I have been dieting for 2 weeks....

[The Poojer]

between breakfast and dinner I have 3 bananas and one kiwi and 6-10 glasses of water, dinner is a sensible meal. I have tried to cut out all breads and when eating rice I have gone to brown rice. I have been including alot of beans in dinner recipes, no beer, wine, or sodas, mostly water, weekends I usually have a nice bowl of oatmeal with fruit and honey. I have begun using the stairs more and parking in the farthest reaches of our parking lot. Still that is about all the excersize I get, but is this a good start? Am I eating too many bananas? are they good substitues for lunches? I am certainly not in the least bit hungry. Just want your thoughts.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

You're going to start posting polls about your avatar soon, aren't you?

[duey]

That should definitely result in some weight loss. The question is this...can you keep it up, or after you lose the weight, you go back to eating some of the old, "bad" things?

[KRC]

between breakfast and dinner I have 3 bananas and one kiwi and 6-10 glasses of water, dinner is a sensible meal.  I have tried to cut out all breads and when eating rice I have gone to brown rice.  I have been including alot of beans in dinner recipes, no beer, wine, or sodas, mostly water, weekends I usually have a nice bowl of oatmeal with fruit and honey.  I have begun using the stairs more and parking in the farthest reaches of our parking lot. Still that is about all the excersize I get, but is this a good start?  Am I eating too many bananas?  are they good substitues for lunches?  I am certainly not in the least bit hungry.  Just want your thoughts.

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You lost me at "no beer."

 

Seriously, you have to be extremely careful about making sure you get the proper nutrition. Having only 3 bananas and a kiwi as a replacement for two meals worries me. Are you getting the proper nutrition with only one meal a day?

 

To me, it gets back to what everyone always says but never does: Eat smaller, sensible meals and exercise regularly. When you start cutting out foods, you risk causing damage to your body through specific deficiencies. You may lose weight, but you might also cause damage to internal organs in the process.

 

Eat sensible meals (smaller meals more often) and get regular exercise. You will increase your metabolism which helps burn fat. You are on the right track with more walking and taking the stairs. That will also help.

[The Poojer]

I picked the bananas and kiwi, because they seem to be pretty nutirionally loaded, and as for dinner, I have made an effort to eat mor salmon, turkey/chicken breast, veggies etc, rice, beans..so I think I am getting good nutrition

 

You lost me at "no beer." 

 

Seriously, you have to be extremely careful about making sure you get the proper nutrition. Having only 3 bananas and a kiwi as a replacement for two meals worries me. Are you getting the proper nutrition with only one meal a day?

 

To me, it gets back to what everyone always says but never does: Eat smaller, sensible meals and exercise regularly. When you start cutting out foods, you risk causing damage to your body through specific deficiencies. You may lose weight, but you might also cause damage to internal organs in the process.

 

Eat sensible meals (smaller meals more often) and get regular exercise. You will increase your metabolism which helps burn fat. You are on the right track with more walking and taking the stairs. That will also help.

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[IDBillzFan]

You lost me at "no beer." 

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My wife has been using Weight Watchers for about a year now and has lost over 35 pounds. I'm not really overweight, but wouldn't mind shedding a few pounds. So I started to consider the Weight Watchers program, which is based on assigning points to various foods.

 

For example, you can have 22 points per day. So a turkey burger on a low-fat bun is two points, and four ounces of chicken breast is so many points.

 

Beer is 7 points. Which means if I don't eat all day, then at night I can have three beers and a pretzel.

 

Yeah. Right. I'm on that plan.

[X. Benedict]

You lost me at "no beer." 

 

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You homebrewers are the salt of the earth.

[The Dean]

Back in Grad School i used to go on the white wine, salad and cocaine diet. Worked farily well, but was expensive.

 

[col_forbin]

That should definitely result in some weight loss.  The question is this...can you keep it up, or after you lose the weight, you go back to eating some of the old, "bad" things?

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I tend to agree with DUEY. I'm sure you will lose weight this way, but how long can you go on eating 15 bananas a week??? The best thing I can tell you is some how workout during the way. Even if you can only fit 30 minutes in. Everything will fall into place from there. Good luck.

