The general public is fixated on weight loss instead of fat loss because everyone thinks skipping a meal solves everything but nobody wants to exercise.

1. Yup. Not adverse to either, provided you know what you're doing.
2. Definitely, especially love Nandos. Rather more expensive though.
3. Personally I'm not too fond of meat swimming in any form of gravy, especially spicy ones. I usually remove the skin for ayam goreng.
4. Most protein, any meals has to have a good source of protein for me. Definitely veg on the side for fiber and vits, and some carbs.

How can you get confused with exercise? Do both. Cardio and weight training.

Actually your skeletal frame doesn't change with weight training. Stopping will mean you lose the muscle. And lack of exercise means you gain fat. Fat gain has nothing to do with you previously working out. Muscle doesn't get replaced with fat.

Just do your cardio and do your weight training.
Lots of posts on diet in this thread. Start reading.

I know this is going to sound a bit of a smart@$$ comment, but it really is truth.

Get started.
Do anything. Cardio, weights, even walking up or down the stairs. The most important is getting started. Thinking stamina or strength at this point is overthinking it.

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Added on November 15, 2011, 10:45 amIt's true to a point, that the focal point of the 'scare tactics' is to push the product.
Yes, they use visceral fat to scare you. And of course, the higher fat % you are, the higher your visceral fat.

And you really don't need 'products' to solve what is basicaly a lifestyle issue.

Change your lifestyle (Our PMs fav sentence when petrol price goes up). Forget about watching what you eat, start understanding what you eat. And of course, most importantly, exercise. Make time for exercise. If there's only 1 thing you can do, go exercise.

This post has been edited by statikinetic: Nov 15 2011, 10:45 AM

Do excuse me, but water weight and fat weight differential? I mean, why would you want to know this and how does water retention affect your life?

Exactly. And I don't think it's a competing bodybuilder asking.
For the average person on the street and weight loss, water retention shouldn't be an issue.

Aim for the achievable, then keep improving from there.

No.

'Water retention' in fitness circles usually means the gaining of water weight. You might gain a kilo or two. And not have the dry and ripped look. If we're talking about Edema where the problem might be leaky capillaries or higher histamine release caused by the body not digesting certain food properly, I feed that this is a condition better addressed in another thread rather than a weight loss thread.

Your problem isn't the type of diet. It's the discipline to change your diet.

There is no spot reduction so just ab and waist exercise isn't going to result in much change.
You gun for fat reduction and yes, chances are your arms and legs are going to get skinnier. Your solution, hit the gym with a weight training workout. Pack on the muscle to compensate for shredding your belly.