# The Great Diet Debate: Calories, Carbs and Fat



## Cooking Goddess (Mar 22, 2014)

GentlePosters, start your keyboards. Want to tout Paleo? Post it here. We've got room for low-fat diets here too. Or the Mediterranean Diet. Or Vegan. Whatever your favorite diet has been, feel free to argue its merits here. Be as no-holds-barred as long as you play by the Rules. And for heaven's sake, have fun!

OK, done channeling my Catholic school discipline gene now...


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## Addie (Mar 22, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> GentlePosters, start your keyboards. Want to tout Paleo? Post it here. We've got room for low-fat diets here too. Or the Mediterranean Diet. Or Vegan. Whatever your favorite diet has been, feel free to argue its merits here. Be as no-holds-barred as long as you play by the Rules. And for heaven's sake, have fun!
> 
> OK, done channeling my Catholic school discipline gene now...



Although posted as a "tongue in cheek", I like the idea of a "so you want to argue with me" thread.


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## Andy M. (Mar 23, 2014)

We who are fat are fat because we eat more food than we need.  Just eat less.  Simple arithmetic - Calories taken in need to less than calories burned to lose weight.

Everything else is just window dressing.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 23, 2014)

An appointment with the guillotine renders the question irrelevant.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 23, 2014)

Everything in moderation...including moderation.


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## LPBeier (Mar 23, 2014)

I see nothing wrong with talking about diets.  My mother used to say she would not comment on my diet or ask how it was going because bringing attention to it could jinx it.  For me, I felt like she didn't see any results (or didn't care) so that in itself set me up for failure.  That is why I like the encouragement of the "Whose Trying to Lose Weight" thread.  I even got kicked in the butt by PF yesterday and it got me going.  We need that.

I don't "diet" anymore, plain and simple.  I watch what I eat, let myself cheat now and then, exercise how and when I can and know that if I am doing the best I can it is enough.  So the debate about calories, carbs and fat is lost on me.  I have to watch my cholesterol, and since my gall bladder surgery and liver troubles there are certain things I can't eat.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 23, 2014)

Talking about diets always reminds me of this fitness quote from Cher.

"If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body."

I try to keep the needle on the scale pointed down instead of up.  I try to eat a low carb diet and lose at an almost imperceptible rate.  I have lost 47 pounds over the last couple of years and my numbers for blood pressure, A1C etc...  have improved.

I find the process to be tedious and boring, I could revert to my old habits in the blink of an eye!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Mar 23, 2014)

LPBeier said:


> I see nothing wrong with talking about diets.  My mother used to say she would not comment on my diet or ask how it was going because bringing attention to it could jinx it.  For me, I felt like she didn't see any results (or didn't care) so that in itself set me up for failure.  That is why I like the encouragement of the "Whose Trying to Lose Weight" thread.  *I even got kicked in the butt by PF yesterday and it got me going.*  We need that.



I tried to be gentle.

I increase protein, lower carbs and walk 30 minutes 5 days a week and strengthening 30 minutes 2 days a week.  The only processed foods I am eating are salad greens and juices.


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## cave76 (Mar 23, 2014)

Eat anything you want, but only half as much. (Diabetics *may* be excluded and other medical conditions.)


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## CWS4322 (Mar 23, 2014)

Aunt Bea said:


> Talking about diets always reminds me of this fitness quote from Cher.
> 
> "If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body."
> 
> ...


Like Aunt Bea, I have changed my eating habits. Unlike Aunt Bea, I do not find the process to be tedious and boring. I do not foresee reverting to my old way of eating ever.


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## Roll_Bones (Mar 23, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> We who are fat are fat because we eat more food than we need.  Just eat less.  Simple arithmetic - Calories taken in need to less than calories burned to lose weight.
> Everything else is just window dressing.



I can eat like a bird and still get fat. Its the type of bird food that does the trick for me.  I also require some physical activity to get my metabolism going.
In general you are correct. "Eat less and lose".  But this is not written in stone and I am living proof that just curtailing the amount of food does not necessarily mean I will lose weight. Quantity does play a part and i agree on that point.
But for me, its what i am eating that makes the difference. And adding some physical activity.



