Mr. Silver says "Silver tried to kill me!!!"

[KSH]

So, what I'm hearing is:
- it's not the number of calories, it's the composition

- carb calories are bad

- protein and fiber calories are best

Well, I would not agree with what you have said above.

I eat only by calories. Now, when I first started logging my calories, I analyzed the protein and fat, and figured out that what I eat is healthy, and I meet my requirements daily. I do not pay attention to carbs. I did try to eat lower carbs, and it just made me really dizzy and miserable all day long.

The truth of the matter is that if you aiming for low calories, healthy and filling food... you tend to get the rest of it balanced out. Now, if you eat 1600 calories a day in fast food, you probably are NOT getting a good balance of carbs/protein/fat.

The key here is that you eat food you enjoy and can eat daily. Like Lisa said... this can't be a "diet". This has to be a lifestyle... and new way of eating and looking at food.

I'm not going to tell you it will be easy. I have been eating "heathly" for about 10 years now, and it wasn't until a few months ago that it really clicked. Don't get me wrong.. I still love pizza, Mexican food, etc... I just eat it in moderation... and I enjoy eating the healthy food I eat daily. It's all about finding a balance... and really "bad for you food"... being seen as a treat... not a common occurance.

OK, take a hard look at what you are consuming... and ask yourself if you really LIKE eating it and does it FILL you UP?

If you don't like it or if it doesn't stick with you... toss it and try something else in it's place... that has the same amount of calories. You really have to enjoy what you are eating.

For example, you ate 300 calories of rice cakes. Did you love those rice cakes? Were they yummy? Did they stick with you? If not... ditch them. Go try other bars out there. I can just about bet that you will find something that is easier and healthier for the same amount or less calories.

PS- Mojo bars... YUMMY! I get a sweet treat daily with these (some have chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in them!)... and they are only 200 calories and 10 grams of protein.

made a huge mistake eating my 'breakfast' at about 5AM...made it nearly impossible to get to lunch without serious cravings and hunger. Then I waited too long and likely exceeded my target consumption because I was so hungry. Smaller, more frequent meals are what I need.

If you can switch to many small meals a day, you will be A LOT happier. I eat every 2 hours. I eat before I get hungry, so I don't feel deprived or like I need to "pig out" to make the hunger go away.

By looking at how many calories you want to consume a day, you can then space out your meals according to calories. Here is how I do around 1800-2000 calories a day (I don't nit-pick to the exact count anymore):
8:00 AM, 220 calories
10:00 AM, 320 calories
Workout from 11-12 ish
12:30 PM, 300-400 calories
2:30 PM, 200-350 calories
5:30 PM, 200 calories
May workout from 6-8 ish
8:00 PM, 300-450 calories