Top 10 Weight Loss Diet Rules

What are the Weight Loss Rules?

I’m in the middle of writing my new diet book and I need your help with one of the sections. I want to review the validity and research of the most common diet ‘rules’ that you hear about it in the popular diet and weight loss media including magazines, television and online.

I’ve got a short list of rules I want to tackle but I need your input to round out the list and make sure I hit all of the big ones that you’ve heard but aren’t sure about and want the truth about (ex: these are rules like “you must eat breakfast every day to get your metabolism going”)

So please give me your list of the ‘rules’ you’ve heard or read about that you’d like to know the truth about and I’ll include them in the top 10 list in the new book

John

Posted by johnbarban in Weight Loss

Tags: diet, Fat Loss, Weight Loss |109 Comments

109 Responses to “Top 10 Weight Loss Diet Rules”

JAN Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 10:19 am
You can eat as much protien and fat as you want as long as you keep your carbs lower than xx grams. (usually 50g or less)
Anthony Ramos Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 10:30 am
1.) To lose weight, you must create a caloric deficit, regardless of whether it is by eating fewer calories or moving more (however exercise often induces compensatory effects, so eating less may be more efficient for weight loss).

2.) Unburned calories become fat, regardless of what type of macro nutrient they are (protein fat carbs), regardless of time eaten (before / after workout, before/after bed). Period.

3.) Stick with foods high in protein or fiber if you are having trouble feeling full on a reduced calorie load. But this is a psychological thing, not b/c carbs or fat are “bad calories.” A calorie is just a unit of heat.
Joshua Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 11:23 am
“Never eat high carb and fat together” This one’s hilarious because all you have to do is look at the french (let alone numerous traditional/primitive cultures): bread, cheese, and butter are staples. They’re thinner than us on average because they eat less. All the smoking they do might help with that!
Wood Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 11:47 am
1. eat every 3 hours high protein food to prevent muscle loss
2. avoid sugar, wheat every “white” food
3. carbs only allowed from oat, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potato, veggies
4 only eat real food. No packages, food grows and borns
5. do your steady state cardio 45-60min 4-5 times a week
6. only protein in the evening.
7 carbs only for breakfast and after workout
8 dont starve yourself
9 cutting calories week by week, slowly or you lose only muscle
10 quality over quantity
Jennifer Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
No eating after 7 p.m.
Anthony Ramos Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 1:07 pm
“1. eat every 3 hours high protein food to prevent muscle loss”

LOL.

“5. do your steady state cardio 45-60min 4-5 times a week”

Not gonna happen, and if it does, few if any will make it a lifestyle

“9 cutting calories week by week, slowly or you lose only muscle”

again, lol

I’m laughing b/c I did drastic calorie reduction and numerous fasts and my muscles keep growing. My body hasn’t heard your advice I guess.
Jordan Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
-If one keeps calories too low for too long, the body enters into starvation mode, the metabolism slows down.

-If one is dieting, a diet break is necessary every few months or so. The break should last approximately two weeks, and plenty of carbs should be eaten to bring leptin levels back to normal.

-A calorie is not a calorie, it depends on the quality of the food.

-HCFS is worse than other types of sugar.

-Willpower/ discipline aren’t effective for weight loss.
Brigitte Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 2:21 pm
I think Wood pretty much covered evertyhing…here’s my 2 cents from 20 years of reading fashion magazines:

– eat mainly fish, chicken and veggies, cut on pasta, bread or any refined carbs…just got out of the Subway station and I could take dozen of magazines that say that…
Lars Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
1. Eat breakfast to get “Give fire to the metabolic furnace” (This was written more or less word for word by Tom Venuto in “Burn the fat, feed the muscle”. He has now eaten those words and as far as I know he supports IFing).
2. Eat every three hours to keep your metabolism “Charged” and prevent muscle loss
3. Eat AT LEAST 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight to maintain lean muscle
4. Avoid food that has a high amount of saturated fat/carbs(This is a dichtomy, tell one thing to the supporters of any and they’ll freak out)
5. Eat food that has high protein content, this food will give you less calories since your body expends up to 30% of the calories in the food to digest it
6. Digestion takes three hours (this is just so retarded I can’t understand how anyone ever bought this)
7. HIIT “Charges” your metabolism and burns 9x more fat then steady state cardio(there’s a dichtomy here as well between steady state and hiit)
8. To lose weight you should do 3x as much cardio as strenght training
9. Some retarded miracle product which is currently popular burns fat, banishes inner demons, cures cancer and makes your life worth living.
10. You might be eating TOO LITTLE to lose weight. In fact, you might be eating TOO LITTLE of some specific nutrients. Like, the ones in our products. Which you should buy. Obviously it’ll make you healthy, just look at the picture of a smiling healthy person on the box.
Heath Vanegas Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
You must eat 6-7 small meals a day to keep your metabolism revved up.
Bart Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
you must eat a lot of protein to gain muscles
Mike Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Self-Induced vomiting.
Adam L Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
1-10: Calories in vs. calories out.
Joshua Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
interesting how people tell you not to go too long without eating ALSO tell you to do cardio everyday for an hour. So, to deprive your body of topping off its fuel is no bueno, but to lose fuel at a greatly accelerated rate is just fine? In my experience, muscle loss HAS been an issue when losing weight. However, it is greatly minimized when i’m NOT doing cardio for an hour a day; just eating less.
Zoe Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Dont eat carbs after 4 and dont eat late at night
Oak Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
No Carbs after 4pm.
Eat breakfast.
Eat breakfast before working out.
Eat breakfast after working out.
Don’t eat breakfast.
Intervals, Intervals, Intervals.
Steady state over Intervals.
Green Tea burns fat.
Matthew Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
This isn’t a popular one but has to be one of the funniest I have ever heard. A lady that works with my wife always says “you can eat whatever you want as long as you drink a glass of water first.” Needless to say, the woman is significantly overweight.
Brian Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Eating celery burns more calories then it actually is.
Brian Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Conjugated Linoleic acid, CLA supplements help you burn fat….
emily Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
1. Don´t eat simple carbs
2. Don´t starve yourself
3. Drink a lot of water
4. Rotate your calories, carbs…
5. Stay away from artificial sweeteners
6. Eat every 3-4 hours
7. Eat a lot of protein
8. Stay away from dairy and wheat
9. Eat breakfast
10.Gain more muscle
vicky Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
MYTH>EAT FOR YOUR BLOOD TYPE>MYTH FOR SURE
TRUTH> FOOD COMBINING..THIS ONE I BELIEVE
Julia Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
An old Iranian saying:
Eat your breakfast alone, share your lunch, give your enemy your dinner
Felecia Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
1. Always work out on an empty stomach. You’ll burn more fat.
2. Don’t eat late at night.
3. Don’t go longer than 3-4 hours without eating. You’ll go into starvation mode!
Josh B Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Interested on your take on the CLA supplement and fat burning
Steve W. Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Nobody ever got fat from eating fruits and vegetables.
Scott in Ohio Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I’m sure I’m duplicating but I’ll submit anyway…
1) Do cardio in the morning on an empty stomach to burn the most fat
2) Too little calories for too long will stall your weight loss and could damage your metabolism.
3) Hormone issues could cause weight-gain no matter how big your calorie deficit may be.
4) All calories are not created equal.