Aunt Bea said:


> Talking about diets always reminds me of this fitness quote from Cher.
> "If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body."
> I try to keep the needle on the scale pointed down instead of up.  I try to eat a low carb diet and lose at an almost imperceptible rate.  I have lost 47 pounds over the last couple of years and my numbers for blood pressure, A1C etc...  have improved.
> I find the process to be tedious and boring, I could revert to my old habits in the blink of an eye!



This forum could use a thanks button.
I would have thanked Bea for her post.  But I had to make a new post to thank her.
Hey mods.  Thanks button.


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## DietitianInTraining (Jun 26, 2014)

This topic is the reason that I wanted to become a Dietitian. 

One of the biggest things that I have realized in my 4 1/2 years of college is that people are so very quick to believe anything that they are told. In college, we are required to use only reliable sources when writing research papers, giving presentations, making educational handouts, etc. I quickly realized that it is because there is SO much information out there that is not only just incorrect, but ludicrous! 

I have determined, that at least 50% of my job as a Dietitian is going to be debunking whatever current diet fads that people are believing. And that's okay. I want to help people recognize that the top secret tip to losing weight and being healthy can be simplified to this: 

*Eat Healthy and Exercise*​ 
I wish I could say that you could do one without the other but it just isn't so.


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## Mad Cook (Jun 26, 2014)

Reported on the news tonight that "they" would now half the recommended amount of sugar we should consume per day to 5 teaspoons full (ie 5 x 15ml). 

Great outcry, mostly along the lines of "But that's only one can of coke". Does anyone actually drink more that one can of coke a day (don't answer that).

Then in the next breath they say we should up our consumption of fruit....aren't they confusing their argument? Fruit sugar is as "bad" for you as cane sugar or so they say.

Perhaps we should stop eating altogether - Oh no, that would kill us. Oh dear, what to do?


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## GotGarlic (Jun 26, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Reported on the news tonight that "they" would now half the recommended amount of sugar we should consume per day to 5 teaspoons full (ie 5 x 15ml).
> 
> Great outcry, mostly along the lines of "But that's only one can of coke". Does anyone actually drink more that one can of coke a day (don't answer that).
> 
> ...



I wonder if "they" meant added sugar, as opposed to total sugar. When you eat fruit, obviously you get much more than sugar - fiber, vitamins, minerals. But adding sugar to your coffee is different. Which I am not going to stop doing, btw 

And Dietician, if telling people to "Eat Healthy and Exercise" was all it took, there would not be all this controversy. The question is what exactly constitutes "healthy" eating? The problem as I see it is that everyone seems to think they're a biomedical scientist these days. I personally have decided for myself how best to eat, but I'm not a fanatic about it. I make most of our food, from mostly fresh ingredients, and don't follow any fad diets.


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## DietitianInTraining (Jun 26, 2014)

The molecular structure and composition of sugar molecules is the same no matter where they come from. It is composed of both fructose and glucose. Fructose is broken down in the liver, without the need of insulin, while glucose is first broken down in the stomach and does require the body to release insulin. I think the bigger point though, is that fruit also contains fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, etc. while cane sugar does not. But you are right, it essentially is still sugar.


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## DietitianInTraining (Jun 26, 2014)

GotGarlic,

You are absolutely right, it is definitely not enough to just tell people to eat healthy and exercise. And determining what exactly "eating healthy" means, is what my degree focuses on. The problem, I think, is that there is so much confusion about what it means to "eat healthy" that many people choose to go along with whatever they think sounds good, or whatever the latest news article proclaimed. My only point was that the secret isn't "cutting out gluten" or "doing a detox regimen once a month" or "never eating processed foods". It doesn't have to be that complicated.


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## Addie (Jun 26, 2014)

Eat healthy.....

What may be healthy for a diabetic may not be healthy for someone with food allergies. Or other food related ailments. So it is not that simple. 

And has anyone given you a welcome to DC? Hurry up and graduate. We need you.


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## DietitianInTraining (Jun 26, 2014)

Hi Addie!

No, you are the first! Hello!  

All I am saying, is that whether you are a diabetic, recovering from a heart attack, or allergic to tree nuts, you can still eat a healthy diet. The same diet? No. But a healthy one regardless. And I hope I haven't insinuated that it is EASY to eat healthy... because it rarely is easy. 

