Please help me I'm a little confused!

[nicole36]

Hello again,

Could somebody tell me what makes a really healthy and effective eating plan/diet? I'll come clean and say I have tried a few popular diets in the past and feel confused when I read contradictory advice about what is good and what isn't. Not to mix carbs with proteins etc!?

I've read here that it's good to eat 6-7 times a day but can you give an example of what I can eat? Small portions and plenty of water is all relative! Is there a way to work out how much I should eat for my size?

Thanks in advance,

p.s Feeling a bit frustrated but determined to get back on track.

 

[bipennate]

The truth is, there's no "right way" to diet...if there was, there'd be no confusion and everyone would do the same things and have excellent results. However, there are a number of things that have been found to be more effective for the majority than others. Here is a short list off of the top of my head:

Enough fiber, nutrients/vitamins, protein and (healthy) fats to maintain your health.

A reasonable caloric deficit (usually, the smaller the better, for the most part).

6 meals are good, but not needed. People have lost weight for years with 3-4 meals/day too.

There is no good research that indicates any advantage to splitting protein + carbs & protein + fat.

Low carbs may work, but carbs (or their elimination) are not the secret; however, since there is no such thing as an "essential carb" (but there are such things as essential fatty acids and essential amino acids), carbs are the easiest things to draw from to create a calorie deficit.

In general, a good place to start in terms of calorie needs is ~11-12x body weight. Exercise is key (weights).