I have 10-20 pounds to lose and they're extremely stubborn. Should I cut back the fat or cut back the carbs? BOTH? I probably eat more fat AND carbs than I should, but I'm very careful about limiting my caloric intake, and I exercise like a fiend, so I've lost a fair bit of weight.

I'm thinking about cutting my fat intake down to 15% in hopes that it will help me get rid of my excess fat (at this point, it's just on my sides and a little on my thighs). I'm very determined to have a ripped stomach.

I've also heard about people cutting carbs from their diet and losing tons of weight, but I think making "low fat" more of a lifestyle might be easier than "low carb" - I've also heard that carbs contribute to fat around the middle, too, so I'm just a little confuzzled

What are your thoughts?

I tried Atkins, and I lost weight, but I just couldn't keep it up as a lifestyle thing -- my Irish blood just couldn't live without my potatoes, sodabread, and beer!

I'm on Weight Watchers, which basically works on the low fat, high fiber and portion control principle. As you can see form my weight tracker, it's working great for me so far, and I don't have to eliminate ANYTHING! Just avoid the heavy creams and TOO much beer.

I have found that it isn't so much low carb, or low fat-and having to make a choice between the two-but more the QUALITY of foods that I am eating. For instance, bacon is low carb-but bad for you. Fat free cookies are fat free, but are empty calories.

I find that when things get stubborn, that eating cleaner, whole foods with less processing work the best for me. You obviously are eating protein, fat, and carbs-but the quality of each is what is important. Olive oil is fat, for instance, but is very healthy for you. Fruit, vegetables, and oatmeal are carbs-but are excellent for you and for weight loss.

The less processed things are, the better they are for you. Rather than cutting fat or carbs, why not just focus on the quality of food instead?

I've done both, at different times in my life. When you're young, assuming you don't have any metabolic issues, I think it's best to eat a good balance of healthy fats & the good carbs & good protein. Going too extreme in either way can potentially set you up for having metabolic issues later in life. I think the issues I have with refined carbs now stem in part from the low-fat diet I followed a few years ago. Now I need to follow a lower carb/lower glycemic eating plan not just for weight control, but because I just plain feel better when I eat this way.
So to answer your question, first I'd try focusing on cutting the fat & the carbs a little. More whole foods, less junk food. Drink lots of water. Exercise. And see how your body reacts before going to anything more extreme.

My husband and I are diabetic and insulin resistant, respectively. Since he is now on insulin, he cannot restrict carbs too severely, but we both are much more able to control hunger if we try to eliminate or severely limit refined carbs. Even with starchy vegetables and whole grains we have to watch portion size, fiber content and just our ability to overeat some foods. It's a lot harder to overeat steamed wheat berries, than freshly baked bread, or mashed potatoes.

I have to agree with Aphil on this one...when my weight gets stubborn, it becomes more about eating "clean", which for me, is cutting diet soda, lots of water, whole grains, lean proteins, lots of veggies, and limiting foods that are nutritionally vacant, even if they fit in my calorie goals. Primarily, I'm a calorie counter, but when things get stubborn, a whole foods approach has really helped break through the slowdown.