wow thanks freelancemomma and kaplods thats a lot of info I had that same problem with my previous fasts I gave into a binge basically eventually usually right after so makes me rethink this I guess.

I ate today a salad with some meat I was planning to fast again tomorrow but now I guess I probably shouldn't I have been feeling pretty weak and hungry since yesterday. I worked out yesterday too despite not eating and I felt great the first half but the last half I had barely any energy and felt weak tired and starving the rest of the day. I managed not to eat bad today despite being starving but not too sure how long that would last if I kept this up. Today I made my own balsalmic vinagarette and it turned out really good I've been trying to cut out sugar and dairy and it was really hard to do because when I'd have salad I wouldn't know what to put on it and I only like ranch dressing pretty much so I kind of got fed up and just wanted to stop eating all together cuz I didn't really know what I could eat. But now that that worked really good I am going to have a salad with meat for every meal with some of that dressing and have fruit for snacks I think I can really stick with this diet now thanks everybody for all the great info really appreciate it

scale says 252 today after just having one salad hope it keeps going down now from there and not up

I had 2 salads today with chicken olives tomato purple onion and lettuce with balsamic dressing I noticed I still have less energy to workout today does this mean I need to have some carbs? Or could it still be from my fast yesterday?

You need fats in your diet, as well as protein and veggies.

I apologize if my bluntness comes off as rude, but I'm just going to get to the point; it's becoming apparent very quickly that you don't know much about basic nutrition and how your body operates, and you will never get there at this rate (asking questions in an online forum).

I suggest that you take the time to learn the basics about the different macronutrients and how they effect your bodily functions and go from there.

Start reading up on sites like bodybuilding.com, livestrong.com and pick up some books like the New Rules of Lifting for Women to learn about exercise for fat loss.
Anyone else have some good, unbiased, scientifically based sources of information to suggest?

Lyle McDonald

There was olive oil in the dressing I made

Ok thanks yes I'm having a really hard time with this my family never ate good so I never really learned and I been searching online but everywhere I go says something different I'm confused out my mind actually. Thanks for the links joss and John I'll go check em all out

I second Lyle. But heck, even basic diet methods that focus on whole food, in one vein or another, are a great start. There's a lot of good nutritional information in the original South Beach Diet and Atkin books, too, despite the hype and overgrowth of products relating to them. There are lots of good resources and I highly suggest reading up.

Also, New Rules of Lifting for Women - great book. The nutritional info is very simple and a solid base to start from, and the focus on strength and health is going to be more helpful to you than months of crash diets and water fasting

It's only confusing when you get your information from people who don't know jack squat. If you read one article on Lyle's site per day in a month you'll be shocked at how much you know in a very short period of time.

Ok yay thanks so much guys I'd love to be ripped like joss one day that's my long term goal maybe now I can actually get there. Great job you all on your weightloss your very inspiring appreciate the help very much!

I joined the gym even in jan but been pretty confused on what to all do there and can't afford a trainer so thanks joss for posting you workouts for us to see that will help

I do New Rules of Lifting For Women. The book has good explanations of the exercises, and routines lined out. I don't think the nutrition parts are very applicable to women with a lot of weight to lose, but I love the work-outs. I also watch YouTube videos to better understand proper form. And I will also ask the testosterone boys there for help with form occasionally. Without exception, they have always been willing to help. (I don't do it often, though, and am careful to avoid those that look like they wouldn't be okay with even quick questions.)

Congrats on having the willingness and open mindedness to learn. If you really want to give fasting an educated try, you might look at the leangains site. I find it very interesting.

Whew, I'm so glad you weren't offended!

Yes, Lyle McDonald and I would even say Alan Aragon are two men whos writing is worth reading. They are big bodybuilder types which is a deterrent for a lot of women, but honestly these men cut out the "Bro-science" and get down to the REAL DATA of fat loss, muscle gain, metabolisms and the like. It's very no-nonsense, non-faddish, FACTUAL information.

I didn't mention them initially because some of their writing can be a bit intimidating to someone just trying to get their feet under them, but it is seriously good stuff to read.
The articles you find on Livestrong and bodybuilding.com could be a good jumping off point but are a lot more biased if you go looking around too much.

I would suggest starting off with the basics; learn EXACTLY how carbohydrates, protein and fat effect your bodily functions. Then read up on weight loss versus fat loss. After that learn about water weight fluctuations (because those are issues that come up repeatedly). You might even want to start off looking at some medical websites just to get the pure facts. There is so much garbage out there that I hate to think of you spinning your wheels.

Good luck!

This article is pretty comprehensive on nutrition & weight loss. It's long, so settle in with a cup of coffee and give it a read. It's good.

http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

thanks you guys I'll check it all out I appreciate the help