I have been told a 44/45/10 is best but it's pretty hard to reach. I have been more at a 40/40/20 and still seeing some results.

44/45/10? How is that even possible? Everything I eat, even if its just healthy things like fruits and vegetables seem to have so many carbs! What do you eat that has so few carbs in it?

Calorie management... that was all. I literally did not calculate at anything else. The only thing I noted was that carb-heavy foods seemed to also be calorie-heavy, but I didnt factor any of that into my "math". I didn't overhaul my grocery list. I didn't fear fast food places or restaurants. I only managed my portion size. Just straight up, plain ol' calories.

For exercise during that time, I was doing what the Air Force directed 3 times a week (1.5 mile Run within 14 min., 57 Push Ups in 1 min., and 54 Sit Ups in 1 min.) If for some reason I couldn't make it out to do that, I would do sets of Pull Ups, Hanging Leg Lifts, and Push Ups. Approx. 30 minutes of exercise, if you count time spent stretching/resting. But here's the kicker: I had been doing that exact fitness routine since 2004! So what changed in the last 9 years? Calories.

According to the Air Displacement Plethysmograph (Bod Pod) in my military base's Health and Wellness Center, I went from 22% body fat to 10% body fat in roughly 6 months (Aug 2011 - Feb 2012)... only factoring calories and exercise.

Was it the OPTIMAL method? Probably not. I'm sure there are specific foods, calculations, and ratios to optimize body fat reduction. I'm sure there are fitness routines that maximize lean mass development. Who has time, energy, and dedication for that? I know I dont. Calorie counting was hands-down the EASIEST and most LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE for me. This month marks 1.5 yrs later and I'm now 9% body fat. Common sense would say super-easy and long-term lifestyle changes would be the ones likely to pan out, right?

There will be many to read this, shake their head, poke holes in my choices, or maybe even flat-out call me wrong. But I'm gonna go ahead and side with my doctors, my annual physicals, my blood/lab results, my Bod Pod results, my exercise performance benchmarks, my tastebuds.... and my abs. They all tell me I'm on the right track.