DidoDeeDee

One "specialist" will tell you that you need protein to start your day, but another says eat only fruits and fruit juices for breakfast. I'm told I need lots of milk for the calcium, but no dairy products because they contain hormones and we were never meant to consume them anyway. Drink soy instead. Oh no! Not soy! Soy is the devil! Follow the food pyramid, but don't eat much bread. Count calories, watch carbs, and do the fat formula. On second thought, just eat whatever I want til I'm full, but don't overeat. Overeat on these foods but don't eat these others. Nevermind, everything in the store is full of chemicals and they are killing you anyway. Eat organic foods (which I can never afford because they cost three times as much!)
WHY CAN'T SOMEONE TELL ME STRAIGHT ABOUT MY OWN BODY AND NUTRITION? Why is this, of all things, such a mystery? Am I going to have to go to school to be a nutritionist in order to know? Would I even know then? Do I have to buy a farm and raise my own food

greydoc6

As I see it, the main ingredient in weight loss is Will Power. We need to consume fewer calories than we burn. Whether the calories come from fat, protein or carbs makes little difference. So it basically comes down to eating less and exercising more.

Everyone is looking for a miracle cure where we can eat to our heart's content yet still lose weight. It won't happen. Whether you are on the South Beach Diet, the Adkins Diet or whatever regimen, you have to consume fewer calories. Some diets purport to be easier to comply with than others. For some individuals, this is true. But look at the fine print in the ads (Results not typical).

If you go to a diet center, the persons there have an ax to grind, namely the product that particular center sells. That is another reason you get such confusing info.

Let me repeat once more, a calorie is a calorie regardless whether it's from fat, carbohydrate or protein. Eat what you want, just eat less.

Ken F

You can't get a straight answer because there are so many ideas out there...and many ideas conflict with each other. Just take it slowly and see what food 'agrees' with your body. Get your annual exam (blood test) to monitor if you are on the right track (with your doctor's help).

There is also this idea that certain foods work better for certain people types, but can be bad for other types (see link for 'eat right for your type')...I don't necessarily endorse this idea.

There are lots of 'fad' ideas out there, but you can probably glean some truth out of everything you read...no need to be a nutrition PhD, but it helps to be an enthusiast.

If I had to sum everything I learned so far:
- Eat a wide range of foods (our nutritionist says 'eat the rainbow')
- Eat in moderation...don't overdo one food group.
- Don't stress out over eating something that you think is bad for you once in a while...your body has a natural way of detoxifying itself.
- Whole grains are great digestion aids...they detoxify and help maintain blood cholesterol levels.
- Eat closer to the original form of the food...avoid heavily processed foods, or foods that are overcooked.

You can fine tune and do focus investigations once a problem surfaces (if at all.)