What diet worked best for you?

[Spank'n'Rationality]

I would really appreciate some help losing about twenty pounds. I have never really tried dieting before, so I am not sure the best way to go about it; I mean, there are so many different diets out there to choose from. Honestly, I am not that into exercise (though I occsionally do yoga/pilates), but I wouldn't mind cutting my caloric intake.

 

Okay, so I am 5'9" and 150lbs; I think I look all right, but I would like to be about 130lbs. I just started taking NV (the new diet pill), and I have the worse headache (all that caffeine), but it is helping to surpress my hunger.

 

Okay, so back to my original question: what diet has worked best for you? I have been told everyting from cutting meat from diet (though I love meat), to eating nothing but meat (Adkins), to detoxing, to eating just big macs . Seriously, I don't know which to try. I would like one that produces results, but also one that I wouldn't mind continuing; I have thought about becoming a vegitarian (so hard for me to do...I love meat). Are there any vegitarians out there who can help me give up my favorite food?

[catgirl1927]

Weight Watchers worked for me. I tried diet pills, fad diets, etc, for about 11 years. Then I did WWs, lost 60 pounds and have kept all but about 15 of it off for about 3 years. WW allows you to pick and choose what you eat, and it's not so much a diet as it is an eating plan. The loss is really slow, but I think when you lose it slowly you are more likely to keep it off. IME.

[CantCutitOff]

I needed to lose a LOT of weight after graduating from college & tried South Beach. I ended up losing 50 lbs fairly quickly and have kept 40-45 of it off for the past 2 years. I could probably stand to lose about 20 more... but I have a crazy schedule that doesn't leave a lot of time for food prep, so I work with what I can.

 

South Beach was good for me b/c it really does "teach" you about healthy eating & making good food choices. In my opinion, it's less meat-heavy than SB, which was desirable for me b/c had high cholesterol (it's since gone done 60 points!). Now, I eat almost no white flour products, only lean grilled meats, & lots of fruits & vegetables. It definitely helped me to cut back on the fried/greasy junk... although I still have a pretty killer sweettooth. The first 2 weeks of SB was tough, but once you gradually add back in whole grains -- you're really not limited at all.

 

I know you said you're not much into exercise -- how do you feel about walking? That's great, low-impact exercise that you can do at your own pace... and it may help you see results.

 

Hope that helps!

[Dawn82]

A. Counting my calories.

B. eating 5-6 small meals a day.

C. Eating healthier stuff, such as : whole grain products

less processed products, chiken breasts,

veggies,fruits,

low fat cheese (5% not more) and less sweet drinks.

D. exercising on a regular basis both cardio and Weight

lifting.

 

I lost some 40lbs+ in the past by pretty much straving myself. I gained most of it back.

Now this way I am almost never hungry. look leaner then I weight because of added muscle mass and feel A LOT better.

 

Shahar.

[Outcast]

'Diets' don't work because people have the mentality that they can go back to eating the way they used to after the diet and they gain all their weight back. Like these posters, you have to make permanent changes to your lifestyle in terms of what you eat. Using a diet as a model for your eating for the rest of your life is ok the way these posters have but don't think that any short-term 'diet' will work. Understand that you have to change permanently. And really, it's not that bad.

[PuppyDogEyes]

Okay' date=' so back to my original question: what diet has worked best for you? I have been told everyting from cutting meat from diet (though I love meat), to eating nothing but meat (Adkins), to detoxing, to eating just big macs . Seriously, I don't know which to try.[/quote']

 

Well, obviously I'd rule out the Big Mac diet (simply because of the fact that I feel McDonald's is evil - and not just for the zero-nutritional value of its food, either, there's myriad reasons).

 

I lost 27 pounds simply by cutting out red meat (beef, pork and all of their by-products) and combining it with a low-impact walking program that I just "made up". However, I do continue to eat chicken and fish fairly regularly, as well as eggs and egg products. Recently I joined a gym where I can increase my exercise level, and I was advised to eat a great deal of protein so that I could build up some stamina and endurance (I'm attempting to build some muscle). I'm not a breakfast eater - or at least I wasn't - but my trainer's advised me to eat egg whites and some fruit every morning. It seems to be working, as I'm not suffering a great amount of pain (yet). (Other than the walking, I haven't been physically active in a very long time.)