Looking forward to reading this book, John. Great topic!
Rod Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Exercise after you eat to burn the calories off.

Eat Weight Watcher meals – the combination of the foods you eat will accelerate your metabolism.
Natalie Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Here are my top 10 and why I don’t follow 9 of them regularly
1. eat every 4-6 hours of mini-meals and always have protein with every meal (I would be a fat-a$$ if I followed this)
2. Slow, long cardio is out, HIT is in. 3, 20 minutes sessions a week (I would hurt myself–I have a bad back and want to walk when I hit 40 years old)
3. eat breakfast always (sometimes I am not hungry and would puke if I tried)
4. drink 8-10 glasses of water every day (I don’t want to pee all night)
5. choose weight lifiting before cardio (again, bad back and I am lucky I can do body weight stuff–I still have plenty of muscle)
6. Yoga is considered to be your light day or active rest day(tell that to someone who does Bikram or Ashtanga–it’s a workout!)
7. If you fast, your metabolism will slow down (I think I am okay the day after thanksgiving and I don’t want to eat, but call me crazy)
8.eat organic whenever you can (who can afford it!)
9. Lift heavy even if you are female (what BS-thanks Valerie Waters for finally showing me the light on this one)
10. 90% of it is diet–this one I couldn’t agree with more–it’s more diet than exercise and you truly can’t out exercise a bad diet. Amen to that.
Anthony Ramos Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
John:

I think the responses in this post are reason enough for your book to at least include a section bustin important myths.

I think this mentality of eating certain foods rather than eating less is actually PREVENTING weight loss in America.
Mari Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Quoting a blog I read yesterday at:

http://kellyolexa.squarespace.com/body/2010/4/17/the-frustration-of-yesterday.html

“…?6 Meals a Day: No fruit. Fruit is bad. Fruit is sugar. Wait! How can fruit be bad? Fruit is ok…you should be having some fruit. You don’t have enough green vegies. Only leafy vegies. Green smoothies, oh wait, those are too high calorie. Splenda is bad. Stevia is unproven. Diet Soda is horrible, coffee is bad, dairy is bad, wheat is bad, flour is bad, sugar is bad, gluten is bad. Too much protein, not enough protein. Protein powder is helpful and the body absorbs it FASTER. Protein powder is BAD because the body burns more calories when you eat real food. Drink more water. Too much water is bad. Don’t drink water with meals or it ruins digestion. Protein bars are a good snack, protein bars are bad for you. Meals have to be precisely 40/40/20 or no, wait, 40/30/30 no wait 60/20/20. Every 3 hours you must eat. Deli meat has sodium. Don’t eat red meat. Go fat free. No, you need fat. This fat is ok, this fat is not ok. Count calories. Don’t count calories, count fat grams. Eat salads, don’t eat salads. You can’t ever drink. Cheat days are bad. You must have a cheat day to confuse your body. No one needs dairy. Dairy helps with weight loss. Avoid everything white. Go on the Zone. Atkins always works. Shakes only. Slim-Fast. Frozen meals are the curse of the devil. Avoid salt. Only egg whites. A few egg yolks are ok. Carrots have too much sugar. Only eat clean. More fiber, less fiber. Lo-carb, moderate carb, high carb.
?Calories: don’t count calories. Calories don’t count, fat counts. Calories don’t count, carbs count. Shoot for 2200 calories if you are training that hard!! No! You still have to keep calories LOW even if you are working out. Stagger calories. Stagger carbs. Cheat day vs. Cheat meal.
…”

And those are just the food “rules”.
Jaxon Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Stuff I have been told, but don’t necessarily follow!

