Ok a few questions:
I have been ok on dieting so far in college. I am usually right around 1200 calories I think, and I have actually lost 20 pounds, which as im sure you can guess suprised my family when I came home at thanksgiving. I was on trying Atkins over the summer, but I was afraid with my active life style here in college it wouldn't be helpful. But here are quite a few questions I have, and if you can answer any of them id be grateful!


First off: Is it true that eating an apple a day helps speed your metabolism? I heard this somewhere but Im not sure if its true.

What is a good dressing to put on salad, I was having honey mustard but now I realize how ridiculous the calorie count is.

Does it matter where you get the carlories from or just how many calories it is? For instance if I had 100 calories of fruit would it have the same effect on my weight loss as if I had 100 calories in cookies or something? And can eating to much fruit make you gain weight, even if you stay at a low calorie count?

Does eating protein at every meal help you lose weight?

Ok I know thats alot but I don't know much. Thanks for all your help. Oh and if anyone has any tips or anything for me, that would be amazing.

Oh and something else I forgot!!!!!
Do you think adding a cup a day of fat free milk or having it in a cereal in the morning would help me lose weight? I am cautious to do this, because in the past I have drank too much milk and I end up gaining weight, but do you think a little bit will help me lose?
Thanks!!!!

The bottom line to losing weight will always come down to calories in vs. calories burned. Always.

Where the QUALITY of your calories comes into play is how you feel overall. 100 calories from a nutrient dense food is going to give you more energy and keep you satisfied for a longer period of time than 100 calories in cookies.

I do not believe that eating an apple a day will increase your metabolism. And, if it does, it certainly isn't going to be a big enough increase to significantly impact your weight loss.

It isn't so much the kind of salad dressing that you use but HOW MUCH. I find that one tablespoon is enough even for a bigger salad. The greens don't have to be dripping in dressing for you to enjoy the flavor. I happen to like the Light Done Right line of dressings. But, full fat/calorie dressings have their place in my diet as well. Since the ones I use tend to have stronger flavors (blue cheese, honey mustard, etc.) a little goes a long way.

Eating protein at every meal helps you feel satisfied for a longer period of time. The more satisfied you are the less likely you are to over eat between meals or at your next meal. That's what helps you lose weight.

Again, it isn't drinking the milk, per say, that helps you lose weight. If you eat more calories than you burn you aren't going to lose weight whether you had a glass of milk at breakfast or not. But, milk and other dairy products are good for you and they have protein which fills you up and keeps you feeling satisfied. So, in that respect, they can make losing weight easier.

As far as weight loss, as in pounds on the scale...it comes down to calories in vs. calories out. BUT-you should be eating high quality calories for many, many reasons.

Actually-if you eat 100 calories worth of fruit, especially high fiber fruit like apples-you CAN lose more weight than if you are 100 calories worth of candy or cookies over time.
The reason why, is because fiber "goes through your system" if you catch my drift. If you are eating a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet and eating 1400 calories a day let's say...and your neighbor is eating 1400 calories a day, but eating a lot of processed foods-you could be losing more weight over time, because you are taking in more fiber...so less of those calories are absorbed.

Also-food is nutrition. If you are taking in high quality foods like chicken, fish, fruits, veggies, etc. you are going to be taking in more protein, higher fiber content, and there are many healing chemicals and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables that NO OTHER FOODS can provide. The vitamin C in citrus fruits are great for your immune system...the antioxidants in pomegranates are wonderful for lowering the risk of cancers...bananas are high in potassium...the list goes on and on and on. Foods like white bread and cookies are pretty empty nutritionally speaking, so if you are not making good choices, you may lose weight, but you won't look and feel as healthy as you can be.

When you eat healthier, you are healthier, and you will have a much lower risk of health problems in the future, and you will have a body that is more energetic as well, because it is fueled properly. You will also reap the rewards of having better looking skin, hair, etc. to boot.

On the salad & dressing issue....I like the Light Done Right line too, but also have found LiteHouse dressings at my local Safeway (they're refrigerated near the bagged salad). They have a couple of awesome selections at rather low cal counts (my fave is the sesame ginger). If you get old-fashioned about your salad and dressing--put your greens and dressing in a mixing bowl and TOSS, then put on your plate or in your bowl or whatever--you'll get the mileage out of that tablespoon of dressing. Drizzling directly on the salad never does it for me