mizzlarabee Member

Starchy carbs - white potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, pasta, quinoa, bulgar, oats, cereal... hope that helps :)

Yeah, I'll just have to play around with it, and see how my body responds. I worked too hard for these abs so I'll probably err on the side of caution in the beginning :p Also, I'm not on an aggressive cut so I'm not in a rush to get my calories back up.

Can we please stop using the words "sculpt" and "tone"? As a personal trainer, those are two concepts that I want to kill with fire. And they added "bromance" and "obvs" in the dictionary, but we can all agree that those won't fly in a game of Scrabble, so I'm hardly moved by the colloquial definitions. Tone in a muscle is…

Why does weightlifting and bodybuilding equate "bro-science"? Layne Norton has a video on YouTube about the rationale behind it. Basically you are trying to slowly bring your calories up after you have been on a cut (and most likely reached your goal physique) to a maintenance level, and bring your metabolic rate up. Carb…

Not to mention strokes of genius like "Grapefruit kick starts the liver into fat burning mode." what... The Military Diet (and all other super restrictive fads) set you up for yo-yo dieting, frustration, and possibly gaining more weight than you had to lose in the first place.

This is the most British sentiment ever hahaha :p

Exactly :) it's nothing like being vegetarian or vegan, which is usually based more on beliefs and morals. If people can adapt it to what works best for them in the long-run, and they feel better on it, then great.

To be fair, anybody who focuses their diet on nutrient dense foods is "mostly" paleo. It's actually that line of thinking that I find most annoying - there can be a spectrum, depending on personal preference.

The "antinutrients" are phytic acid and are just as high in the nuts that are allowed on the Paleo diet. Edit: article on legumes and Paleo http://chriskresser.com/are-legumes-paleo/

Going to be honest with you. Paleo was really unsuccessful for me. I did it for two years off and on, and lost some weight but always put it back on. The reason why you are losing weight is a calorie deficit - plain and simple. There really is no magic about paleo in particular and it is an approach to nutrition, not a…

Yeah, I hear you :) I usually buy the jars of passata and then add whatever I want to that.

I would just log it as water :)

If you want specific results, you'll need a specific approach. It really depends on what your goals are.

Peeling tomato trick: Put all your tomatoes in a bowl, pour boiling water over them, wait until the skin splits on them, peel! Voila! Cut in half and spoon out the seeds. That being said, I like my pre-made pasta sauces :p

This. Why do you know you aren't always going to be exact? Accurate and consistent intake is important.

Why the range in calories? Consistent intake is best, but wondering the rationale.

You may not get it, but I have seen that lead to disordered behaviour so many times. Food is not something to be earned nor rewarded. She asked a question, she received clear, logical answers from a community of people who are educated, and shared said education with her. She argued and defended her approach instead of…

I thought the same thing... :/

True :) I guess better worded would be don't read into it.

No worries! Sometimes all it takes is some reassurance. Don't stress about the numbers -- the idea is just to start with an estimate (because really all we are doing is estimating anyway) and be consistent :)

Because it isn't applicable to individual needs. It also isn't a viable option, because the only diet that works, is the one you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life.

Aww don't be so hard on yourself. I have PCOS as well, so I can relate. I calculated your maintenance to be ~1850 calories based on what info you gave, so 1400 is about right, but that's with no exercise. If you do add in exercise then you could increase your calories a bit. Understand that a slow loss is the best…

1200 is quite low, and is an absolute minimum, not an ideal. Your intake should be calculated to your current needs. Do you exercise at all during the week?

Without seeing your diary, my only guess is you're not eating enough volume within your calorie intake. Base your intake on really nutrient dense foods, and allow for less nutrient dense foods when you can fit them in. Nutrient-dense foods are usually low in calories and fibre, which will help you feel full longer.

Good point :)

Amber, it sounds to me like you have some learned behaviours that need to be addressed. I'm not going to play armchair psychologist but you may need to speak to someone about your behaviour with food. Number one priority is do not feel ashamed and do not be so hard on yourself. I've bolded some of the things you wrote…