1. Drink water it flushes away the metabolic by-products and speeds up weight loss.

2. Eat only whole unprocessed foods.

3. Eat 5-6 meals a day to balance out the highs and lows of the glycemic index. Keep the GI stable with eating slow release carbs like whole grains.

4. The whiter the bread the quicker you’re dead!

5. Only cardio is recognized for weight loss and calorie burning. The fact that intense weight lifting also burns calories is ignored!

6. Don’t eat after 8:00 pm (to avoid grazing!)

7. The BMI is an outdated metric – use body fat percentage instead.

8. Eat all the veggies you want to eat.

9. Caffeine is bad for you.
Theo Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
1. Frequent eating “boosts” metabolism…
2. Avoid any and all grain-based carbs…
3. A calorie is a calorie (no matter the macro-nutrient)…
3. Eat every 3 hours…
4. Drink 4 litres of water a day (about 1 US gallon)…
5. Minimize salt intake (or avoid altogether)…
6. You must work out x times a week and “do cardio” in-between…
7. Eat/drink “Mega-Protein-Myo-Power-Plex-Tech-5000XXX!!!1!1″ and you will lose/gain 100lbs of pure fat/muscle in 2 hours without any further effort…
8. You need an extra 500 grams of protein per day to build muscle and lose fat…
9. Beer and wine are Satan’s children…
10. Chicken, broccoli and brown rice FTW!!!1 and Chuck Norris eats nothing else…
Jason Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
1. Tons of cardio
2. Don’t eat after 6pm
3. All carbs are bad
4. You have to bulk up first
to gain muscle, then diet so
you have enough muscle
to lose without looking skinny
5. Eat every 2-3 hours
6. Drink gallons of water
7. Only take cold shower to increase metabolism
8. Only take hot shower to make your body want to lose Wt.

All bullshit.
I love my eat stop eat.
Going on one year and 30 Lbs less and still going
Rickard Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
* Don’t eat fat.
* Don’t eat carbohydrates.
* Eat breakfast.
* Eat “clean”.
* Do cardio.
Jannette N Joly Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Here’s what works for me and my clients depending
1. Eat 3 main meals and 2 X 100 cal snacks if needed 1 meal with animal protein
2. 24 hour fasts 2-3 X week
3. Do not eat after 8 pm
4. Drink a minimum of 3 liters of water
5. Weight train 3x week enough to break a good sweat
6. Eat unprocessed foods only
7. Enjoy the foods you love but are bad for you when you need to
8. There’s no fat loss if you don’t combine proper eating with proper training
9. Don’t expect to lose weight wihtout any effort
10. Decide-Change-Be is my motto
James Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
JAN Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 10:19 am
You can eat as much protien and fat as you want as long as you keep your carbs lower than xx grams. (usually 50g or less)

I second this myth! I would really like to know.

1a. Focussing on certain foods or nutrients to your diet will make you lose fat somehow: Focus on eating protein.

1b. Introducing certain foods or nutrients to your diet will make you lose fat somehow: Eat a grapefruit every day.

1c. Excluding certain foods or nutrients to your diet will make you lose fat somehow: (JAN’s myth) Don’t eat carbs!

2. Breakfast will start your metabolism.

3. Eating late at night will make you fat.

4. HIIT is much better for fat loss.

5. Steady State cardio is much better for fat loss.
Mirna Hernandez Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
From what I’ve heard and learned from trainers:
1. Eat 1 hour within waking up.
2. Eat every 3 hours (nothing in between meals).
3. Eat within 45 min after a workout.
4. Drink lots of water all day.
5. Do not eat 3 hours prior to bed time.
6. Each meal should consist of lean protein, good carbs, good fats, low “real” sugar combined, certain amount of calories total. Amount/size depending on body size and goals.
7. Stay away from anything containing white or enriched flour, hydrogenated oils and high sugary foods.
7. Combine cardio and strength training together.
8. Allow yourself at least a couple resting days from exercize.
9. Get enough sleep.
10. Be consistent.

I’ve tried all of the above when I recently entered a challenge Jan. 1st for 2 months and I got results. Lost 6% body fat and increased lean body mass. Only dropped 8 lbs on the scale but saw greater results in the mirror and the way my clothes fit.
Liz Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Your metabolism slows down if you miss a meal
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
Must eat protein at breakfast
don’t snack between meals
eat 6 to 8 small meals a day
don’t eat unless you’re hungry
don’t wait to be hungry before you eat
Your muscle will waste away if you don’t eat enough protein
muscle turns to fat if you don’t exercise (my favourite)
Alcohol is empty calories
not eating every 2-3 causes leptin levels to lower

Eat stop Eat is easy
in the immoortal words of Nike…just do it

red wine is good for you
red wine causes headaches
red wine cleanses your blood
John Hepburn Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
1) Stay away from Wendys
2) Stay away from McDonalds
3) Stay away from KFC (Think not unthink)
4) Stay away from Burger King
5-10) Stay away from _______________________

I lost 100lbs in one year basically doing the above and also add
pizzas to the list Papa, Dominoes and Hut
Chains Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
1. Eat every 3 hours.
2. Start meals with a cold glass of water.
3. Avoid eating after 6 pm
4. Avoid dairy
5. Avoid wheat based foods
6. Supplement with CLA
7. Avoid soy and soy based foods
8. If (it’s natural) then > grab it > else > forget it
9. Take always a liquid form post-workout meal consisted of 2:1 (carb to protein ratio)
10. This is the one I like… jaja >> ALWAYS GO TO BED A BIT HUNGRY
Harneet Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
1 – good and bad food
2 – eat more calories to boost your metabolism
3 – do cardio in morning without food to burn 300% more Fat
4 – fat and carb are the main reason of fat
5 – protein boost your metabolsim
6 – more muscles fast metabolsim
7 – do long fast like 30-30 Days !madness…….
8 – eat 200kcal a day.

