Correct Advise Please

Hmm. I'm not positive how to be diplomatic here, so please forgive me if I say this wrong. It sounds to me like you are prone toward believing myths. It's not uncommon- every one wants a quick fix- but it leave you vulnerable. Unfortunately, you're opening yourself up for even more problems with this thread. You will be bombarded by myth after myth after myth and you're not going to know what's right. You won't even know if my words are right.

So let me try and give you some tools so that you can decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong. First, you need to learn about human nutrition from credible, scientific/medical sources. The mayo clinic website is one of my favorite websites for explaining medicine and science. I think they do a fantastic job of presenting the facts in an unbiased way. You'll find it here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00616.

WebMD is another great site. You'll find their diet info here:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm.

Lyle McDonald offers some good info too, though his stuff might be a bit advanced for you... I haven't read all he has to offer, but I like what I've read. You can find his stuff here:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/

There's also great info in some of the stickies on MFP, and there are some great blogs and threads from some really credible people.

Second, every time you read something, you should start asking yourself: Does it sound too good to be true? If it DOES, then it probably IS too good to be true.

Third, I like to use the KISS rule. Keep it simple. If it sounds complicated, it's not worth your time. The most important thing you can do for your health is lose weight. You can do that by eating a normal diet. You don't need fancy tricks.

Fourth, I really really like the adage 'moderation in all things'. That means avoid obsessions. Don't get obsessed about ever little thing you eat. Don't get obsessed about exercise. Don't get obsessed about water. You CAN over-think things. You CAN over-train. Obsession will lead to burn out and failure.

Now for more specifics about your questions:

1) For weight loss, calories matter most. You'll have most success with counting calories.

2) You don't need to fear the fats. Some fat is good for you. Focus on poly and monounsaturated fats, but some saturated fat isn't going to hurt you in the long run as long as you are losing weight.

3) Carbs are totally fine UNLESS you're Insulin resistant. Insulin resistance is pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you've been diagnosed as insulin resistant and/or diabetic, then you should reduce your carbs, but not eliminate them. You should focus on getting most of your carbs from vegetables and whole-grains with a lot of fiber.

4) Glycemic index is not something you need to worry about for success. If you are insulin resistant or diabetic, THEN you should worry about glycemic index and eat foods with a low glycemic index. This advice fits with #3.

5) There are no foods that burn belly fat or fat. This is like asking for some magic beans. They don't exist and anyone that tells you otherwise is lying because they want to make money, or ignorant and buying into the propaganda and myth. They don't understand science. There is no magic anything. No quick fixes. None.

And... well... while I feel like an arrogant *kitten* for waving my credentials around... if it helps you decide who to believe and who not to, I suppose it's worth it. My 'credentials' are as follows: I have a bachelors and a masters degree in zoology with an emphasis in human biology and biophysics. I have a PhD in pharmacology with an emphasis in neuroscience. I am not a medical doctor. I am not a nutritionist. I am not a dietitian. I am not a physical trainer. But I'm good at spotting the myths and I will never knowingly lie to you about human health.

Hmm. I'm not positive how to be diplomatic here, so please forgive me if I say this wrong. It sounds to me like you are prone toward believing myths. It's not uncommon- every one wants a quick fix- but it leave you vulnerable. Unfortunately, you're opening yourself up for even more problems with this thread. You will be bombarded by myth after myth after myth and you're not going to know what's right. You won't even know if my words are right.

So let me try and give you some tools so that you can decide for yourself what is right and what is wrong. First, you need to learn about human nutrition from credible, scientific/medical sources. The mayo clinic website is one of my favorite websites for explaining medicine and science. I think they do a fantastic job of presenting the facts in an unbiased way. You'll find it here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00616.

WebMD is another great site. You'll find their diet info here:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm.

Lyle McDonald offers some good info too, though his stuff might be a bit advanced for you... I haven't read all he has to offer, but I like what I've read. You can find his stuff here:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/

There's also great info in some of the stickies on MFP, and there are some great blogs and threads from some really credible people.

Second, every time you read something, you should start asking yourself: Does it sound too good to be true? If it DOES, then it probably IS too good to be true.

Third, I like to use the KISS rule. Keep it simple. If it sounds complicated, it's not worth your time. The most important thing you can do for your health is lose weight. You can do that by eating a normal diet. You don't need fancy tricks.

Fourth, I really really like the adage 'moderation in all things'. That means avoid obsessions. Don't get obsessed about ever little thing you eat. Don't get obsessed about exercise. Don't get obsessed about water. You CAN over-think things. You CAN over-train. Obsession will lead to burn out and failure.

Now for more specifics about your questions:

1) For weight loss, calories matter most. You'll have most success with counting calories.

2) You don't need to fear the fats. Some fat is good for you. Focus on poly and monounsaturated fats, but some saturated fat isn't going to hurt you in the long run as long as you are losing weight.

