[charlottevega]

I want to start losing weight. I am just so confused as to what diet to follow. I am 60 pounds overweight and exercise regularly. Any suggestions? Low carb, low fat...it's too much.

[srmb60]

Hi and welcome. When push comes to shove, it's all about eating less and moving more. For me that meant calorie counting. However, any way you cut portions would be good. I also like whole, natural foods.

Have you been reading here a bit? Any thoughts?

[nelie]

Personally,
I don't really recommend following a specific diet. I would recommend improving your food choices, cutting down on processed foods, added sugars, fatty foods, reducing portions, increasing veggies and whole grains.

You could count your calories which I think everyone should do once in a while just to gauge where they are at caloriewise on a typical day. I do it about once a month or so.

If you need a structured plan, I really like South Beach Diet because it does work on getting rid of the junk in your diet and concentrating on eating good for you foods.

[pigginpodgey]

Ditto to the advice above. It all comes down to personal preferance and some trial and error.
I tend to go for low fat foods, lots of salad, veggies, lean meat - this is because i love to eat and like to eat enough to feel satisfied. I also keep away from my trigger foods, bread, cheese and chips!! I would say dont feel you have to follow a particular plan, this doesnt work for me, my personality hates rules and regulations!! Good luck!!

[cantforgetthis]

I'm not following any specific "diet" either. I just cut all junk, chemical laden foods or foods stripped of their nutrition and eat whole foods.

One thing to think about is how did you get to where you are today (what are the problems) and what do you have to do to NEVER go back there again. A lot of us find the only way to do that is to change our lifestyle. In other words, if you can't do it for the rest of your life don't do it. It sets you up to repeat the process.

Things like eating less beef and more fish, less sugar or highly processed foods, more veggies, water, fiber, and movement all help.

[Suzanne 3FC]

I like to do my own thing, too But a lot of people do better when someone lays it out complete with menus and recipes. We did a survey last year that showed about half of dieters preferred a diet plan prewritten, while the other half preferred to do their own thing.

Charlotte, have you tried any types of diets in the past? Were there any that you found difficult to stick to, or are there certain types of foods you prefer? Are you vegetarian? Love meat? Prefer ready made meals such as frozen dinners? There are a lot of diets to choose from, if you want to follow a diet from a book or program. Fortunately there is a wide variety so maybe one will fit your personal tastes and lifestyle

[Back on Track]

It is so promising for me to see that it can be done without strict menu plans but with reasonable choices. Up until now I have been trying things with prepackaged foods (which I get totally bored with - quick), counting points, doing shakes and just about everything else you can think of.

I have to get my weight off because I am driving myself and everyone around me crazy trying to get it done! If mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!!

Thank you to everyone for sharing!