Eatstopeat is the best, rest are just foolish things with great marketing to lighten your money in your pockets …..

hope this helps
Lee Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Eat what the experts tell you – they ought to know they’re “experts”.
Eat 5-6 mini meals a day.
Avoid wheat and dairy.
Avoid red meat.
Avoid eating at all!
Denman Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
get off yur duff and shut yur mouth
Jan Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
1. Eating less than 15 grams of sugar and 120 grams of carbs a day will alleviate belly fat and increase wight loss.

2. Eat only whole foods- veggies, fruits, nuts, olive and cocunt oil, grass fed meats, free range eggs and chicken, raw dairy.
Frankie Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
back of the cheerios box: “more grains; less you”!
Deana Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
1. Move more, eat less
2. Eat smaller meals more frequently
3. Eat a lean protein with every meal
4. Avoid processed foods
5. Supplement with fish oil
6. Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables
7. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day
8. Don’t eat a large meal close to bedtime
9. Diet is 80% of the fat loss equation
10. Be compliant 90% of the time
Darren Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
high fructose corn syrup is the devil
Becca Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
- You can get away with eating ‘naughty’ food in the morning – you have the rest of the day to work it off.
- Drinking cold water forces your body to work harder to regulate it’s temperature and so burns calories
- Similar theory behind going barefoot and wearing less clothes!
- Drink warm water and lemon first thing in the morning
- You need to work out thrice a week at a certain percentage of your max heart rate to achieve fat loss.
- chewing your food properly ensures you taste everything you eat, and eat less and hence loose fat.
Chibbike Ekevich Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Just increase your green vegetable intake, lower the carbs and go on a good long walk 3-4 times a week.
Sarabeth Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Eat 5 smaller meals a day! Set your fork down between bites, chew slowly and stop eating when you are full!
The Homebody Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Eating apples can wake you up in the morning better than a coffee.
Tim Baranek Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
While I agree many of the diet myths already listed are stupid I have to say that REAL whole food that doesn’t have chemicals are bound to be healthier and therefore help more with weight loss. Chemicals clog the liver, toxins DO slow metabolism. Grass fed beef has CLA and does NOT have added hormones and antibiotics and those things are NOT good for weight loss. Additionally it has been shown that simple carbs affect insulin levels. There is tons of good info out there on these things and I can NOT agree with the idea that all you have to do is reduce total calories to lose weight. There are tons of people on diets eating less all the time who keep gaining weight and the horrible quality of the food and toxins have got to have something to do with the epidemic of obesity we did NOT have years ago. Believe what you want but high quality whole food IS superior. Besides if you end up unhealthy but thin what is the point! I see a lot of SICK thin people too!
Cecile Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Eat protein & produce every 3 hours or you will go into starvation mode; make sure you eat enough calories; no refined carbs.
Girlwithnoname (Jackie) Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
wow!! are we looking for the top 10 diet MYTHS or the top ten diet FACTS?

Cuz if it’s FACTS, I can only think of one that really counts:

Calories Consumed must be less than Calories Burned.

What’s my prize? LOL. Thanks for a thought provoking (as always) post, John!

J
Adrian Joele Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Eat fruit to start your breakfast.Eat some brown rice with banana
and rice or almond milk about an hour before you start your exercises;don’t exercise on an empty stomach, otherwise you lose muscle.

Don’t drink with your meals,otherwise you upset your stomach digestive process,but 1/2 hour before & 1 hour after meals.

