I am no expert but I wouldn't eliminate the fruit despite the potential sugar issue. There are so many other healthy benefits from fresh fruit that are important. I would suggest tracking your fiber intake though instead of either the sodium or sugar. Fiber keeps you full, so if you are making sure you are eating foods with enough fiber (which at least for me is difficult to do) I think you will see a difference in how much food you need to be full and how much weight you lose. Again, I am no expert...

OK, I'm not an expert in this field but I dropped 25+ pounds and at least two sizes in the last year-- and, more importantly, have kept it off. Since my family history is predisposed to high blood pressure and heart attacks, I did it mostly for health reasons, although I must say it is definitely more fun to shop for a size 6 instead of a size 12. I should also say that I am VERY skeptical of most of the diet advice that I see on the Internet and in popular literature.

My original thinking was that it would be pointless to lose weight if I just turned around and put it back on, so whatever changes I made to my diet and lifestyle would have to be permanent. Putting certain food categories off limits for the rest of my life seemed rather unrealistic.

My doctor had recommended the DASH/Mediterranean plan as a sensible eating guide. Since I like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish-- and the occasional glass of wine-- that guide seemed quite reasonable. I calculated that eliminating 3500 calories a week through diet and exercise would let me drop about one pound a week-- not dramatic, but quite doable. My other "rule" was to watch portion sizes; I actually weighed and measured at first to find out what was a normal portion size. I let myself have unlimited servings of fruits and vegetables. I found that that fruit-- grapes, berries, apples, bananas-- really helped satisfy my desire for something sweet. High calorie foods were treats-- fine once in while, but not everyday. I also followed the 1/4 rule; if I wanted something I could have 1/4 of it. If I really wanted more, I could have another 1/4-- and so on. In actual fact, most times 1/4 of whatever it was that I craved was enough to satisfy me. I also told myself that if I was eating well 85-90% of the time, the odd deviation was not going to make much of a difference. I made a commitment to weighing myself once a week. As long as the scale indicated a loss, or even just stayed at the same number, I was doing OK. My thinking was even if I could only lose 10 pounds it would be an improvement in my overall health.

I think that I lost the weight because I focused on changing my eating habits instead of dieting to lose weight. Getting back to a regular exercise routine also made me feel better. My point is that I think that anyone who wants to lose weight permanently needs to find what works for him/her for the long term. If you can't conceive of life without chocolate, you have to work it into your food plan. If you figure out a reasonable eating plan (most doctors recommend 1500-1800 calories a day), add some exercise, and get on with your life, you WILL lose weight. It may not be fast, but it will happen.

So, in answer to your question, I have no idea which food group is more important for losing weight. I suspect that it may not matter for most of us-- for most of us eating fewer calories and exercising more is the key to losing pounds.

Agree 100% with what Gaylene said; it's a question of building new habits, and not stressing about the small stuff, i.e. a bit of sugar in fruit. It's good to know you are having fun with it so far!

Love the 1/4 rule; it's a good addition to the 80% full rule. Which, by the way, I interpreted rather loosely. I just didn't eat until I was bursting any more.

I also ate a lot more than 1200 calories a day (and as you know, I am a small person), but I was very active throughout and continue to be active.

as i'm eating dinner, i thought of one more thing. our typical dinner consists of a protein, a steamed veg., and a salad. Today was grilled chicken (marinated in fat-free italian dressing), steamed carrots, and a salad with a lite ginger dressing (all natural). i rarely make a starch (potato, rice) for dinner; i figure that I get enough carbs throughout the day that it is unnecessary. That may be helpful for you in lowering your carbs.
**Except pasta. We do eat a fair amount of whole wheat pasta. And sometimes I make stir-fry with brown rice.

Everything in moderation...don't give up any one thing. BUT, in answer to your question, protein is the most important. It fuels your metabolism AND keeps you full longer, but is calorie dense. Egg whites are a low-cal option that provide good protein. I put them in oatmeal to jump start my day. Fruit is sugar and that will make you hungry sooner and feed cravings, which is why it is a good idea to manage fruit consumption and lean toward low glycemic choices. I am a proponent of the Eat Clean "diet" because it's balanced and not extreme. You eat often, keeping your blood sugar levels stable -- and this has been a key to weight loss and maintenance success for me. I wish you well on your journey.

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/

I'm currently starting a weight loss program after a fairly sudden gain of 60 pounds (on medication). But I have been reading a lot for many years about nutrition, first inspired by a nutritional anthropology class in university (still have the texts for reference). I have lost weight in the past successfully (20 pounds longer term) and I have tried popular diets which only worked short-term (varied results). I feel that a lot of the weight I am now carrying is my body rebelling against limited food intake and the meds I am on.

