Food & Exercise, Librarian Style

I'm a librarian, and I've loved learning and books my whole life. Whenever I'm having a problem or trying to make a big decision, my first step is always to do research. I check out a bunch of books from the library, look up personal accounts and tips online, and talk to friends and family to pick their brains about the topic. Since my weight wake-up call back in April, much of my research has been focused on the food/dieting/exercise conundrum.

What should I eat?
How much?
How often?
Is 'X' food really bad for me?
Are any of these diets feasible in the long term?
How much exercise should I do?
How often?
What kind?

Everyone who has struggled with trying to gain or lose weight is familiar with these questions. What's the magic formula? I eagerly dove head-first into my research, hopeful that if I could just read enough books and talk to enough people, I would find that there is in fact a clear line between the truth and the trash, between bonafide science and marketing manipulation. That line, I discovered, is somewhat fuzzy - but it DOES seem to exist! I can't tell you how surprised I was, but when I took publication dates into account I could see a definite awakening in the realms of food and exercise research, with more and more people coming around to similar points of view. Now, I would never say that there is total consensus - food is far too contentious an issue, and there is far too much money rolled up in exercise and food as industries. However, when you remove studies funded by groups trying to sell you food and look at the real information, it's interesting how clear it all becomes. Exercise is a little fuzzier, but I've come to some conclusions there as well. Over the next several posts I'll be covering some of the diets I've tried, the food books I've read, and the exercise research I've done. I won't say that the conclusions I've drawn will definitely provide better health and controlled weight for absolutely everyone, but they're working for me and they make logical, scientific sense, so I think they're worth sharing. All these entries will be collected under the tag "Librarian style". I hope someone finds this information helpful!