[KRC]

My wife has been using Weight Watchers for about a year now and has lost over 35 pounds. I'm not really overweight, but wouldn't mind shedding a few pounds. So I started to consider the Weight Watchers program, which is based on assigning points to various foods.

 

For example, you can have 22 points per day. So a turkey burger on a low-fat bun is two points, and four ounces of chicken breast is so many points.

 

Beer is 7 points. Which means if I don't eat all day, then at night I can have three beers and a pretzel.

 

Yeah. Right. I'm on that plan.

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Are the points based on calories? Carbs? Combo of both? You can adjust the beer recipe accordingly, so you can have four beers and a pretzel each day.

[BuckeyeBill]

Eat breakfast EVERY MORNING, as soon as you wake up. Carbs and Protein. And never eat 3-4 hours before you go to sleep.

 

No pop, beer, wine, etc.

 

Eat Breakfast Like a King (big meal), Lunch like a Common Person (medium meal), and Dinner like a Pauper (very small meal).

 

I guarantee you'll lose weight that way... if you are consistent.

[KRC]

 

You homebrewers are the salt of the earth.

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We are a special breed.

[The Dean]

Eat breakfast EVERY MORNING, as soon as you wake up.  Carbs and Protein.  And never eat 3-4 hours before you go to sleep.

 

No pop, beer, wine, etc.

 

Eat Breakfast Like a King (big meal), Lunch like a Common Person (medium meal), and Dinner like a Pauper (very small meal).

 

I guarantee you'll lose weight that way... if you are consistent.

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What's strange is if i eat breakfast...I'll eat all day. I'll be hungry all day. If I skip breakfast, I won't have to eat til dinner sometime. I know it's not good for you, but that's the way it works for me.

 

As for the guarantee. individuals process and metabolize in very different ways. what works for some, doesn't for others. There isn't one way.

[BuckeyeBill]

What's strange is if i eat breakfast...I'll eat all day.  I'll be hungry all day.  If I skip breakfast, I won't have to eat til dinner sometime.  I know it's not good for you, but that's the way it works for me.

 

As for the guarantee.  individuals process and metabolize in very different ways.  what works for some, doesn't for others.  There isn't one way.

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If you eat breakfast... you START your fat and calorie burning machine. You are hungry if you eat breakfast because you are burning calories. That's what you WANT TO DO to lose weight. Ignore the hunger and lose weight.

 

If you skip breakfast, you never turn on your fat burning machine until... well, whenever you eat (dinnertime), and you don't efficiently burn the calories. You body will think that it is still sleeping... well, at least your digestive system will.

 

Remember when sleeping your only burn 60 calories an hour. When your body is awake and your system has been turned on... you burn 100 calories an hour.

[UB2SF]

between breakfast and dinner I have 3 bananas and one kiwi and 6-10 glasses of water, dinner is a sensible meal.  I have tried to cut out all breads and when eating rice I have gone to brown rice.  I have been including alot of beans in dinner recipes, no beer, wine, or sodas, mostly water, weekends I usually have a nice bowl of oatmeal with fruit and honey.  I have begun using the stairs more and parking in the farthest reaches of our parking lot. Still that is about all the excersize I get, but is this a good start?  Am I eating too many bananas?  are they good substitues for lunches?  I am certainly not in the least bit hungry.  Just want your thoughts.

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A few years ago I lost 30 pounds by following the Zone diet, and I still follow it to this day. Everyone who's had successful weight loss with a specific approach will preach about how great it was, so I'll try not to do that. However, I'll suggest a couple things from what I learned by keeping myself at my high-school weight for 3 years now.

1) You should really try to get some lean protein into every meal, and probably in your snacks too. Depending on what you like, this could be turkey, chicken, fish, eggs (especially egg whites), tofu and other soy proteins.

2) I'd say you're definitely eating too many bananas. While they are rich in nutrients, they're also "high-glycemic carbs", which means that they make your blood sugar rise higher than other carbs.