3) Carbs are totally fine UNLESS you're Insulin resistant. Insulin resistance is pre-diabetes or diabetes. If you've been diagnosed as insulin resistant and/or diabetic, then you should reduce your carbs, but not eliminate them. You should focus on getting most of your carbs from vegetables and whole-grains with a lot of fiber.

4) Glycemic index is not something you need to worry about for success. If you are insulin resistant or diabetic, THEN you should worry about glycemic index and eat foods with a low glycemic index. This advice fits with #3.

5) There are no foods that burn belly fat or fat. This is like asking for some magic beans. They don't exist and anyone that tells you otherwise is lying because they want to make money, or ignorant and buying into the propaganda and myth. They don't understand science. There is no magic anything. No quick fixes. None.

And... well... while I feel like an arrogant *kitten* for waving my credentials around... if it helps you decide who to believe and who not to, I suppose it's worth it. My 'credentials' are as follows: I have a bachelors and a masters degree in zoology with an emphasis in human biology and biophysics. I have a PhD in pharmacology with an emphasis in neuroscience. I am not a medical doctor. I am not a nutritionist. I am not a dietitian. I am not a physical trainer. But I'm good at spotting the myths and I will never knowingly lie to you about human health.

LOVE THIS!!! You couldn't ask for a better simplified answer to your question. I don't think I have ever heard it explained quite this succinctly before. Thanks!

We have a few options for the title:

Correct? Advise Please
Correct? Please advise
Correct advice please

Please advise which option is correct for this matter.

Thank you.

Bump

Correct Advise Please

Ok. It's Advice.

I was totally going to do this.

We have a few options for the title:

Correct? Advise Please
Correct? Please advise
Correct advice please

Please advise which option is correct for this matter.

Thank you.

i would advise you not to give advice about advising. wait, did i say that right?

aww screw it

for most calories play a big role......
watching carbs will get better results in same amount of time.
watching fats will get better results in same amount of time....

now once you are serious about your goals and you want to cut to 5-6%BF (my current 14wk goal) only way to get there without loosing muscle or getting there period is by carb cycling... bearly watch my calories... i base it on how much protein i need, how much fats everyday, how much carbs on low carb day, how much carbs on high carb day... n cals dont matter as i have those specific macros i need to get too to maintain my muscle and lose BF... been doing it for about a month and drastic results... the pic i have up is when i started.. flat fat stomach and now a 6 pack is starting to peek through...

so ppl that say ONLY watch ur cals.. its BS... your other macros are as or in most cases even more important than just calories alone!!! u have to find foods that will meet ur macro goals and your calorie goals!

think in realm..
lets say one person eats high fiber, 1500cal diet with perfect macros to match their lean body mass...
other eats 1500cals a day but about 60% of those are fats,35%are carbs, 5%are proteins...
who do you HONESTLY think is going to see more results?

for most calories play a big role......
watching carbs will get better results in same amount of time.
watching fats will get better results in same amount of time....

now once you are serious about your goals and you want to cut to 5-6%BF (my current 14wk goal) only way to get there without loosing muscle or getting there period is by carb cycling... bearly watch my calories... i base it on how much protein i need, how much fats everyday, how much carbs on low carb day, how much carbs on high carb day... n cals dont matter as i have those specific macros i need to get too to maintain my muscle and lose BF... been doing it for about a month and drastic results... the pic i have up is when i started.. flat fat stomach and now a 6 pack is starting to peek through...

so ppl that say ONLY watch ur cals.. its BS... your other macros are as or in most cases even more important than just calories alone!!! u have to find foods that will meet ur macro goals and your calorie goals!

think in realm..
lets say one person eats high fiber, 1500cal diet with perfect macros to match their lean body mass...
other eats 1500cals a day but about 60% of those are fats,35%are carbs, 5%are proteins...
who do you HONESTLY think is going to see more results?

Also, women cannot safely exist at 5-6% body fat. The OP was talking about losing weight, not becoming a hardcore bodybuilder.

PS. IM A USSR ASTRONAUT!

:huh:

You make fun of people in your town who are immigrants n cant speak much English? you probably wait for them to turn around and laugh n say omg they need to get the eff out of our country.. they cant even speak our language!

Presumption and victim card! YES!

Well, okay, let's talk low carb diet for a minute (and this is for the benefit of the OP, not for the astronaut of a country that no longer exists).

Do low carb diets work? Can you be healthy on a low carb diet? The answer to both questions is: Yes. Absolutely.

But are they "the best way"? No. Overall (when you consider the human population and not just one individual), they aren't really any better than counting calories. Some people like them better, and some people do better on low carb than they do on anything.

Low carb diets work because proteins are so filling. Most (not all) will automatically eat fewer calories when they're on a low carb diet. They don't have to count calories, just carbs, but they are STILL decreasing their caloric intake.

