what is the "best" diet you have lost weight with??

[Love2Smile]

Help me out girls! I need to lose 50 lbs and nothing works!

[snickelfritz]

It doesn't make anything "off limits" and it's the easiest thing for me to make a lifestyle out of. It's all about making healthier choices and eating reasonable portions.

 

I can still have my Starbucks frou-frou coffee. I just get a small one, ask for skim milk and have it once a week instead of once a day.

 

I can still have my favorite entree at a restaurant. But, I limit the bread and pick a veggie instead of fries.

[clementine]

WW is the only thing that has worked for me. I had to have the calculator & follow the program faithfully.

 

I 'should' do it again :tongue_smilie:

[Ottakee]

I lost 70 pounds with Weight Watchers points system and walking.

 

It is a doable lifestyle, not a "diet" that requires a lot of special foods, something different than the family, weird/expensive stuff, etc.

[MIch elle]

nt

[Jmac]

atkins worked great for me but I got tired of cooking so I switched to medifast. WW didn't work for me because I evidently have zero will power. I love the feeling of not being hungry when I don't consume a high number of carbs.

[hanki]

I read this book and then implemented his plans and lost a little over 20 pounds in 6 weeks.

 

Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

[Frontier Mom]

WW ? - Did you attend the meetings, use WW online or just do it yourself?

 

I need a push.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I have been on a ton of diets. And they ALL work if you work them. I lost weight on Atkins, hCG, raw foods, weight watchers, "the lemonade diet," etc. Well, I lost the SAME weight over and over.

 

However, recently, I simply started just making better choices and I finally feel FREE. I'm exercising a bit daily and just eating well.

 

Some considerations might be too look at Hungry Girl (website and book) and Cook Yourself Thin (Lifetime Tv and book--the website does have recipes from the show). This allows you to have all your fave recipes but for much lower calories/fat, etc. And really, even their recipes can be tweaked even further for even more restriction. But that way the portions are still nice and you can eat more during the day allowing your metabolism to keep working (or get working).

 

Anyway, it is SO freeing to not be on a stupid diet but to be losing weight consistently. I wish I had done it before.

[Rose in BC]

This has worked for me. It has helped me to make a lifestyle change that I can stick with.

[Nestof3]

I have had the best success since being over 30 by using www.sparkpeople.com.

 

It also reveals my nutriend deficiencies.

 

I lost 20 pounds when younger just by exercising daily and eating better. That hasn't worked now that I'm older. I have to be really careful about my calories. The key is high-fiber foods and lots of fruits (fresh) and veggies. I also focus on lowfat cheese items like yogurt (with fruit and a little Truvia) and ground flaxseed, lowfat cottage cheese, cheese sticks, lowfat milk). Limiting carbs is the most important thing -- eating more salad than spaghetti, for example. Hidden fats are a killer to my caloric intake as well. I use honey mustard instead of mayonaise, for example. I eat my turkey sandwich without cheese but with lots of romaine.

 

Sparkpeople really helps you analyze your intake.

 

You don't have to stick with the website for years, but it really helps realize the impact certain foods have on you. Like late-night chips (I eat rice cakes with peanut butter and a cheese stick instead). It gets you thinking of how you can fill up without relying on empty, high-caloric foods. It makes me thing more about nutrients than just losing weight as well.

[Jean in Wisc]

http://www.sparkpeople.com

[Love2Smile]

I am sick of diets too. In fact what you described is what I vowed to start today. Just listening to my body for real hunger, not head hunger...

I too want to be free! It's so hard tho, im a stress eater.

 

I like WW too, for the accountability and Atkins works too, I just get sick of it..

[clementine]

My first WW was before my first dd - I went to meetings because I needed the accountability of weighing in with a REAL PERSON who recorded my loss or gain :001_huh: in my book. That is a big motivator!!

 

My second time was inbetween kids & I couldn't make the time to get to meetings with a toddler. I did it at home, recorded my own info, and really stuck to it. I lost 25 pounds. Eventually it creeped back on & I'm at the point where I should do it again.

 

I won't pay for meetings or the website now because money is tight, but here is a great site with a ton of WW info. Check it out...for free :) and search around for WW points info, restaurant info, recipes, etc.

 

http://www.dwlz.com/

 

HTH

[angela in ohio]

Weight Watchers is the only thing that has ever worked for me long term.

[abbeyej]

I read this book and then implemented his plans and lost a little over 20 pounds in 6 weeks.

 

Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

 

Yep, Eat to Live. I also think that if you can continue to maintain some of the changes you make while following Eat to Live, you'll really be much healthier overall than with almost any of the other diets listed. Yes, it helps to lose weight, but it also helps your body to be better nourished overall.

[Love2Smile]

Just ordered it from my library, surprised I haven't heard of it, since I know just about every.single.diet out there!

[Matryoshka]

South Beach. And I've kept it off for years now - I still use the recipe books because they're yummy.

[Dirtroad]

Atkins

[spotted_ladybugs]

If you're willing to do the research and are serious, PM me and I'll tell you what I'm doing. It has changed my life and the way that I look at food. I've lost 20 pounds in 28 days, so far.

[phathui5]

Being vegan seems to be the only thing that works for me.

[EarleneW]

I lost 60lbs on WW and kept if off for years.....then I got prego and it all went out the window. I am back on track with WW now and back to the gym. It was the easiest for mew to follow bc nothing was totally off limits.

[macdaddi]

or Eat for Health (latest book) has always worked for me after my pregnancies.

[fshinkevich]

Being vegan seems to be the only thing that works for me.

 

Same here, also not eating several hours before bed.

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

Help me out girls! I need to lose 50 lbs and nothing works!