3) Try adding nuts into your diet, especially almonds or cashews. They are high in fiber and nutrients, and while they're high in fat, it's the "good" unsaturated kind. Some people have trouble believing that eating nuts can help you lose weight, but it's true.

 

To go all Zone on yo' a$$ (here's the preaching part):

- Try to eat three square meals a day, plus a snack in the afternoon and a snack in the evening.

- Each meal should have a balance of protein, carbs, and fat.

 

Good luck! PM me if you want more info on The Zone.

[JoeFerguson]

Best way to shed some pounds, limit the amount of time you spend staring at TBD.

[KD in CA]

Back in Grad School i used to go on the white wine, salad and cocaine diet.  Worked farily well, but was expensive.

 

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I can't see how that diet would work w/o cigarettes.

[meazza]

between breakfast and dinner I have 3 bananas and one kiwi and 6-10 glasses of water, dinner is a sensible meal.  I have tried to cut out all breads and when eating rice I have gone to brown rice.  I have been including alot of beans in dinner recipes, no beer, wine, or sodas, mostly water, weekends I usually have a nice bowl of oatmeal with fruit and honey.  I have begun using the stairs more and parking in the farthest reaches of our parking lot. Still that is about all the excersize I get, but is this a good start?  Am I eating too many bananas?  are they good substitues for lunches?  I am certainly not in the least bit hungry.  Just want your thoughts.

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perhaps your best solution would be to go see a dietician.

IMHO eating a lot of fruits will generally lead to a healthier lifestyle but the diet you're eating seems to be one of those that won't last... the reason being that eventually you might cave in.

 

That has always been my problem. I eat well for a while and then I lose the will after a while and go back to eating what I shouldn't.

 

My suggestion. Increase the amount of protein you consume in a day whether it be from steaks, chicken and so on. If possible, try to consume as much protein as about 65% of your body weight. Meaning if you're 100 pounds, try and consume about 65 grams of protein per day.

 

By eating more protein, your muscles are kept fed constantly, and muscles consume more calories per day than fat, therefore resulting in a steady but gradual weight loss.

 

Cutting out carbs from your diet is a myth, as it does work, but cutting carbs from a diet is like cuttng gasoline from a cars diet. Eventually you won't have enough energy to do what you want.

 

Don't concentrate on your weight as it really isn't that much of an indicator, the best indicator is body fat percentage. I'm at 27% and i'm trying to get it down to about 20%.

 

The best thing for you would be to consult a dietician or personal trainer, and simply tell him that your goal is to cut out body fat from your diet. They will tell you which is the best method according to you. Diets don't work in the long run.

[meazza]

I picked the bananas and kiwi, because they seem to be pretty nutirionally loaded, and as for dinner, I have made an effort to eat mor salmon, turkey/chicken breast, veggies etc, rice, beans..so I think I am getting good nutrition

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On average, a healthy person needs to eat foods rich in protein 3 times a day. Eating it only once isn't enough especially for weight loss.

[The Dean]

I can't see how that diet would work w/o cigarettes.

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It was cigars for me. sorry I omitted that important part of the program.

[tmk-nj]

Are the points based on calories? Carbs? Combo of both? You can adjust the beer recipe accordingly, so you can have four beers and a pretzel each day. 

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Points are based on FAT, COLORIES and FIBER.

[tmk-nj]

Very nice! Congrats to your wife.

 

I did Weight Watchers 4 years ago and lost 50. It was awesome.

 

Then I went back tot he bad habits and I am now back on the program.

 

The key (hard part) is what you do after your goals are met. Because the weight comes right back on.

 

Tom

 

 

My wife has been using Weight Watchers for about a year now and has lost over 35 pounds. I'm not really overweight, but wouldn't mind shedding a few pounds. So I started to consider the Weight Watchers program, which is based on assigning points to various foods.

 

For example, you can have 22 points per day. So a turkey burger on a low-fat bun is two points, and four ounces of chicken breast is so many points.

 

Beer is 7 points. Which means if I don't eat all day, then at night I can have three beers and a pretzel.