Most people on a low carb diet feel like crap the first couple of weeks on the diet. It takes a bit getting used to them, but once you are used to it, most people feel fine. The 'feel like crap' thing happens because your body has to shift to ketosis to fuel your brain. Your brain can function on ketones, but it's gonna throw a fit until it accepts the fact that ketones are all it's gonna get (okay... throw a fit is not exactly a scientific term...). You get brain fog when going into ketosis. Your legs feel like lead. You sometimes get nauseous and you can get headaches. Some lucky people don't have any of these symptoms. Some have all of them in double doses. You won't know how you do on low carb until you try it. I tried it once and never, ever want to try it again.

A person does lose a lot of weight quickly on a low carb diet in the beginning. This is because your body uses up its glycogen stores. Glycogen holds on to water, so when the glycogen is gone, so is the water. The initial loss is almost all water weight.

After those first couple of weeks, weight loss proceeds the same as a low calorie diet. Over the long-haul, there's no advantage to low carb. The average person doesn't lose more weight than when they count calories and they're likely to gain the weight back if they don't stick with the program (but I could say the same about the calorie counting).

But some people really like low carb, and since the "best diet" is the diet you can stick with, you should think about low carb if you really love protein and fat. Low carb is also a very good strategy for people who are insulin resistant or diabetic.

Otherwise... there's nothing magic about low carb. It's not a bad choice. But it's not the only 'good' choice either.

Now what about this carb cycling thing? I'm pretty sure that only benefits weight lifters and even then it sounds a bit like voodoo to me. It might work, but you'd want an expert's opinion on that and I'm not an expert on those types of things.

As far as macros go... it's a good idea to watch those... but... it still needs to fit in the KISS rule. If it adds too much complexity to your diet, then don't worry about the macros. I feel the same way about other advice like eating 'organic'. It might be a good idea, but if it makes your life too complicated, it's not really worth it. Dieting is hard and you don't need to make it harder by adding a bunch of arbitrary rules.

Bump, great info here!!

LabRat529 - if you'd be so kind........ your excellent advice & knowledge would be greatly appreciated by a few of us over here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/467042-discouraged-1-month-of-counting-cals-working-out-w-no-resu

Well, okay, let's talk low carb diet for a minute (and this is for the benefit of the OP, not for the astronaut of a country that no longer exists).

Do low carb diets work? Can you be healthy on a low carb diet? The answer to both questions is: Yes. Absolutely.

But are they "the best way"? No. Overall (when you consider the human population and not just one individual), they aren't really any better than counting calories. Some people like them better, and some people do better on low carb than they do on anything.

Low carb diets work because proteins are so filling. Most (not all) will automatically eat fewer calories when they're on a low carb diet. They don't have to count calories, just carbs, but they are STILL decreasing their caloric intake.

Most people on a low carb diet feel like crap the first couple of weeks on the diet. It takes a bit getting used to them, but once you are used to it, most people feel fine. The 'feel like crap' thing happens because your body has to shift to ketosis to fuel your brain. Your brain can function on ketones, but it's gonna throw a fit until it accepts the fact that ketones are all it's gonna get (okay... throw a fit is not exactly a scientific term...). You get brain fog when going into ketosis. Your legs feel like lead. You sometimes get nauseous and you can get headaches. Some lucky people don't have any of these symptoms. Some have all of them in double doses. You won't know how you do on low carb until you try it. I tried it once and never, ever want to try it again.

A person does lose a lot of weight quickly on a low carb diet in the beginning. This is because your body uses up its glycogen stores. Glycogen holds on to water, so when the glycogen is gone, so is the water. The initial loss is almost all water weight.

After those first couple of weeks, weight loss proceeds the same as a low calorie diet. Over the long-haul, there's no advantage to low carb. The average person doesn't lose more weight than when they count calories and they're likely to gain the weight back if they don't stick with the program (but I could say the same about the calorie counting).

But some people really like low carb, and since the "best diet" is the diet you can stick with, you should think about low carb if you really love protein and fat. Low carb is also a very good strategy for people who are insulin resistant or diabetic.

Otherwise... there's nothing magic about low carb. It's not a bad choice. But it's not the only 'good' choice either.

Now what about this carb cycling thing? I'm pretty sure that only benefits weight lifters and even then it sounds a bit like voodoo to me. It might work, but you'd want an expert's opinion on that and I'm not an expert on those types of things.

As far as macros go... it's a good idea to watch those... but... it still needs to fit in the KISS rule. If it adds too much complexity to your diet, then don't worry about the macros. I feel the same way about other advice like eating 'organic'. It might be a good idea, but if it makes your life too complicated, it's not really worth it. Dieting is hard and you don't need to make it harder by adding a bunch of arbitrary rules.

Love LABRAT- definitely Queen of MFP and not merely Mayor ! :-)