seem like you want someone to spell it out for you.

    Okay. You already know to eat 1500 calories per your nutritionist, right?

    Calories are energy. All of the food you eat consists of the following three things. Carbs, protein, and fats (also alcohol but lets ignore that for now). These are called Macros. There are also trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. These are called micros. All of the food you eat consist of this.

    All macronutrients have energy.
    Carbs have 4 calories per gram
    Protein has 4 calories per gram
    Fat has 9 calories per gram

    No ONE macronutrient will make you fat. An excess of TOTAL calories will make you gain fat. On the flip side, a deficit of TOTAL calories will make you lose fat.

    Now... It goes without saying that you will be able to eat MORE (quantity) of items that are LOW calorie. This includes things like fruits and veggies, lean meats, fish, etc. It is UP TO YOU depending on how hungry you are, what keeps you full, what you enjoy eating, etc.

    My approach would be to eat the foods you ENJOY in smaller quantities to fit your calorie goal. See if that works for you. If not, and you're eating way too many calories on one single meal, try making substitutions that you can live with. For example, you want a burger and fries? Try a burger and then substitute the fries for an apple or something. The goal here is to include foods you will ACTUALLY eat, because once you lose all the weight and start maintaining you need to be able to eat these foods FOREVER. If you go right back to eating the way you did before you will just yo-yo and gain the weight back.

    My suggestion would be first focus on hitting your calorie goal consistently.

    Then if you want to focus on hitting certain macro goals you can. If you want to decrease fat, or carbs, or protein, or whatever you can.

    Since you're not tracking your diet yet you should go ahead and start tracking what you're eating RIGHT NOW. This'll give you an idea of where all your calories are coming from. From there you can look into cutting certain things out or changing the portion size to hit your calorie goal.
  • JanetL86
    JanetL86 Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you Ty. I was seriously regretting posting this. Pretty bad first post makes you want to give up before you even start because the answers are so discouraging. I'm looking to lose only fat, which I understand may be impossible for the most part unless you eat certain ways. I know I need to eat less carbs but I also know certain days are ok to eat more carbs. I'm not a huge fan of fish and dairy is not a friend. I have basic knowledge but not the knowledge I need to get where I want to be. I know I'm not working out intensely enough yet to have "the ROCK" size carb up days. But I need a starting point.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited June 2015
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    Thank you Ty. I was seriously regretting posting this. Pretty bad first post makes you want to give up before you even start because the answers are so discouraging.

    If something as simple as "you need to learn what works best for you" is discouraging, then, as you said, maybe you're not ready to start.

    Everyone has their own preferences for food and what works for some will not work for all. You dont like fish and dairy? Dont eat it! That was exactly my initial point. Thank god your nutritionist didn't tell you to only eat lean fish and dairy.
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
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    JanetL86 wrote: »
    Thank you Ty. I was seriously regretting posting this. Pretty bad first post makes you want to give up before you even start because the answers are so discouraging. I'm looking to lose only fat, which I understand may be impossible for the most part unless you eat certain ways. I know I need to eat less carbs but I also know certain days are ok to eat more carbs. I'm not a huge fan of fish and dairy is not a friend. I have basic knowledge but not the knowledge I need to get where I want to be. I know I'm not working out intensely enough yet to have "the ROCK" size carb up days. But I need a starting point.

    What? The answers are discouraging? So basically you’ve ignored everything I said? Oh well. Good luck to you.

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