Eat 5-6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism going.
biggahboy Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
1. Carbs are bad for you (complex carbs and simple carbs)
2. Don’t eat sugar, it will make you gain weight.
3. To gain muscle (for skinny guys) you must eat a lot of food
biggahboy Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
1. No late night (after 7pm and later) eating…it will make you gain weight!!
Julie Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Dont’ eat after 8pm, No sugar/carbs after 4pm, Don’t eat anything ending in ol – eg sorbitol, minimise eating anything ending in ose – eg dextrose, have fructose to make you go but doesn’t that end in ose?!?! Have protein with each meal, Don’t eat bread, don’t eat pasta, avoid fried anything, have supplements and amino acids to burn fat, help depression, allieviate arthritis, build stronger bones. Drink 2-3 litres of water a day, drink 6 cups of green tea a day to burn fat, drink black coffee to increase metabolism, eat ground cinnamon, peppers and tumeric. Is it any wonder there is confusion about weight loss??? The list is endless
karen ferguson Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Don’t eat after 7- what happens if you work past 6?you can’t make a nice meal frm real food before 7 so just look at it- eat it tomorrow ha!
Eat only when you are really hungry. Makes sense.
Don’t use food as a thing to worship control it don’t let it control you.
Eat only food on the low glycemic index chart- that would be water- everything else including those yummy cardboard like rice cakes either have or create sugar in your blood!
Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day-be careful because apparently you can drink too much and become toxic so how much is enough?
Sue Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
If it tastes good, spit it out.
Loic Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Don’t mix carbs and protein in the same meal! (that one is the one I hear the most)
Witold Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Hi , High intensity interval cardio for fat burning . Heavy and fast weight training to increase or keep muscle , after short warmup and stretch should only take about 30 minutes . Fast training means only compound exercise . Heavy for me means double bodyweight deadlifts , bodyweight pullups , bodyweight dips , legs press more than double bodyweight etc . Weights heavy enough to keep reps at about 5 and immediately drop weight on the bar or machine to get another 5 reps for a total of 10 .
Rest time between different exercises only enough to walk over and set the weights on new machine or bar . When lifting such heavy weights 2 days for recovery is essential . I weigh 80 kg and my age is 63 .
For me food is big breakfast ( fats and carbs) , medium lunch and light dinner well before bed time .
Chewing all your food properly and no water to dilute gastric juices while eating is all good .
Roger F Aucoin Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
1. Move more in a way that burns more calories
2. Drink more water
3. Limit or stop fruit drinks, soft drinks, coffees, teas
4. Exercise is a way that’s comfortable for you
5. Eat less in a way that is comfortable for you; we all tend to eat more than we need to because we can; find out how much you really need to eat, and only eat that much
6. Eat your carbs more in the morning and lighten up through the day
7. Spread your proteins throughout the day
8. Eat 4 – 6 meals a day, clearly smaller than your usual meals
9. Don’t be afraid to fast for 24 hours every week or so; start right after a supper and you’re half way through by the time you wake up the next morning
10. Don’t be afraid to drink a glass of fiber a day to help your personal plumbing function the best it can
11. Your body knows what weight it should be; allow it to find the optimal weight for you
12. Sleep a regular sleep pattern as many nights as you can, typically 6 – 8 hours a night
13. Don’t diet; learn how to drink, eat and move in a way that enables you to reduce fat, maintain and tone your muscle mass, and feel the best that you can!
barbara Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Have your daily carbs during the first meal of the day, and eat low carb for your other meals. Also lay off the alcohol as ypour body will burn it before it does fat!
barbara Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Have your daily carbs during the first meal of the day, and eat low carb for your other meals. Also lay off the alcohol as your body will burn it before it does fat!
Patrick Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Myth: If you’re not hungry, you’re not burning fat.
Leona Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Do not starve yourself. Do not skip a meal since your body thinks it is an emergency and starts to store fat and to slow down metabolism.

Do not consume wheat-products if you want to have slimmer and tighter legs (It’s commonly known to girls in Asia like Korea and Japan, I guess.)

Wheat products are not encouraged to consume in general so even many companies has started making snacks with mainly rice and other grains.
Chad Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Calorie shifting
Lisa Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
I heard that sometimes when you think you are hungry it is actually that you are thirsty. I can’t remember the exact explanation for this but it sounded feasible… something to do with the brain misreading the messages it receives from the body.
I have found that if I drink a glass of water before I eat then I am less “hungry” and thus eat less. BUT I have also found that ESE is the easiest way to loose weight and keep it off. Thanks Brad!!!
usernametooshortnowitstoolon Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
These 2 in particular annoy the hell out of me to no end (mostly because I used to believe so strongly in them lol and now at the office, they are posting these exactly same health tips in the breakrooms):

1. Eat 6 small meals a day.
2. Breakfast gets your metabolism going.

Gimme a freakin’ break.
Len Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Exercise before breakfast and then eat a high protein breakfast and low carbohydrates. I now eat sourdough bread I make. I have two boiled eggs for breakfast. Also eat lots of vegetabes like lettuce, tomatoes, brocoli, green beans, cabbage etc. I eat lean meats like beef, chicken, and pork. I don’t eat processed meats. I also give myself permission to cheat and then I get back on the diet. I have also started eating more boiled shrimp because of the iodine in seafood. Like most people my doctor has said to cut back on salt but most can only get iodine from salt not fresh sea food.
Anna Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Looking at the above, is anyone amazed that the western world is gripped by an obesity epidemic? No one has a healthy relationship with food anymore. Eating can be and is an enjoyable process, but it shouldn’t control you either!
1. DO NOT MISS A MEAL! Or your metabolism will be shot to bits.
2. Which is why you MUST eat breakfast
3. Carbs best after exercise, but not too soon, wait an hour, for caloric afterburn.
4. No eating after some pre-determined time in the evening, whether tha’s 6pm, 7pm or whatever.
5. Calories in must be less than calories out (this one is actually the only one thats probably correct).
6. 1g protein per kg bodyweight (regardless of body comp!), minimum, and more if you’re weight training.
7. Exercise fasted (at least 4hours) for max fat burn.
8. No “white carbs”, wholegrain/brown/wholemeal, for improved nutrition and low GI release of energy.
9. Omega 3/fish oil for improved fat loss/reduced inflammatory process/improved recovery.

Can we please get past all these rules!!??
stacee Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
~ drink tons of water. – instead of juice, tea, coffee, or w/e try to have pure water like 90% of the time.