 

Yeah. Right. I'm on that plan.

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[KD in CA]

It was cigars for me.  sorry I omitted that important part of the program.

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Shame on you for wasting money on cigars in college when there was plenty of dope available.

[The Dean]

Shame on you for wasting money on cigars in college when there was plenty of dope available.

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Did I not mention the cocaine? Pot, hash, musrooms and occasionally acid were all part of the lifestyle, but I'm not sure they related to the diet. (Certainly not hash and pot...they are diet killers!)

 

[IDBillzFan]

Points are based on FAT, COLORIES and FIBER.

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And it's cool because while they will assign points to your everyday food like a slice of bread or chicken breast, you can also take a recipe where you know the fat, calories, fiber, etc., and go to their website, input that data as it relates to the number of servings in the recipe, and it'll give you your points total. We actually have four or five Weight Watchers cook books, and I have to admit that most of the recipes we've tried have been pretty damn good. They also have some decent desserts.

 

The key with WW is not necessarily what you're eating...you can eat whatever you want...but how much of it you eat. Wifey gets cranky sometimes when she'll suggest we cook a particular item for dinner and I always ask "Can you eat that?"

 

It was the best diet for her for this very reason. She never did well with Watkins or any of those other gimmicks because you had various foods eliminated. I mean, if you take pasta out of a person's life, exactly how do you expect them to stick with that diet?

[/dev/null]

 

i find this thread amusing as i sit here eating Hardee's 2 double cheeseburgers for $3

[EC-Bills]

between breakfast and dinner I have 3 bananas and one kiwi and 6-10 glasses of water, dinner is a sensible meal.  I have tried to cut out all breads and when eating rice I have gone to brown rice.  I have been including alot of beans in dinner recipes, no beer, wine, or sodas, mostly water, weekends I usually have a nice bowl of oatmeal with fruit and honey.  I have begun using the stairs more and parking in the farthest reaches of our parking lot. Still that is about all the excersize I get, but is this a good start?  Am I eating too many bananas?  are they good substitues for lunches?  I am certainly not in the least bit hungry.  Just want your thoughts.

574115[/snapback]

 

First you need to get off of the diet mentality. Think behavior modification instead. If you don't change your eating/food habits, you will never get anywhere.

 

My advice would be to go find a registered dietician/nutritionist. They can give you good ideas on how to prepare balanced meals in the proper proportions.

[billsfanmiami(oh)]

 

i find this thread amusing as i sit here eating Hardee's 2 double cheeseburgers for $3

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So do I as I wait for my roomate to bring me a burrito from Chipotle on his way home from work, then finish it off with some cold ones.

[inkman]

between breakfast and dinner I have 3 bananas and one kiwi and 6-10 glasses of water, dinner is a sensible meal.  I have tried to cut out all breads and when eating rice I have gone to brown rice.  I have been including alot of beans in dinner recipes, no beer, wine, or sodas, mostly water, weekends I usually have a nice bowl of oatmeal with fruit and honey.  I have begun using the stairs more and parking in the farthest reaches of our parking lot. Still that is about all the excersize I get, but is this a good start?  Am I eating too many bananas?  are they good substitues for lunches?  I am certainly not in the least bit hungry.  Just want your thoughts.

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Diet, Smiet. I lost 20 pounds (204-184) over a three month span and it all invloved running my arse off. I put 10 back on after I stopped running but I'm back at it and hopefully will get down to 175.

 

Lets face it, running sucks. Depending on how out of shape you are (I was immensely), it is damn near impossible to do. I just started with small sprints, mixed with aggressive walking. Slowly, I would increase the running time and decrease the walking time. After a while I got up to running 23 min out of 30. It kept my heart rate pumping and the fat burning.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

My wife has been using Weight Watchers for about a year now and has lost over 35 pounds. I'm not really overweight, but wouldn't mind shedding a few pounds. So I started to consider the Weight Watchers program, which is based on assigning points to various foods.

 

For example, you can have 22 points per day. So a turkey burger on a low-fat bun is two points, and four ounces of chicken breast is so many points.