 

totally free eating journal, with a huge database of foods (fast food, restaurants, grocery items) that is constantly added to daily by other users:

 

http://www.myfitnesspal.com

 

My husband has tried Atkins, Body for Life, the Zone. They all worked temporarily. He finally understands that he has to keep track of what he is eating calorically -- that is the only way that you can loose weight. You can enter you activity level and your planned weight loss per week, and it will tell you how many calories you can eat. Then, if you exercise during the day -- and enter it -- you get more calories because you've burnedmore.

 

Let me tell you, this has been so freeing for him -- and me!. He can have a York peppermint patty some days -- because he has calories to spare. He can plan for birthday cake, by running/ exercising longer during the day.

 

Honestly, I need to do this, too, to loose a couple winter pounds I gained.

 

It helps to have reasonable expectations....his goal is to loose 52 lbs. this year (1 lb. per week), and he is actually ahead of the game by about 8 or 10 lbs. I'm so proud of him!

[Jumping In Puddles]

I have never lost so much weight and so quickly as with Eat To Live. I added Alaskan Salmon and Halibut to the diet because I love fish.

 

I also make my own chicken stock and have no problem eating that with little bits of chicken or meat for flavoring.

 

It is difficult in the long run, that is the downside.

[Miss Peregrine]

No white sugar. Dropped 15 lbs instantly.

[Tess in the Burbs]

I used eDiets when they first came out and lost almost 40 pounds. They only had their menu plans then and I cooked all my own meals. The food was good. I loved the forums for support.

 

I used WW several years ago and lost 56 pounds. I unfortunately was put on some medicine that caused weight gain. Even going to WW meetings I just was so depressed about all my hard work disappearing before my eyes I couldn't lose. After I stopped the medicine I continued with WW but didn't ever get the same results. I am sure that was all mental...why work hard if your medicine takes away all the results????

 

Anyway, When I really wanted it I could lose weight. Just counting calories works. Write everything you eat down. I did that in both programs. It helps so much. Figure out the right calorie balance for you and write it down. Add exercise and you will lose weight. fitday.com has great tools to track and measure things.

 

I am recently gluten/dairy free and have lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks. I assure you I am drinking sodas, eating cookies/brownies and not counting calories but still losing! So I know if I made the effort to keep calorie tracking going I would lose more.

 

good luck. I have 80 pounds more to go myself.

[WyoSylvia]

About five years ago I stumbled upon The French Diet by Michel Montignac. I lost the weight I needed (I had also lost weight because of extended nursing so I can't give you an exact figure but with the two it was about 35 pounds.) I have been able to keep it off during this time.

 

The French Diet is, of course, how the French eat. The book teaches about the glycemic index, (M. Montignac is in the forefront about this and many sources don't seem to get this information correct.) and this helps you how to understand which foods are good for you/good for weight loss, which are not and how to prepare them so that will be best for your body and taste fabulous. There is a losing weight period where there are foods that you avoid entirely but in the maintenance section you can then introduce most foods back and learn how to manage the really obvious "bad for you foods" that you want periodically.

 

Once I understood the method, I could see how previously I had just had all the wrong information about which foods were good for my body and weight and which were not. The best part has been the food, I really LOVE what I eat. I also love that I am doing real cooking and I've learned a lot about why we all love French food, they know how to bring out the best flavors and combinations.

 

A side benefit has been that my kid eats things that I think most his age, five, do not, like brussel sprouts and asparagus, and that is probably because he thinks of them as normal because he sees us eating them all the time. Funny though, we make great sauces to go on them and he just eats them plain. (OK maybe he is just odd, I don't know!)

 

I hope you find a plan that works for you. If you or anyone has any questions about The French Diet feel free to pm me. :)

[MomLovesClassics]

Everybody is different what works for one person may not work for another.

I have to cut out offending foods like soy, sugar, wheat, dairy, corn, peanuts, processed and so on. Then eat low carb and non starchy. Then I have to exercise too. I know it sounds somewhat extreme, but it is the only thing that works for me.

Edited May 15, 2009 by MomLovesClassics

[Quiver0f10]

I lost 100+ pounds by eating a low fat, high fiber diet and daily excersize. Now I am eating a low fat, high fiber plant based diet and excersize and am slowly working towards losing the last 20ish pounds.

[5sweeties]

I gained about 80 pounds when I was pregnant with my youngest. I did WW online for about 6 months, and lost every pound. That was for the short term though. I wouldn't want to keep that close of track every day of my life.

 

For the long term, nothing works for me but a 3 or 4 mile run, 5 to 6 days a week. If I do that, my bmi stays around 18.5 to 19. That's it. I can eat what I want, which is no small thing for me. If I'm not running, I can gain 10 pounds a week if I don't watch it REALLY close. It is a big swing in results, for the 30 or so minutes that it takes to really work out hard each day.

 

I come from a family of very obese people. It is not easy for me to keep a "thin" mindset. Running overcomes that. Also, sadly, being around my mother, who must be close to 300 pounds. I love her with all my heart, but there is no way on earth I want to be like that. It is a choice I make every day.

[Amy in TX]

For me, calorie restriction and exercise works, but I cannot do it for more than a couple of weeks because I am constantly hungry and irritable. Low carb also works for me, and I find it easy and pleasant. (Also, low carb works whether you exercise or not.) That's what I currently do. Reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes reassured me about the science behind low carb.

 

Good luck to you!

[Snickerdoodle]

Reading Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes reassured me about the science behind low carb.

 

Good luck to you!

 

 

I am reading this book right now. Very very interesting.

[Terrabelle]

Weight Watchers is great. I love how they assign point "values" to foods. It helps you to realize what you're eating and helps you to make better choices. Yet it doesn't say "You can never eat a piece of chocolate cake." I like deciding, "Hey, I want the chocolate cake, but I'll have to eat carrots for lunch to make up for it!" :)