~eat what u crave, but in moderation and practice portion control. if you want a chocolate cake, for example, make sure you only take a small slice (or half of a slice)

~change it up!! dont have the same thing everyday. especially if its not a decent diet to begin with.
Dolly T.H. NGAI Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
1. eat well for breakfast; eat enough for lunch; eat the least and earliest (like 5 hours bedtime) possible for dinner
2. chew sufficiently like 30 to 50 times per mouthful of food
3. Drink a glass of water 30 min or 1 hour before meal
4. Eat only 70% fullness
5. Eat fruit or salad (basically fibre ) before main course
cathy hurd Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
dont eat grain carbs after lunch unless your active after dinner
Mary Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 1:06 am
1. Eat 5 meals a day. 2. Alternate steady state aerobics with interval type. 3.Do high rep resistance training. 4. Drink skim chocolate milk for post workout nutrition. 5. Skipping meals leads to starvation, which makes you fat. 6. Losing weight too fast will make you starve thereby making you fat. 7. Too much aerobics will stop your ability to lose weight, so just do intervals.
Kien Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 1:55 am
1. Plan & prepare your mid day and 5 o’clock snack.
2. Drink lots and lots of water (not too much – 2 litres)
3. Dandelion root tea in the afternoon, ginger tea in the evening, green tea in the morning.
4. If you’re feeling lazy about a workout, go to a gym class, the trainers will kick your butt for you
5. Save the majority of your calories and carbs for breakfast, have some protein with breakfast (i like non fat greek yogurt with my fruit)
6. Don’t drink your calories (i.e substitute juice for the fruit, absolutely no coke or diet variations, they make you bloat and mess up your cravings)
7. When I can, I do an eat stop eat day which still gets me cranky but works great
8. Do some pilates and yoga in between interval/resistance days to relax your body and mind to keep you focused on your goal and keep your body from getting exhausted
9. Weigh/measure yourself at the end of each week (friday, because we all have a drink on saturday :> ) to track your progress
10. If you want more than one drink on a night out, learn to love gin and tonics or vodka tonics, then stock your fridge up with healthy snacks and make your mate stop you from getting that kebab/kfc.
Jay Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 2:31 am
you can only lose weight if your body is in the correct acid/alkaline balance. storing fat is the bodies way of protecting itself from an acidic diet… heard this shit in a tony robbins seminar
sangita Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 3:22 am
What an interesting read! My friends ask me how I have managed to lose so much weight and I tell them ESE (the first thing I purchased on the net!). But then their response is a typical myth (which has been adressed in the book) – namely “OMG if I fast that long – 24 hours, my blood sugar will crash and I will faint and hit my head on the kerb and DIE!” (ok…may be I’m exaggerating but if u know what I mean…)
Chizzyramsey Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 3:22 am
1. exercise everyday or atleast thrice a week
2. start your day with a warm cup of water and drink atleast 8 cups a day.
3. eat five mini meals a day
4. always take a piece of fruit each time you eat
5. throw out bad carbohydrates like white bread, cake, pasta etc
6. reduce intake of soft drinks, drink mostly fresh juice
7. dont skip meals, especially breakfast
8. measure your meals with tea cups
9. carry you fruits along to avoid eating junk when hungary
10. spoil yourself one’s in awhile and eat what you like.
Chris Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 5:30 am
Dont go below 1400 calories for men or 1200 calories for women because your metabolism will drop and you will actually gain weight,
Dont skip a meal because your body will go into slow down mode. I work at my local GPs and a nurse said that to me (she is fat),
Dont eat after 7 because you will be asleep so your body will just store it as fat,
Cycle your calories to confuse your body, (lol i like how they give our bodys personality’s.

John can you brush on the subject of artificial sweetners like the ones in diet soda. People tell me all the time i shouldnt because they give you brain tumours and are poison (litterally poison, someone claimed your body converts it into something that is the same as the poison in fireants). I personally dont believe i thing and i noticed alot of research was backed by the sugar industry
Michael Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 6:19 am
1. (Similar to Julia’s) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.
2. Don’t eat before bed.
3. Eat every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism high.
4. Eat protein regularly to avoid muscle breakdown.
5. You must include steady-state cardio for fat loss.
6. The type of food you eat is more important than the amount.
7. Reduce your weekly calories slowly, otherwise too much of a decrease will cause you to lose muscle.
8. Not eating breakfast will “harm” you metabolism.
9. Fat can turn into muscle and vise versa.
10. Fasting is one of the worst things you can do to your body.
benny Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 8:21 am
JAN Says:
April 26th, 2010 at 10:19 am

You can eat as much protien and fat as you want as long as you keep your carbs lower than xx grams. (usually 50g or less)

This is so not true,and form eaten in access is stored as fat,carbs,protein,and fat,and thats a fact..
Jaxon Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Not so much as diet myth, but real support in your weight loss goals often is lacking because people around you (me) don’t accept the “new” healthier AI body shape that is starting to emerge. They are fixated on their older self-image of a person that is over-weight and are jealous with a positive change.

Maybe I’m saying seeking support from others is needed is a myth… I would advise having the knowledge and courage to forge ahead despite the “haters” and fat inflation acceptors.