 

Beer is 7 points. Which means if I don't eat all day, then at night I can have three beers and a pretzel.

 

Yeah. Right. I'm on that plan.

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That's not their only plan. They have a core food plan where youc an eat as much as you like of lean meats, whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Diet, Smiet.  I lost 20 pounds (204-184) over a three month span and it all invloved running my arse off.  I put 10 back on after I stopped running but I'm back at it and hopefully will get down to 175. 

 

Lets face it, running sucks.  Depending on how out of shape you are (I was immensely), it is damn near impossible to do.  I just started with small sprints, mixed with aggressive walking.  Slowly, I would increase the running time and decrease the walking time.  After a while I got up to running 23 min out of 30.  It kept my heart rate pumping and the fat burning.

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You don't necessarily have to run. You can walk briskly and will burn MORE fat than if you run.

 

Also, try yoga and pilates. (side benefit: chicks in tight workout suits) Cardio alone will not keep weight off. You MUST do some sort of resistance training, bodyweight or otherwise.

[IDBillzFan]

That's not their only plan. They have a core food plan where youc an eat as much as you like of lean meats, whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

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I've seen refererences to their core plan, but never paid it any attention. If I'm allowed to have beer every night, I'm in.

[mead107]

back on the diet FEB 1st , I put all the weight back on plus 10 pounds from last year .going to do weight watcher one more time .

[tennesseeboy]

back on the diet  FEB 1st ,  I put all the weight back on plus 10 pounds from last year .going to do weight watcher one more time .

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I lost twenty-five pounds spending six months in Ukraine walking everywhere and keeping warm in a Russian Winter. I noticed that portions in restaurants were tiny compared to what we get in the states and found eating in American restaurants almost obscene after I got back. Now I have to work out in a gym four times a week to get the exercise I was getting walking. Gained ten in the last month and NOW I am going to get more serious about portion control, eating out less, and drinking more water. No snacking after 6 either. Never ending battle.

[Spun]

It is generally recommended to couple diet with exercise. Avoid the sugar, fat foods, most fast foods and fried foods. Adding more fruits and vegetables can be helpful to your diet as long as you aren't burying them with fattening sauces.

 

If you can get on a daily exercise plan do so. Running works for some but it can get boring. Getting into a gym to use a stairmaster or exercise bike can knock off the calories and not be so strenuous. Once you get in a gym it is easier because most everybody else is also exercising. Running can be very challenging as it can be such a solitary endeavor. Getting workout partner(s) can be very helpful. Personal trainers can also work for you. Build muscle and burn fat.

 

Good luck!!!

[The Dean]

It is generally recommended to couple diet with exercise.  Avoid the sugar, fat foods, most fast foods and fried foods.  Adding more fruits and vegetables can be helpful to your diet as long as you aren't burying them with fattening sauces.

 

If you can get on a daily exercise plan do so.  Running works for some but it can get boring.  Getting into a gym to use a stairmaster or exercise bike can knock off the calories and not be so strenuous. Once you get in a gym it is easier because most everybody else is also exercising.  Running can be very challenging as it can be such a solitary endeavor.  Getting workout partner(s) can be very helpful.  Personal trainers can also work for you.  Build muscle and burn fat.

 

Good luck!!!

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Eat right? Excercise? THAT'S your plan?

 

C'mon...That's crazy talk! I mean anyone can lose weight (sensibly and slowly) that way. Where's the excitment? Where's the challenge? Where's the joie de vie?

 

Take massive amounts of amphetamines, train for a triathalon and eat only pickles.

[Mr Info]

On average, a healthy person needs to eat foods rich in protein 3 times a day.  Eating it only once isn't enough especially for weight loss.

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Please post a link to medical facts regarding this. The WHO, DHSS, NACNE, and others recommend eating 11-20% of total daily calories. Toward the higher end if one is an athlete. To me, that does not qualify as "rich in protein". The typical American diet is higher than this amount (as well as fats) but that's why a majority of the population is overweight.