 

My brother tried the Atkins stuff, and it worked for him - for a while. Recently, however, from the last picture that I saw of him, he's gained a lot of the weight back, so - I wouldn't say that Atkins worked well in the long term. It's probably good if you want to lose quickly.

 

The only changes that I've made to my diet other than the above is to increase vegetable and fruit intake. I've discovered that I could live off of mushrooms and onions for the rest of my life. I don't believe that a strict vegetarian diet is a good thing, though. We're omnivores - our systems can handle the absorption of both meat and plant. I think there's a place for meat in our diet, but it shouldn't be consumed at high levels, that's all.

 

Hey, I do enjoy a night out at Ruths' Chris every now and then.

 

That's how it worked for me. I've been overweight and out of shape for years, though, so I'm obviously on a beginner's level. If any advice of mine helps, though, great.

 

- pde.

[kitten chick]

I have thought about becoming a vegitarian (so hard for me to do...I love meat). Are there any vegitarians out there who can help me give up my favorite food?

I'm a vegetarian' date=' actually I'm a vegan. I've been a vegetarian for about 13 years and a vegan for around 4 years. It seems to me that the people who become vegetarian for animal rights reasons keep with it and the people who become vegetarian for dieting or experimenting reasons don't last more than a few months. If you want to become disgusted by how that meat gets to your plate watch some of the clips on factory farming. http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp goveg.com has a lot of good information on how to become a vegetarian. There are a ton of sites out there, you can do a google search and find hundreds. They make a lot of soy products these days that are really very tasty and I've had non-vegetarian friends tell me that they prefer some to meat. Just a few of the more popular brands...Yves, Tofutti, Morningstar, Amy's, Smart.

[ronnieromance]

I'm a vegetarian, actually I'm a vegan. I've been a vegetarian for about 13 years and a vegan for around 4 years. It seems to me that the people who become vegetarian for animal rights reasons keep with it and the people who become vegetarian for dieting or experimenting reasons don't last more than a few months. If you want to become disgusted by how that meat gets to your plate watch some of the clips on factory farming. http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp goveg.com has a lot of good information on how to become a vegetarian. There are a ton of sites out there, you can do a google search and find hundreds. They make a lot of soy products these days that are really very tasty and I've had non-vegetarian friends tell me that they prefer some to meat. Just a few of the more popular brands...Yves, Tofutti, Morningstar, Amy's, Smart.

 

 

While I refuse to call myself a vegetarian because I eat fish, I do so for ethical concerns. I'm a compationate hypocrite.

 

Anyway, I've found that the best diet is eating smaller portions spaced more often and more evenly throughout the day. It'll help your metabolism speed up.

 

EXCERCISE. You're not doing anything without sweat. I'll admit, I perused this thread, but I saw nothing about a work out.

 

 

Factory farms suck. For those of you who wonder why people can do such horrible things to one another...I hold this up as an example. I don't think people can treat each other well if we can't treat animals ethically. It's karma.

 

 

 

-R-

[catgirl1927]

Honestly' date=' I am not that into exercise (though I occsionally do yoga/pilates), but I wouldn't mind cutting my caloric intake.[/quote']

 

This might be why no one mentioned exercise.

[kitten chick]

While I refuse to call myself a vegetarian because I eat fish, I do so for ethical concerns. I'm a compationate hypocrite.

I did that for a while too. I try not to preach or push my beliefs on others but just educate. I feel that you need to do what you think is right. If you don't have a problem with the fishing industry then that's fine and you can eat fish. Just because it's something that I don't agree with doesn't mean that someone else doesn't also. It's up to each of us to make our own decisions. I believe that this lifestyle is just a series of individual decisions. Everytime you have a meal and you decide to eat say pasta instead of a hamburger you're doing something for the cause.

[dprelz]

My advice would be to go slowly at first. Just try to limit high fat and high calorie foods you are intaking. Try to keep your calories under 1300 a day.

 

There are 3500 calories in 1 pound. So if you want to lose 20 pounds the healthy way, it will take a while.