Too often in this country we judge our “normality” by those around us and how we fit in. If everyone is over-weight then that seems to be “normal”, when in fact it’s just ignoring reality that everyone is really in a group self-delusion about their health. We have come to accept “fat-inflation” as a reason not to diet, and then start to demand models that look like us, which is plus sized and “normal”, which really means over-weight. Not to be a fat-hater, as I am over-weight, but you have to see reality for what it is, and see the fat man behind the curtain.
Laura Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Brad -

I’ve probably read every diet book going for the last 25 years. Here’s some of the so called rules:

must eat breakfast
eat 5 meals plus per day but eat when hungry ?
no carbs
only good carbs
don’t eat eggs
eat only eat whites
exercise on an empty stomach
at every meal eat a protein, carb and fat
drink 2 litres of water per day
only drink when you’re hungry
drink a tbsp of sugar and oil together 3 x’s per day before meals
eat low glycemic
eat every 2 to 3 hours
eat proteins and fats and no carbs
eat carbs only and no fat or protein
go raw
eat only fruit and salad
coffee is bad

(the list seems to go on and on) This is why everyone is obsessed and confused about weight loss. It certainly has confused me. Eat stop eat is the only sane way. Thanks Brad Have a great day.
LD Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 11:11 am
1. Eat as soon as you get up.
2. Make breakfast your largest meal of the day
3. Drink a large glass of water 20 minutes before dinner.
4.Eat Slowly
5. Take a protein shake immediately after a workout for it to be effective.
6. Only eat a high carb meal after an intense workout
7. Fruits have too much sugar.
Lorraine Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 11:23 am
These are some of the “rules”, sayings I have come across in reading a lot of fitness and nutrition material in books and on websites.

1. Don’t eat starchy carbs after 3 p.m.
2. Eat 5-6 small meals a day.
3. Avoid fruit juices, diet sodas etc.
4. Grapefruit burns fat.
5. Celery and cucumbers have negative calories.
6. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
7. Do HIIT cardio at least 2x/week.
8. Avoid sugar at all costs.
9. Of a particular reading material – Eat 3 meals/day for optimal digestion and for the first two meals don’t eat any starchy carbs then introduce them into meal #3 to control insulin levels.
10. Each meal should be compromised of a lean protein, fibruous carbs, healthy fats and starchy carbs.
11. Different ratios for example of 40-30-20(P-C-F)
12. Use carb cycling to trick the body when dieting down by cycling days of high carb, low carb and no carb.
13. Have a protein shake or meal 1 1/2 hours before training or you risk losing muscle.
14. Be sure to take EFA’s as they cannot be produced by the body.
15. Eat fatty fish at least 2x/week
Jack Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
one of the stranger ones which I still can’t get a grip on is this:
“don’t consume carbs and fat in large quantities at the same meal”
In other words, only eat protein-carb or protein-fat combination meals.

What I find so funny about this diet (called ‘Massive Eating’ by John Berardi) is that the main criticism is that “fat doesn’t need carbs to be stored, fat can store itself” but the real problem should be “CARBS don’t need fat to be stored, CARBS can store themselves”

Anyways, I thought I should mention the one diet rule that is true (that ESE conforms to without knowing it) is that if you want to have a lean (& healthy) body then you need to lower your carb intake. Simple as. If you don’t believe this watch the movie ‘Fat Head’ before you argue with it.

Jack
Jack Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Oh yeah I should mention that Massive Eating is a weight GAIN program not weight loss so it’s probably a moot point..
Betty Says:
April 27th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
1. Breakfast if the most important meal of the day to jump start the metabolism.
2. Don’t eat after 6 p.m.
3. Eat 4 small meals a day to feed your metabolism.
4. Eat a hand full of nuts an hour before a meal to keep you from eating too much at meal time.
5. Don’t eat bread.
6. Don’t eat red meat.
7. Have several servings of dairy everyday.
8. Drink a glass of water before each meal to help you feel full sooner, therefore you eat less.
9. Eat stop Eat.
10.Eat losts of steamed veggies with rice.
Confuse Shus Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 12:33 am
Confuse Shus says,

Don’t eat fruits after dinner especially just before bedtime. Better to eat a small amount of protein to stoke growth hormones otherwise anything sweet will stop growth hormones production while you sleep.

Don’t eat any soy products like tou foo or beans or legumes as they are estrogenic and anything estrogenic is not good for muscle building.

Eat your lagest meal for dinner as your forefathers do when they have to hunt for food and eat only at night. ( so which is right,big breakfast, medium lunch and small dinner? ahhh….. Confuse Shus is now more confuse)
Pratik Chakrabarti Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 3:09 am
1.To loose weight strength training is important.Strength training adds muscle to the body which turns jacks up the metabolic rate.Cardio on the other hand is no good.Initially it works but as the body gets used to it, fat loss hits a plateau.
2.(Exact opposite of the first)..Strength training is no good. It takes about 3-4 months to add 3 to 4 pounds of muscle.A pound of muscle burns no more than 6 calories extra.Cardio burns fat at the time of exercise.Intense cardio burns fat all day
Mariska Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 3:48 am
Just one tip: it doesn’t matter which meal of the day you prefer to make your main meal(lunch or supper). In other words, you won’t gain more weight if you have a smaller lunch and have a main meal for supper. Just as long as you don’t have two main meals per day!!
william Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 7:42 am
dont eat after 6 p.m.
drink your water ice cold, which i belive is true cause it takes more energy in joule to make the ice cold water to rise to your body temperature. is this not true brad?
Jefferson Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 9:26 am
A lot of what I’ve heard so far on wight loss