[meazza]

Please post a link to medical facts regarding this. The WHO, DHSS, NACNE, and others recommend eating 11-20% of total daily calories. Toward the higher end if one is an athlete. To me, that does not qualify as "rich in protein". The typical American diet is higher than this amount (as well as fats) but that's why a majority of the population is overweight.

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the typical american diet is high in sugar and carbohydrates. For example. Eating a stake with some salad with no dressing is not fattening especially if it is lean, but eating a burger with mayo and 3 glasses of soft drink and fries is fattening.

 

I'm not in the mood of looking up medical facts but i've been to nutriotionists and personal trainers as well as i've done my own research. All of them consult to have large amounts of proteins in small portions. The only risk is not to consume more protein than amount of body weight (this is if you have a regular resistance training program).

 

When i workout regularly, i usually eat tuna two times a day as well as other lean meats and I usually shed off the fat quickly as well as build more muscle. The only difficulty I have is I work and go to school far from home so I often eat out and I notice the difference right away of the sh-- foods im eating.

[Mr Info]

the typical american diet is high in sugar and carbohydrates.  For example.  Eating a stake with some salad with no dressing is not fattening especially if it is lean, but eating a burger with mayo and 3 glasses of soft drink and fries is fattening. 

 

I'm not in the mood of looking up medical facts but i've been to nutriotionists and personal trainers as well as i've done my own research.  All of them consult to have large amounts of proteins in small portions.  The only risk is not to consume more protein than amount of body weight (this is if you have a regular resistance training program). 

 

When i workout regularly, i usually eat tuna two times a day as well as other lean meats and I usually shed off the fat quickly as well as build more muscle.  The only difficulty I have is I work and go to school far from home so I often eat out and I notice the difference right away of the sh-- foods im eating.

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I don't know but it seems this article as well as a bunch of others somewhat contradict your claims and that of your sources.

 

Correctly balancing protein & carbs

I eat a high-carb, low sugar, low protein diet and work out constantly. The important aspect is that I only eat complex carbs (low glycemic index). Low glycemic food is especially helpful in assisting those who want to lose weight. Low glycemic index foods will increase the sugar levels in the body to sustain energy levels for longer periods of time. I am not trying to lose weight as I am about as lean as I can be. But it provides a good deal of energy to me even when I am unable to eat for a while. Though everyone is somewhat different in their metabolism and you are correct about the high sugar aspect of the typical American diet, this type of eating regime helps maintain weight loss. Besides the high-calorie meals that we enjoy, the other killers (no pun) are snacks and desserts. Going out to eat is always a challenge but every place has some kind of salad or fish.

[meazza]

I don't know but it seems this article as well as a bunch of others somewhat contradict your claims and that of your sources.

 

Correctly balancing protein & carbs

I eat a high-carb, low sugar, low protein diet and work out constantly. The important aspect is that I only eat complex carbs (low glycemic index). Low glycemic food is especially helpful in assisting those who want to lose weight. Low glycemic index foods will increase the sugar levels in the body to sustain energy levels for longer periods of time. I am not trying to lose weight as I am about as lean as I can be. But it provides a good deal of energy to me even when I am unable to eat for a while. Though everyone is somewhat different in their metabolism and you are correct about the high sugar aspect of the typical American diet, this type of eating regime helps maintain weight loss. Besides the high-calorie meals that we enjoy, the other killers (no pun) are snacks and desserts. Going out to eat is always a challenge but every place has some kind of salad or fish.

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http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/protein.asp

 

from my body level, I require about 128 grams of protein per day, and this is the minimum.

 

http://www.weightlossforall.com/protein.htm

 

PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS

 

It has been estimated that we need about 0.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you would like to roughly work out your own protein requirement first find out your weight in kilograms then multiply it by 0.75.

 

The figure would only be an approximate value and most people will find they regularly consume more than they require.

 

Mr Info, I'm not saying that what you're saying is wrong, it's just that I have always been told by some informed people that protein is the best thing to consume during diets as it helps to build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat.

 

I also realize that a high amount of protein intake could lead to kidney problems which is why i recommended poojer to go visit a dietician to better answer his questions.