Eliminate pepsi, fast food, fries, ice cream for the first month and see how much of a difference that alone makes.

Buy whole grain, snack on fruits/vegetables everyday and drink a lot of water.

Combine this with 3 30 minute cardio sessions a week and you will be well on your way. Good luck

[hotgurl]

k am I the only one here that think someone who is 5'9" would be to thin at 130lbs?

[catgirl1927]

k am I the only one here that think someone who is 5'9" would be to thin at 130lbs?

 

If she worked out, then yes, she would be too thin. Muscle is heavy. But if she doesn't exercise, then no. That should be fine.

[Spank'n'Rationality]

I really appreciate all of your replies! Though I already don't drink regular pop, I will try to cut out even diet, and drink more water. I am also going to try to eat less meat (starting with cutting out red). I am not so sure about the suggestion about eating five small meals a day...that sounds like a lot. I suppose I can try it.

 

A friend of mine also suggested not eating three to five hours before going to sleep; is that good advice? I think that would be really hard for me, because I get off work late, and thus have to eat dinner fairly late.

 

As far as working out, I do walk quite a bit; gas prices are too high to drive to places that I can just walk to. I have always wanted to try to start running, but I really really really hate cardio. How does one slowly build up to running? It always takes so much out of me, and after one thirty minute run I am burnt out on it for months .

[Outcast]

You don't need cardio to drop calories. You can work your heart out lifting weights or swimming if you hate running. Not everybody's built to be a runner. I can walk for hours and miles but have never been able to run other than to catch a bus.

 

However in terms of burning calories, you burn the exact same number of calories walking a mile as you do running a mile. Sounds nuts but it's true. The thing you need to do is move.

[erika2610]

I really appreciate all of your replies! Though I already don't drink regular pop, I will try to cut out even diet, and drink more water. I am also going to try to eat less meat (starting with cutting out red). I am not so sure about the suggestion about eating five small meals a day...that sounds like a lot. I suppose I can try it.

 

A friend of mine also suggested not eating three to five hours before going to sleep; is that good advice? I think that would be really hard for me, because I get off work late, and thus have to eat dinner fairly late.

 

As far as working out, I do walk quite a bit; gas prices are too high to drive to places that I can just walk to. I have always wanted to try to start running, but I really really really hate cardio. How does one slowly build up to running? It always takes so much out of me, and after one thirty minute run I am burnt out on it for months .

 

Walking is a good start. If you do too much at once, you will burn out. I do that. When I start exercising, I just do too much at once, and end up quitting after like a week. Start off slow. You shouldn't start off with a 30 minute run. What I do to start off is, I walk/jog. I walk for a few minutes.. jog for a few, and just keep switching off. The point is, you have to incorporate some kind of exercise into your program. I used to hate it.. but I just started using the ab ball, and I love it.. it's alot of fun

[a4a]

 

 

Factory farms suck. For those of you who wonder why people can do such horrible things to one another...I hold this up as an example. I don't think people can treat each other well if we can't treat animals ethically. It's karma.

 

 

 

-R-

 

One visit to a FF will could turn a cave man into a vegetarian. Not only are they cruel but disgustingly dirty.

 

I have been a semi veg (I do kill oysters and shrimp) for 20+ years. I am the same size I was in high school. I do not exercise except for the yard work and work I do around the farm....... gravity and age do change the bod a bit but you are what you eat. Think about it..... eat too much cow and you will start looking like a cow. McBurger butt!

 

I also consume mass amounts of chocolate..... I do not watch what I eat but I do think that not eating land meats does make a huge difference.

If you run across a obese vegetarian it is usually because their main food stuff is Doritos and soda

 

I am hitting the big 40 in just a few years and still lean.