- YOU NEED A LOT OF CARDIO
- DO CARDIO ON AN EMPTY STOMACH OR ONLY A CUP OF COFFEE.
- DON’T EAT AFTER 6 PM
- EAT EVERY 3 – 4 HOURS
- HIGH VOLUME, SUPERSET TRAINING
- INTERVALS INSTEASD OF SLOW CARDIO
- INTERVALS AND CARDIO COMBINED
- LOW CARB DIETS
- CARB RELOAD
- USE KETTLEBELLS INSTEAD OF DB
- INTERMITENT FASTING
- YOU’LL PUT ON WEIGHT BY FASTING
Ella Mclaughlin Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Just don’t allow yourself to get hungry, and do not skip breakfast…
Srikanth S Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 9:48 am
four basic rules :

1. eat complex carbs/ fiber laden fruits every two hours . eat small portions each time.
2. exercise every day. aerobics and weight lifting.
3. post work outs , take some protein powder.
4. wake up early each day . dont eat after eight in the evening
4.. eat your last meal at least two hours before retiring to bed.
5. after waking up dont drink tea or coffee . obviously no bed tea also.
Brian Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 10:33 am
1.drinking a glass of water with ice burns up to 50 more calories
2.don’t eat carbs after 6pm.
3.eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism running.
4.drink a gallon of water a day in order to lose weight.
5.eat more protein and fat than carbs to lose weight.
6.aim for 35 meals a week.
7.when you go shopping only shop on the outer ailses.
Dave Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 5:14 pm
do not drink too many beers
Brandon Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Eat more to lose weight. If you drop your calories too low you will actually gain fat. You need atleast 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight to gain any muscle. If you don’t eat every 3 hours your muscles will basically disappear overnight. Fasting is the devil. Colon Cleanse and detox to drop unwanted fat. If you look at sugar you will gain fat immediately.

Theres many more but I’ve got to stop myself there
Brandon Says:
April 28th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
In my past and presently, I have looked the best including amount of muscle and lower body fat, when I’ve exercised the most and ate the least. It’s that simple, but simple isn’t necessarily easy
Confuse Shus Says:
April 29th, 2010 at 3:00 am
eating a little bit every few hours 5 to 6 times a day allows the calories to be used up instead of stored as fat and the proteins to be used for building muscles. If you eat all your required calories and proteins in 1 or 2 meals your body cannot use all the calories or proteins in one go and thus part of it will be stored as fat. On top of that, the times when you are not eating in between meals, muscles will be used for energy. It will also result in more cortisol.
And so on and so on……………..
Yara Says:
April 29th, 2010 at 11:53 am
WAAAATTTEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! three glasses the second you wake up.

And no carbs.
Ursula Says:
April 30th, 2010 at 10:00 am
1.Eat half a grapefruit every morning before breakfast.
2.Don’t eat carbs after lunch.
3.Don’t use artificial sweeteners.
4.Drink mixture of honey and cinnamon before going to bed and the again in the morning.
johannes chan Says:
May 2nd, 2010 at 12:36 am
my rule is simple, no simple carbohydrate in daily basis, i eat simple carbohydrate just one day in a week and immediately after intense workout.
also, i do intermittent fasting, but i believe that fasting is done better in non workout day,not that i’m afraid of lack of strength, but i believe that we need to eat in workout day to reverse catabolic state and maximize muscle building, so i choose the day i fast carefully.
that’s my opinion
johannes chan Says:
May 2nd, 2010 at 12:44 am
moderate amount of protein about 70-120g each day from different source possible, protein shake and real food.and moderate amount of fat(all fat especially monosaturated and polysaturated one, like those from virgin olive oil, almond,etc) but absolutely no trans fat.
enough complex carb with low GI index from fruit and vegies.
considerable amount of water.
and also i don’t believe that 6 meals work better than traditional 3 meals a day.it just crazy to prepare 6 meals everyday. although i often eat more than 3 times a day(small meal), but for me 6 meals isn’t absolute
i believe that the total calorie intake per day is more important.
i hope my opinion will helped the writting of the book.
Good luck.
Jac Says:
May 5th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
My most hated:

“It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle.”

And I can just throw away my old life
Francoise Pardos Says:
May 19th, 2010 at 5:12 am
For about one month, or as long as necessary, press a fresh lemon and add a full glass of water, at room temperature, no sugar at all, and this just before every meal, morning, noon and evening, hence three times a day. Then eat what you like, at meals, but no in-between meal nibbling at all.

Soon you lose appetite, you feel great, and you lose weight. It works!

Good success
Dietz Says:
May 19th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
“It wasn’t until i literally ate next to nothing that I started to lose weight”.

calories vs calories out. eat small meals, not to feel full & WHOLE FOODS. eat whenever you are hungry. listen to YOUR body, everyone is different & our schedules are different. we don’t eat at the same time, we don’t burn (exercise) energy at the same time or ratio. keep it simple.

my take on carbs = bread, pasta, etc.. i shy away from it because it spikes my insulin. It doesn’t fill me up that much, i get hungry quicker, i get tired after i eat it, etc.. i feel better getting my calories from fruit & mostly veggies and then protein. protein & veggies the most because the cal. is LOW & the nutrition / feel of fullness is LONG. – this is what i feel!

its mostly disciple though. keeping yourself from falling off the wagon and wanting to pleasure your taste buds. via chocolate, cake, ice cream, reeses, etc.. some times, abstinence is the only way. IT sucks when you get around bad influences.

Top 10 Weight Loss Diet Rules

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