Reply to So according to DCUM, I shouldn't cut carbs, and I shouldn't cut fat, but I also shouldn't be fat.

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Reply to "So according to DCUM, I shouldn't cut carbs, and I shouldn't cut fat, but I also shouldn't be fat. "

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I definitely need to lose weight, and both my teenagers have been gaining a little too fast and need to slow down.  All of us exercise regularly, so the obvious next step is to cut calories.  But looking at recent posts, it seems as though people think it's a terrible thing to cut either carbs or fat.  Other than cutting protein, I don't see another way to reduce the calories in my diet.  After all, calories only come from those 3 places.

I should add that I'm comfortable with what I'm doing, which is choosing lean or reduced fat dairy and meat, cooking without a lot of added fat, and and limiting carbs to fresh fruit, and a couple small portions of whole grains a day.  Today, for example, I had a lot of fruit and about 1/2 a cup of cereal mixed with nuts and dried fruit to make a trail mix, and then a slice of whole grain bread as part of an open faced sandwich for lunch.  Yesterday, I had a lot of fruit, an ear of corn, and a small portion of whole wheat pasta.  I'm just really curious what other people think I should be eating.[/quote]

No one says that it's bad to cut carbs or cut fat.  What people say is bad is COMPLETELY eliminating carbs or fat.  And when they make those comments, it is in response to someone talking about a fad diet -- like paleo or atkins or no fat, et cetera.

No one online is going to be able to tell you what or how much to eat or even assess whether the exercise you are doing regularly is appropriate.  It's something you have to figure out for yourself, either via trial and error or by consulting a nutritionist or a personal trainer.  But even with a nutritionist and a personal trainer, there's still a bit of trial and error involved, because ultimately, you have to figure out something that is sustainable and works for your body and your schedule.

Now, for my personal anecdotal internet opinion:  Most Americans eat way more protein than they actually need.  If you are looking to cut calories, I would do it across the board.  Don't just cut one food group and eat a ton of protein.  Instead, just reduce the portion sizes of everything you eat by a little bit.

I will also add that nuts and dried fruit are very dense foods.  Sure, they're packed with nutrition, but they are so dense calorie wise, that you have to be careful about how much of them you eat.

The other thing I will add is the exercise part.  My personal experience and what I have casually observed in other middle-aged women is that women tend to focus on cardio.  The problem is that as you age, your metabolism slows down.  Women also tend to lose bone mass.  You can really see a huge difference if you alternate the cardio with strength building circuits.  It's good for bone strength do some weight bearing activities, and building (even incrementally) muscle will help boost your metabolism.  And the trick with exercise is to find that sweet spot where you are exercising enough to constantly challenge your body and find an edge without necessarily working out to exhaustion and end up stressing your body.  Does that make sense?

You have to find the right balance for you.  And no one on here is going to give you an exact amount of food and what kind will do that.

Best of luck.[/quote]

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