Correct Advise Please

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

I actually need to get to bed, so I just skimmed the thread really quick. I bumped a thread up that I thought might be helpful to you. It's the 700 calories a day thread. I know you're eating more than 700 calories, but it offers some good advice on how to repair a damaged metabolism. I think that's what you and the OP are dealing with.

I will try to read the thread you linked in more detail tomorrow and give you a better answer if I can.

Good luck and good night!

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

I actually need to get to bed, so I just skimmed the thread really quick. I bumped a thread up that I thought might be helpful to you. It's the 700 calories a day thread. I know you're eating more than 700 calories, but it offers some good advice on how to repair a damaged metabolism. I think that's what you and the OP are dealing with.

I will try to read the thread you linked in more detail tomorrow and give you a better answer if I can.

Good luck and good night!

No hurry! Thanks for even taking the time to reply. Here in NZ I sometimes forget that you guys are in a different time zone, lol. Sleep well.

PS. IM A USSR ASTRONAUT!

I was being sarcastic... Making a point that anyone can be anything they want online! Make up any study they want, any evidence they want...

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.

Although I don't completely disagree with anything you have posted I think it must be noted that this doesn't always apply to everyone's situation... I for one (and don't think I am the only one) am the exception to the rule apparently. 31 months ago I was at 560 lbs., could barely walk from one room to another, had found out I had Full Blown Type 2 Diabetes (A1c of 10.0), Severely Fatty liver, Severe Vtiamin D deficits, etc... My Endo Doctor set me up with the Dietician and from the beginning the emphasis was not on Calories it was on Carb counting. Now the biggest thing was changing my eat choices from junk food to health choices... Fish, Chicken, Lean Beef, Whole grains, Veggies, Fruits. Cut out the usual stuff enriched floured foods, and replaced with multi grains and whole grains. We spent a couple weeks adjusting my Carb levels, and finally settled in on 60 grams of carbs at my 3 main meals and 20 grams at my 3 snacks.... There was no emphasis set on calories because my dietician calculated that I had been consuming over 6000 calories a day and that the switch to the right foods and watching my carb intake was most important for now. After the 4th week I hit a zone of losing 2 to 3 lbs. a week (1st week lost 11 lbs. 2nd week lost 8 lbs. and 3rd week lost 4lbs.) and my dietician was content with 2 to 3 lbs. a week.. I spent the next year and a half losing 180 lbs. counting my carbs. Now the second part of my journey we upped my carb intake and started watching my calories more than we had, but It really wasn't until about 6 months ago that I really started watch my calorie so closely that I started logging them and we set my BMR and created a deficit on losing 1 lb. a week. Today 31 months into my journey my BMR is 2450 (with my deficit built in) and I eat around 3200 calories a day (I eat back 85% of my exercise calories) and my carbs are 280-300 grams a day and I continue to lose 1 to 2 lbs. a week. So like I said I don't disagree with you but do think that everybody may respond differently. I have been pre-diabetic now for the past 14 months with A1c of 5.4.........