Dieting results in long term changes to hormones and muscle fibers.

[noamnety]

172. No problem.

The one that got me started really understanding the mechanics was the Four Hour Body. My disclaimer is that there's a bit of male stupidity in it, ranging from clueless up to creep factor. I prefer the motivation to be purely on health and fitness, at nearly 50 my goal isn't to get a hot ass. If I had one, I'm not even sure what I'd do with it. But I still use this as my eating and workout bible. This is where I learned the basics of insulin, leptin, how sleep deprivation affects weight loss, how stress effects it, why restricting carbs 6 days a week works - but also why going to town on carbs one day a week or so keeps you from having issues processing carbs in the long run. Also what to do to minimize weight gain when you do eat carbs (90 seconds of high intensity a few minutes before the meal, and another 90 seconds an hour and a half afterwards, for example).

Wheat Belly is more focused on modern hybridized wheat, and its connection to everything from arthritis to diabetes to acid reflux. It was my introduction to wheat proteins making the walls of the intestines permeable.

The New Rules of Lifting for Women had a bunch of specific exercises that I didn't incorporate into my life, but what I mostly got from it was more specific knowledge of what builds muscle and what doesn't.

And online, leangains has been a source of good information: http://www.leangains.com/2011/01/better-blood-glucose-with-lower-meal.html. Related to that, I know a lot of people recommend the book Eat, Stop, Eat. I haven't read it yet, I probably will this summer.

edit: I meant to add that during the last 9 months when I've been on the 4 hour body program, I had a three week period when I logged my food into myfitnesspal.com. Myfitnesspal was easy to use and I wanted to get a ballpark figure of where I was at caloriewise, which was 1500-1800, but I was aware I was eating less because I was logging it. I'd guess my norm has been around 1800. But the rest of the time I haven't counted calories or carbs or points at all.