My dad is morbidly obese, and has done virtually every diet that exists. Most of them helped him successfully lose the weight, until ultimately he would go back to his old ways and gain every pound of it back. My dad KNOWS how he should be eating. He knows that he should be active (though now his knees are trashed and he can barely walk). He KNOWS that to lose weight, he simply has to burn off more calories than he consumes. But he can never seem to overcome his temptations.


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## bakechef (Jun 26, 2014)

I know exactly what it takes to get myself the rest of the way to my "ideal" weight, but darn willpower is hard to come by.  If it weren't for exercise I'm not sure if I could maintain my current weight.  I've lost large amounts of weight 3 times and this is the first time that I've been able to keep it off for more than a few months, but boy would I love to get the rest of the way.  I love food, I love to bake, and I'm not willing to give that up, I just have to keep treats in check and boy is that a trick!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jun 26, 2014)

bakechef said:


> I know exactly what it takes to get myself the rest of the way to my "ideal" weight, but darn willpower is hard to come by.  If it weren't for exercise I'm not sure if I could maintain my current weight.  I've lost large amounts of weight 3 times and this is the first time that I've been able to keep it off for more than a few months, but boy would I love to get the rest of the way.  I love food, I love to bake, and I'm not willing to give that up, I just have to keep treats in check and boy is that a trick!



For me, it's both expensive, and difficult to prepare all healthy meals as I have others who insist that things like potatoes, and other starchy foods should be a main part of every meal.  It's darned hard not to eat potatoes because I make them with the best techniques I know.  They just plain taste great and are a serious temptation.

Rice is the same way.  Throw in home made bread and you can see my dilemma.  I know how to make great tasting, healthier foods, but am the only one who would eat them.  I'm not fond of cooking two separate meals for each meal.  That's what I would have to do every day.

Don't even get me started on the occasional desert.

Still, I lost over 30 lbs. last year, and have kept it off.  I just need to find a way to do more exercise to break through this plateau that I've been standing on for four months now.  And that's difficult as I work on my novels an hour before getting ready for work, write during lunch hours, have to watch the obligatory TV shows with DW, take care of the veggie garden, mow the lawn, fix anything that needs fixing, vacuum the floors, do the dishes, cook the meals, etc.  Time for myself is taken in little sprits.  Oh, I tie flies and make silver jewelry for when DW sells at craft shows.

But I gotta go now.  I need to prepare supper.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## cave76 (Jun 26, 2014)

Potatoes and rice are both healthy. Brown rice is a bit more 'healthy'


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## bakechef (Jun 26, 2014)

There is nothing unhealthy about them, but they tend to be calorie dense compared to say green vegetables and lean protein.  When losing weight, limiting portion sizes of these is an easy way to cut calories.


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## Addie (Jun 26, 2014)

DietitianInTraining said:


> Hi Addie!
> 
> No, you are the first! Hello!
> 
> ...



How well I know. I gained back five pounds that I lost last year and now my hip is  paying the price. 

And a big WELCOME to DC. You are going to be inundated with questions from this group. Specially our old agers. I am fortunate in that my Dietician is specially trained in diabetes. She has been a wealth of information for me. Enough so that my A1c has been low enough that I am no longer on any diabetes medication. But it took a lot of hard work on my part.


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## cave76 (Jun 26, 2014)

bakechef said:


> There is nothing unhealthy about them, but they tend to be calorie dense compared to say green vegetables and lean protein.  When losing weight, limiting portion sizes of these is an easy way to cut calories.



That's true comparing potatoes to green veggies. Not so true comparing them to lean protein, even when it's roasted white  meat chicken.


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## GA Home Cook (Jun 27, 2014)

Dieting is like divorce.  It's always the ones that don't need it that have the pearls fo wisdom to share.  You have to find what works for YOU.  Not for the skinny person that is sitting across from you that has an over active thyroid that can eat butter sandwiches for lunch and never gain an ounce.  Their are family issues, medication, general health and many more factors to loosing weight.  I have a friend that is very skinny.  He constantly makes fun of overweight people.  But he has a terrible temper.  But to him "I can help my temper", is an acceptable answer.  But to understand someones weight struggles is not comprehendable.  Find what works for you and not the general mass of people who don't struggle with weight.


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