[erika2610]

Think about it..... eat too much cow and you will start looking like a cow. McBurger butt! QUOTE]

 

Awwww.. lovely words

[Chloe89]

im 5'9 too, and because of our tall frames weight that we've gained doesnt look like as much as it would on sum1 who's half our height.

to your question, i have been dieting for several years and have tried sooo many failing diets and diet pills. what realli worked for me is calorie-counting. allow yourself 1,000 cals or less everyday n never, ever go over that limit. record everything you eat in a journal and keep track of every calorie that touches your lips. ive lost 24 pounds from it, and i've only been on it for a month and a half. n im keeping it off. this way you dont have to go out n buy the weight-watchers program or buy stuff from the south beach diet or w/e. it all depends on self-control and determination. if you have a day that you go over your calorie limit, dont freak out. the best thing you can do is say, well yesterday i broke my 1000 cal limit so today the limit is 800.

it works so well and it helps increase your self-discipline!!

good luck!!

[erika2610]

1000 calories a day seems a lil low to me..

[catgirl1927]

1000 calories a day seems a lil low to me..

 

If you incorporate any sort of activity into your day, then it is too low.

 

If you've lost 24 pounds in six weeks, you have no idea if you'll keep it off yet. That's very rapid weight loss, four pounds a week is pretty drastic. Good luck, I hope it works out, but my 15 years of diet experience doesn't point in that direction. But different things work for different people.

[kitten chick]

1000 calories is too low. You'll kill your metabolism. Trust me on this one. You should be eating your basal calories and incorporating exercise when dieting as a baseline. Then experiment from there.

[Outcast]

allow yourself 1,000 cals or less everyday

 

That's dangerously low. Estimates are that basic body functions require about 1200 calories a day. Which means if you eat less, the body has no choice but to literally eat itself to get nourishment. You don't want to lose weight because you've consumed your own muscle mass!

[PuppyDogEyes]

A friend of mine also suggested not eating three to five hours before going to sleep; is that good advice? I think that would be really hard for me, because I get off work late, and thus have to eat dinner fairly late.

 

Boo, hiss, shift work! I used to do that too, a long time ago. It played havoc with my sleep, my appetite.... I feel your pain.

 

I would just try to space out your meals as "normally" as possible. I used to have a job where I would get home at 2am... went to bed around 5am or so. Therefore, I set it up this way:

 

Breakfast @ 1pm. (I know, doesn't that sound weird?) A small snack around 5pm.... "lunch" @ 9pm. Maybe another small snack, if you wanted it, around 11pm. And then you come home and eat dinner at 2am.

 

Of course, if you work in a retail job where you don't have a set time for lunch (rotating shifts - I used to do that, too!), it'll be a little harder, but it's not totally impossible. My goal was to eat at least a little something every 4 hours, no matter how small it was.

 

I am not so sure about the suggestion about eating five small meals a day...that sounds like a lot. I suppose I can try it.

 

Four or five small meals a day, just like above. I swear to you that it works. You'll never feel hungry if you do it that way, because your stomach is always at least appeased.

 

As far as working out' date=' I do walk quite a bit; gas prices are too high to drive to places that I can just walk to. I have always wanted to try to start running, but I really really really hate cardio. How does one slowly build up to running? It always takes so much out of me, and after one thirty minute run I am burnt out on it for months[/quote']

 

It depends on how "out of shape" you are. At my weight, I couldn't run 2 blocks to save my life. I would maybe start out with just some brisk walking - picking up the pace just a little bit, using my arms and swinging them back and forth - believe it or not, that little bit of arm-swinging really makes a difference (it did with me, anyway). Better yet, make a run to Sears or a similar store and pick up some NordicTrack ankle weights. Wow - a huge difference - I've added those to my walking routine during the week when I'm not at the gym, and I'll tell you what - it makes walking hella harder.

 

1000 calories a day seems a lil low to me..

 

It is. It's very low. Even the labels on the side of food packages state "based on a 2000 calorie diet". Based on a 150 pound weight, you need 1,950 calories a day to maintain that weight - so in order to maintain 130 pounds (where you say you want to be), 1300 calories a day sounds about right. There are several calorie calculators on the 'net for you to choose from if you want to research it a little.

 

- pde.

[Carlthecoffeeaddict]

no sugar

 

eat 5 apples a day

 

run 12 miles a week if you can

 

NO coffee! (thats a hard one for me)

 

work out with weights, and as you work out you will eventually burn more calories overall.

 

aim for a 12% body fat percentage.