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Not trolling you bud but some of the stuff on your list is good, some is boilerplate, and some is just outright incorrect. There are also some important things missing.
- Decreasing calorie intake does not necessarily decrease metabolic rate.
- Skipping meals is not necessarily bad. It takes 3-5 days of not eating or highly restricted calorie intake to trigger the starvation response. My doctor actually recommended not eating (fasting) for a day occasionally. I got lambasted in this forum for talking about it, but my doc has a whole theory about weight loss and it's relationship to detoxification, plateauing, etc. He must have something right - I've gone from about 215 to 185 and have not experienced any loss of energy or hit any weight loss plateaus. Many ancient cultures (not western ones) have traditions related to fasting that have their basis in maintaining health. People who have good health and good sleep will not crash if their "blood sugar begins to dip." This is true only for people who have problems regulating their blood sugar, like diabetics. If you get tired during the day it's because your overall nutrition is bad (missing macro/micro nutrients or minerals) or because you are sleep deprived. Prolonged calorie deficit causes your body to convert fat to energy, which provides all the material your body needs to maintain energy levels. If you doubt me, think of it in caveman terms. In ancient times, the next meal was never guaranteed. People ate everything that was available to them. They grew a little body fat in good times, burned a little body fat in bad times. If they "crashed" every time their "blood sugar got low", we'd have been extinct as a species hundreds of thousands of years ago.
- The small plate theory is just that - a theory, and for the most part it doesn't work. People eat until they feel full, not because their eyes tell them that they have eaten enough. The key to curbing over-eating is to focus on foods that are healthful. Have a main meal that is mostly vegetables and healthy things like lean meats and whole grains. After you've eaten a reasonable portion of those foods and you're still hungry, a small portion of a processed food could be acceptable, depending on how it's processed.
- The importance of raw/whole and richly flavorful/textured foods cannot be understated. Raw/whole foods require more energy to convert into fuel and they stay in your system longer, helping you feel more satisfied so you eat less. Unprocessed foods by their nature have less calories and fat and more essential nutrients. Flavor usually requires a little bit of salt and fat to pop, but use these to advantage. Select healthful foods for their flavor impact and avoid bitter or distasteful foods just because they are "healthy." For instance, I hate brussel sprouts but I really like turnip and parsnip, which are excellent substitutes for potatoes and have a nice texture and flavor when well prepared. Bland foods often require lots of fat and/or salt to make them tasty, stuff like french fries and potato chips.
- Being a little hungry all the time when losing weight is a good thing. Just don't binge when you finally do eat. Your body needs to get used to the feeling of being a little bit hungry. If a little hunger bothers you, try satisfying the hunger with water. A hot beverage like tea or coffee (no sugar) is even more effective for some reason at curing hunger between meals.
- There are some foods out there that are just NOT meant to be eaten and should be struck from everyone's diet. Candy, sweets, gums, sugary soda/pops ice creams, fudge, etc. are all bad, as are things that are literally dripping with fat. Make a pact with yourself to write these things off forever, and make a big deal out of telling all your family and friends that if they are going to invite you to socialize around food, that it better not be at the local bakery or sweets shop.
- Never eat a food item out of it's container. If you have a bag of chips/crisps (which are notoriously bad, btw), put a reasonable portion on a plate and then put the bag away. Best not to eat them in the first place, but if you have a few in the house, then don't be a beast about them. NEVER eat from a bag or box in front of the computer/television.
- Alcohol is a natural depressant. It slows down body functions. If you abuse alcohol, your body will suffer in many ways, but decreased energy and metabolism is a big problem. If you want to drink alcohol occasionally, it's fine. But keep in mind that different alcohols are processed by the body in different ways. Beer and wine contain many more carbohydrates in the form of refined sugars than distilled spirits, even if the stated caloric values are the same. It takes the body a certain amount of energy to process alcohol, which is roughly balanced in the case of spirits, but not in the case of wine or beer. If you mix, use sugar free mixers. Most spirits are served with mixers that are essentially sugar water with food color and artificial flavorings.
- Macrovitamins, minerals, and micronutrients are essential for overall health and energy levels. Take a daily multi-vitamin even if you have a great balanced diet. Make sure you take the vitamin at the same time as a meal that contains a little bit of fat (I take mine with a breakfast of low-fat yogurt) because nutrients must be soluble in fat in order to be absorbed by the body.
- Proper sleep and calibrating your waking/sleeping schedule to your body's natural circadian rhythms is also essential for weight loss. You will not have the energy to exercise if you are constantly tired, and not getting enough sleep will build up a sleep deficit which will eventually lead to fatigue, over-eating, and illness. If you are naturally awake later in the evening and sleep later in the day, you will always feel tired and have that mid-afternoon "crash" unless you can shift your sleeping schedule to accommodate your body's natural sleep schedule.
- With that said, it *is* important to build good muscle tone for a good looking body and also because muscle mass increases metabolic rate. Anaerobic exercise (weight training) is very good for the body - it also strengthens bones, ligaments, and reduces the chance of injury if you do have an accident of some kind.
Also, quoting the whole previous thread (esp. when it is painfully large and long) is bad.
Ow avert my gaze my eyes
CHAT