[remickmom]

I was wondering if you guys believe that you can lose just by restricting calories, or does it matter exactly what you eat. Personally, I eat fairly well but would prefer a higher amout of low fat carbs and a lesser amount of proteins in my diet. Will this work if I keep my calories to 1400-1500 (I'm 5'6" and weigh 187)? I also exercise about 30 minutes 5 days per week. Thanks for your answers.

[idest]

Yes, you'll lose if you have a calorie deficit. Haven't seen it mentioned on this board, but The Hacker's Diet was my starting place and convinced me that there's no easy fix and that losing weight is all about the math.

Obviously exercise and balanced meals are optimal and will keep you healthiest, but the short answer to your question is "yes."

[higherfaith]

interesting read.

[Heather]

yes, it will work. I know I started just by portion control and have slowly changed the kinds of foods I eat to less processed, more whole grains, etc. Don't feel you have to eat completely healthy right off the bat!

[aphil]

Yes, you will lose pound weight with just a reduced calorie diet-BUT-for best results, it should be balanced.

Most of us DO have a preference for carbs over protein, but, if you are exercising to gain muscle and lose fat-then you need to be sure that you are consuming enough protein to feed the muscle. You can't run a car on empty-and you can't increase your muscle with exercise properly if you are doing the workouts, but not feeding them. Make sense?