I've been trying to lose weight for months with little success

mm's diet sounds pretty low in calories. I don't know what his portion sizes are.

I don't believe that carbs, and not calories, are what make people fat, for the simple reason that vegans live on diets that mostly consist of carbs and are usually very thin. It may well be true that an extreme low carb diet like that works better for some people simply because they don't get as hungry and therefore they can stick to it longer. Personally I wouldn't want to do it but to each their own.

Originally Posted by habitant

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Until a weight goal has been reached, measures have to be taken to reduce fat.
Once that is done your diet would have to be balanced .

An obese person has massive amounts of energy stored in the ***** tissue. That needs to be spent.

I actually meant to continue my thoughts on mm's diet, not yours. Quote fail on my part.

Originally Posted by airportlobby

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I have no idea if your overall theory is valid, but this is some specious reasoning. Americans are not fat because they eat too little fat and too few calories and exercise too much, nor because they were told they should do these things. Also, I would absolutely hate to exist on your diet as would most people who enjoy food and cooking, I imagine. Extremism of one kind or another is the real enemy of health, I suspect.
In the issue of health, it's usually a mistake to ascribe something to just one cause, but if there is one single major cause--dominant cause--why Americans are so fat, it would be because we are eating the wrong types of food; not the quantity, but the quality. The advocation to eat less, and exercise more is completely misguided, in that it ignores the basic biology of what regulates fat tissue and causes us to fatten to begin with. I take great enjoyment in food and cooking--I am quite passionate about it--and this diet has not in any way interfered with that enjoyment; enhanced it, actually.

Originally Posted by habitant

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I'm only advocating for moderation. p.s. On a balanced diet, with regular exercise it would be impossible to gain weight.
The scientific obligation is to first establish the cause of obesity beyond a reasonable doubt, and then understand the best way to treat those who suffer form it. A moderate approach can work for some, up to a point, but in the case of the OP, it obviously did not. In his case, and most others, the effective measure to take would be to eliminate the foods that cause fattening, i.e., the carbohydrates, to see results.

Originally Posted by corneliusparky

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Dieting and exercise is such a personal thing. Are you eating to lose weight or to feel good? To me, not eating from 7pm until noon the next day sounds really not fun. And eating 2.5 meals a day in a 6 hour period out of the day seems kinda odd. But if it works for you, more power. I lost 30 pounds from 175 to 145 in about 3-4 months by eating frequent smaller meals, not combining meat with bread and pasta and avoiding dessert. No hard exercise, just went for a walk once every other day. I didn't do it to lose the weight (in some ways I originally preferred not to lose that much weight), I did it to feel better. I sleep better, I don't want to nap after lunch, my mood is better and I look 10 years younger.
I am 20; I have never been obese in my life--that is not say that if an obese person adopted a similar diet they wouldn't experience the same results that I have. This is the way that I eat because, through my research, I have deemed it to be the healthiest, and it is the diet that I not only look the best on, but feel the best.

Originally Posted by mm84321

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I am 20; I have never been obese in my life--that is not say that if an obese person adopted a similar diet they wouldn't experience the same results that I have. This is the way that I eat because, through my research, I have deemed it to be the healthiest, and it is the diet that I not only look the best on, but feel the best.

So now it's personal preference.

Originally Posted by habitant

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So now it's personal preference.

I was responding the the question of "why" I eat the way I do, so of course it will be a matter of personal preference, one based off of fact and reasoning, mind you. This does not discredit or disprove the effectiveness of the diet for weight loss for others.

Originally Posted by Crat

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Read the "4 hour body" by Tim Ferriss and check out www.leangains.com That should help a lot. The way you look is 60-70% diet
I second this. I've struggled with keeping weight off for years, read the book and have been following a slow carb diet since. I've always had a fairly active lifestyle (swimming, cardio, lifting, several times a week) , but it wasn't until I paid attention to my diet did I really notice lasting changes. within 2 months I lost 30 lbs. I have been traveling lately so not following the diet as closely as i did during the initial 2 months, but my weight hasn't changed. (i also haven't been exercising as much, though) some key points that I think make big changes: -avoid white carbs. sounds too basic to be effective, but it works. you'll eliminate the majority of processed foods, many of which are carbs with a high glycemic index. ( bread, pasta, rice, sugar, etc) -read up on the glycemic index of foods you eat and pay attention. Lower is better. I was shocked at the GI of some the foods I love. -drink water all day long. - no dairy. not even milk in coffee. - 2 scoops (50 grams) of whey protein within 30 min of waking up. just make sure its zero to low carb. even people who complain they don't like breakfast can do this. takes 2 minutes of your day. one thing I like about this program is that it encourages you to have a cheat day every week in which you eat literally anything you want. the book can do a better job of explaining it than i can, but i will say i was too scared to do it for the first few weeks on the program. I've done it since and have still lost weight. aside from the science of why its good to do it, I can say that mentally it helps and keeps you on track. you won't reach for a donut or ice cream, etc if you know that you'll treat yourself to it in a few days. you won't go crazy and sabotage yourself also, its key to not look at any changes you make as "a diet", just think of them as lifestyle changes or changes in your eating habits.

Isn't it ironic that it tells you not to have any dairy, but 50 grams of whey protein is okay.

also, if you're looking for low cal stuff make sure you get the isolate.. gaspari makes a good one.

Originally Posted by habitant

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Isn't it ironic that it tells you not to have any dairy, but 50 grams of whey protein is okay. also, if you're looking for low cal stuff make sure you get the isolate.. gaspari makes a good one.
i questioned the logic as well, but was told if you're using a whey protein isolate you should be fine. the nixing of the dairy has to do with avoiding not only the fat/carbs but also the lactose. Lactose plays a factor in insulin sensitivity, which is the basis of a plan like this. a good whey isolate isn't going to affect your insulin levels the way other dairy can. Some whey protein powders contain lots of junk, so it pays to check out whats in it. the one I've been using is 24 grams of protein with less than 3 carbs per scoop.

There's nothing ironic about it. I don't use the program but I do use whey protein. I've only used it with milk once.

Originally Posted by Kill the DJ

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There's nothing ironic about it. I don't use the program but I do use whey protein. I've only used it with milk once.

Where do you think they get the whey?

I was piggybacking on zazaza as a lot of people think you MUST take protein with milk. I don't particularly see it ironic either way.

It's ironic because whey comes from milk.

Originally Posted by Kill the DJ

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I was piggybacking on zazaza as a lot of people think you MUST take protein with milk. I don't particularly see it ironic either way.
exactly, I think plenty of people do. I mix it with only water and its fine. and even though whey comes from milk an isolate contains trace amounts of lactose (its often marketed as "lactose-free").

Yeah, it's kind of like letting Alanis Morisette play in your head every time you hear someone say they only eat egg whites. Foods have different components...