You have a lot of great points above, but I wanted to add a few more:

- I have read in several sources that fruits are important to a healthy diet, but they are best digested on their own rather than combined with other foods. Some sources say wait an hour before or after eating fruit to eat something else, since it affects how the fruit is digested (it could be fermented if other foods are present in the gut). I wouldn't worry so much about the sugar /fructose in fruit, unless you are eating more than 4 or 5 portions a day. Fruit provides fibre and many micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, etc.)

- Protein is important for weight loss and helps control hunger, but excess protein can cause Ketosis, which in itself is not bad (good for weight loss), but can be if ammonia concentrations in the body are exceeded far above normal limits. Then the ammonia concentrations (from the nitrate group formed by the amino acids) wreak havoc on the body tissues. Excess protein can be stored as fat as well. In summary: short term weight loss that can lead to illness and eventual weight gain again.

- you probably already know: COHs (carbs) and proteins are 4 kcal per gram, fat is 9 kcal per gram, so I differ with Kyle that "protein is calorie dense" (fats are). You need all 3 essential macronutrients: carbs, proteins and fats in a healthy diet, and limiting any of these groups for supposed weight loss will only lead to illness and likely rebound weight gain as the diet is not sustainable. Also, each of these macronutrients are needed in the body for bodily functions, and lacking these can cause impaired function of the body systems and this can lead to weight gain (has for me).

- If you are happy with 1200kcal per day, that is fine, but I have read that caloric intake should be a bit higher for optimum health. The low calorie intake may be too low for long-term weight maintenance. I've read (depending on the individual's size) that most women should not go below 1500 kcal per day. I have 2 examples: myself, I actually am experiencing rebound weight gain from being on too strict an eating plan that was lower in calories, compounded by the meds. I have a friend who is a avid runner that is gaining weight on 1200kcal a day. The limited nutrition she experienced has caused her adrenals to stop functioning properly and that has messed up her whole hormone system, causing the weight gain that she is having great difficulty losing now.

- Nutritionists are only as good as their education -- and I could go really OT here but I won't -- and I have met with a nutritionist during a hospital stay. I followed her advice and 2 months later I was 40 pounds heavier! It wasn't necessarily her fault, but I have since learned that her program (what is commonly taught in medicine and the Canada Food Guide) is not necessarily what is best. I believe that this information will be commonly considered outdated within a few years as continued research shows that some guidelines need to be changed. Not trying to be too negative, but I have learned that with medical practitioners as much as anything: "buyer beware".

Sorry, this is sounding like a rant. I want to congratulate you and encourage you on your efforts. Figuring out the right plan is challenging and takes some time and info. I just wanted to hopefully answer a couple of your questions and give some of the facts I have repeatedly read. I personally find my current weight /health situation a little frustrating and wouldn't want someone else to go through it as well, especially if they can learn from my mistakes.

A question for you Tarzy, are you calculating sugars separate from carbs?
I got that impression from some of the comments. I'm a bit suspicious of that as some complex carbs are more problematic than some sugars -- referring to the Glycemic Index of carbs /sugars.
Also, I would consider tracking fibre as one of your 5 categories. I believe that will really help with your efforts.

Rosee, nice post! I have a habit I suppose of reading up on diet and nutrition as a layperson only. You name it, I've read it - starting with Fit or Fat by Covert Bailey back in the late 80's up to Why We Get Fat at this very moment. Insert at least two dozen more titles in between. Anyway, the most important thing is to realize what works FOR YOU and YOUR body. It may take some trial and error. And you may have different triggers - late snacks, stress eating. But if you read up enough you get a sense of what rings true for you and your body after trying some of the guidelines suggested. Best of luck! You are on your way with that first pound!

Hi, Tara! I QUICKLY scanned through the post - so please forgive me If I'm repeating comments or giving advise that someone has already given. I’m afraid weight loss is much more difficult than calories in vs. calories out – as you seem to know. Our bodies react so differently to different types of food. If you have any type of metabolic resistance (problems with insulin/pre-diabetic) starch is your worse enemy, if you have a high metabolism it might do you good to up your carb intake and exercise more. And something that makes it even MORE difficult is the fact that your weight and weight loss potential is encrypted in your DNA. Some genes or gene combinations make a body hang on to every last gram of fat whilst others are bad at storing fat (unfair!) Have you thought about something like DNA testing - sounds space age, but it really isn't? They test for the presence of about 8 different genes and according to that they know what type of slimmer/body type you have (someone who holds on to fat/someone who needs to up exercise/ someone who need more carbs etc.). It really works and it's not that expensive! Good luck!
This is a link to an American version http://www.thednadiet.com/dnadiet.html

[I had mine done and I’m ever so thankful – had the shock of my life when my results came back. I did a South African version of the test that tests genes for certain health problems – I have the DNA markers for osteoporosis and my bone density is in a STATE. This explained why I weigh relatively little and still look, well VERY well
fed

Oh, gosh! No please ignore the link - it's terrible and doesn't even rely on dna testing. Sorry about that - I didn't read it properly!