Newbie/Which diet works for you
 

I am new here. And was just wondering what diet most people are following. What is working best for you? I have been on every diet in the world and almost feel defeated before I try again. Don't think I can work myself up to liquid diets or no carb diets again. Any suggestions?

Maybe your problem stems from having tried all the fad diets rather than just making a lifestyle change to eating healthful foods and getting lots of exercise. I'm not knocking diets for those who are using them successfully... but it does not sound as if you are in this category; for myself I don't believe in them. Also, if you have a good doctor I highly recommend placing yourself under his/her supervision on your eating and exercise plan. That has been really helpful for me also, and I've gotten some valuable input and encouragement from my doctor.

This time around has been successful for me (so far) because I made a commitment to making changes I can live with for life and for health. I started simply by bringing lunches and snacks to work everyday, and watching portions.

Now I essentially count calories (and lots of other stuff) and exercise a lot! I've lost a lot of weight (over 100 pounds) but I try to keep my focus on health.

I appreciate your thoughts. I think I am going to work on portion control, eating when it's not real hunger, and being better prepared with better choices in the house, etc. Then I'll re-examine things as I go along.

My husband and I are basically following the Weight Watchers plan. It basically is what everyone here is saying...you really can eat anything, provided it fits within your points. And if you fall, you get back up again, no guilt and try again. I believe many ladies are just counting calories. But it's basically the same thing. It's learning a new way to eat. A way that allows you to get in control and stay in control and to educate yourself about food and the right way to eat. It teaches you a new way to eat that can last for the rest of your life. And that is really the key. You have to be prepared to change how you eat for the rest of your life. Based on your name, I'd say you know a lot about food. But you probably don't know as much as you think you know. The first thing I did was educate myself. I went on line and found out how many calories and how much fat foods had that I was eating and how badly I was really eating. It was eye-opening to say the least! But like everyone else has said, you have to quit thinking of it as a diet. That's #1. Good luck! Hope to see you here lots!

I'm doing Thintuition/Intuitive Eating. It's working for me. The basic premise is to eat only when your hungry. There's more to it than that, but that's the start. :) There's an IE thread on this forum...

https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90266
https://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93470

I've done super-low calorie, Atkins, Calorie Counting. I always go back to Weight Watchers. I know Cal counting and WW is alike, but I love the points system! I don't think I'll ever stop WWing!

I started out somersizing, (based on the suzanne somers books) - no processed foods, no white flour, no sugar. It has slowly morphed into a mostly whole foods/calorie counting diet. I think it is important to decide what healthy foods you already love, and build a plan that you can live with based on that. I could never punish myself by going on an all liquid diet, I enjoy eating too much! Just remember, we need to plan to eat the way we can eat the rest of our lives. If you choose something you can't stick with, you could be defeated before you try. Good luck! I know it can be done because I'm finally starting to do it for myself and for years I thought I would never be able to.

That was a biggie for ME too... also breakfast since I leave so early. It certainly makes a difference. And yes, I focus on becoming healthy rather than just losing weight.

We are flourishing on South Beach Diet... or a reasonable imitation of it. we dont' watch portion sizes and we do have way more caffeine than recommended..

the issue is of course that we went on this plan May 1 with the commitment that it was a PERMANENT lifestyle change. there is NO diet that works.

what works... regardless of if it's Weight Watchers, the Zone, sugarbusters South Beach or Atkins is that you find something that you can live with and do on a daily basis for THE REST OFYOUR LIFE. or at least 80/20 or better yet 90/10

I started out on Jenny Craig .. but it was mainly to get me eating properly again ... I was the sort of person that would binge eat and mainly at night .. and not particularly healthy foods (having a takeaway 3 doors down and another over the road wasnt good lol) and as a chocoholic I would go through bars of chocolate and packets of choc biscuits at a time ... I also quit smoking almost 5 years ago and really packed on the pounds then.

JC got me eating breakfast and lunch ... and the odd snack in the day too and cut back on sweets, but not to deny myself them because that is something I know I couldnt stick to for life lol .. same with no bread .. eeeek.

So now that I got back into the routine of eating at least 3 meals a day (the extra snack times are still an issue Im overcoming - which means Im not hitting my cal intake target each day yet), I have a simple cereal for breakfast (sometimes I have 2 pancakes from a mix) .. but I try to have no more than about 1200 kj for breakfast, lunch is usually a salad, either a bread roll or a couple of pieces of bread and some fat free ham or other meat for a sandwich with a piece of fruit, then dinner for me is mainly chicken with vegetables - I tend to rotisserie the chicken breast and usually add lots of spices to it .... my treats on the weekend tho is that I have Subway for lunch , and I have some gelato in my freezer that I treat myself to a couple of spoons of when I have the urge (fortunately ice cream isnt a big craving for me or Im sure that wouldnt be enough rofl) ... and the other thing I do is work out a treat box which have usually a lollipop, a couple of sugar free sweets and one of those snack size treat bars .. the total kj usually works out to be about 600kj for the box ... so Im only allowed one of those if I havent had any other splurges through the day and I have done my exercises :)

Its really choice ... and the main 2 are:
1 - choose something that you can live with for the rest of your life .. its not a diet .. its a new lifestyle ... remember to add in treats and splurges because otherwise you will feel deprived sometimes (although I have been told that after a while those treats and splurges dont really seem as wanted anyway!)

2 - Guilt is not a button to keep pushin! You will fall off the wagon, track, rail, whatever .. that is a given ... but you have to accept it .. learn from it (what triggered it??) and then the next day start again!

Be honest with yourself too ... we can be your accountability team if you feel you need it .. no judgement .. but I have found that if you write things down for others to see that it makes you more aware of what you are doing all the time if you know you are going to have others see what youre doing too :) We will cry and rant with you .. and cheer you on .. so be real and honest .. if not with us .. then yourself .. because you are a very special person who deserves the honesty :)

Big hugs and welcome to your new journey .. its a long road .. but youre not travelling it alone .. no matter how far off the track you veer :)