Frustrated with all the information?

afunke3460 wrote: »

I totally get the calories in calories put thing, but where I get frustrated is the healthy fats vs bad fats, or good veggies vs bad. I feel like there is not a good answer as to what to eat and what to stay away from?

That's my point. The answer to these questions are mostly a matter of opinion, which is why there is so much conflicting information out there. Everyone is going to point to a different study to defend their beliefs. At the end of the day, if you eat what you like, eat what makes you feel good and stay within your calorie goal you will be fine.

afunke3460 wrote: »

I totally get the calories in calories put thing, but where I get frustrated is the healthy fats vs bad fats, or good veggies vs bad. I feel like there is not a good answer as to what to eat and what to stay away from?

Most of that is overcomplicating it for the sake of making you feel like you need someone else to tell you what to eat.

IMO, weight loss is about calories and what makes you feel satisfied. These are important.

Nutrition is about getting a nutrient dense diet that meets your needs, and generally speaking there's agreement that vegetables, healthy fats, and protein are important, with a great deal of dispute about how much protein is really desirable. For me, protein is satiating and maintaining muscle is important to me (and I think good for my health as a 40 something woman), so I eat a bit more than some think is necessary.

If someone says there are good vegetables and bad vegetables and specifically vegetables you should avoid (carrots are too sugary or some dumb nonsense like that), write them off as a bad source, period. Vegetables are good for you unless the specific vegetable makes you feel bad.

IMO, same with fruit except it has enough calories that you need to make sure you are not one of those people who would eat it to the exclusion of getting enough fat and protein and vegetables.

As for healthy fats, what is normally meant are sources of omega 3s, like fatty fish (as those tend to be in overly low supply in the current diet, on average), and less processed vegetable sources like nuts and seeds, nut butters, olives and olive oil, avocado. But other sources of fat are okay (for some limiting sat fat is likely a good idea, but that doesn't mean having none, and worrying about that now might be counterproductive). How much fat overall goes back to that "what makes you feel satiated and satisfied" thing.

Don't overcomplicate it.

I did paleo for a year, paleo-esque for a year following. Lost 10 lbs the first year, stayed at that weight the second.

This year, my third of training and thinking critically about what I eat, I completely ditched paleo. I've lost another 10 lbs and I'm on my way to the next five. This is what I've found successful so far:

1.) Prioritize eating atleast 100g (or 0.7g per 1lb body weight) of lean Protein a day. That's like, 20g every time you eat. Not bad. Just make sure it isn't sausage or bacon or ribeyes.
2.) Have a non-starchy vegetable with every meal (I do salad or frozen veggies like broccoli. Also squash is great this time of year)
3.) Consider eating starches like potatoes and bananas and stuff. Don't just cut them out.
4.) Really look at your caloric intake, honestly. I didn't really do that well on paleo, and honestly, I think it's because I overdid it calorically and with fats and my body needed more carbs to accommodate for the training I was working on.
5.) Challenge yourself to eat slowly

Like everyone else said, these are all opinions. But here are some easy "rules of thumb" that I've picked up. Good luck!

afunke3460 wrote: »

Ok, so on Paleo bacon is good. Is that really the case? Or would this be a bad fat? I see many things saying it is bad but many that is good. Where does this lay on the fat scale? Is it better to do any protein or should I stick to low fat protein. Also what about jerky?

Good fat tends to mean the specific things I mentioned above. That doesn't mean that other sources of fat are bad.

Processed meat/smoked things/nitrites probably should not be consumed in huge amounts, but eating some is fine. (I get bacon from a local farm and eat it (in smallish quantities) regularly, and consume smoked salmon a decent amount.)

Protein that is high in fat will often add a good bit of sat fat to your diet. There is some debate about the harm of sat fat -- I tend to think that limiting it is still the best course but that doesn't mean none, and people react differently -- some have cholesterol issues linked to it, some do not. If your cholesterol is fine, worrying about sat fat may not be a huge deal for you right now. That said, getting adequate protein without eating huge amounts of meat is easier if you go for a lot of leaner options. But that doesn't mean only boneless skinless chicken breast or that you can never have chicken with skin on it or pulled pork. Just maybe make sure you are mainly getting leaner cuts or vegetarian sources of protein if possible (legumes are out on paleo normally, I know -- one of my own issues with paleo), sprinkle in the others for taste and satisfaction. Don't become overly rigid and think it must be all or nothing.

If you aren't losing weight - it's not WHAT you are eating, it's HOW MUCH you are eating.