[amandajoy]

So my boyfriend and I have decided to go to cancun in dec. We're in desperate need of a vacay....I'm not sure what diet I should do. I hear that you can lose weight quickly on weight watchers if you eat a few less points a day and I've seen the fat smash in action on celebrity fit club (sorry love the reality shows!!!!). I'm lost and don't no where to start. Any suggestions on what you did???

[Onederchic]

I do calorie counting.

Check out this section http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/#diet-central . It is all about different diets.

Hugs
Michelle

[Rosinante]

Congratulations on a great up-coming vac, and on your determination to lose weight!

I think calorie counting is the easiest way of eating to follow, because it allows you to eat everything, no restrictions on the type of food, while teaching you to eat smaller amounts. If you use an online tracker like sparkpeople dotcom, it is very easy to count; that site also tells you how many calories you Must eat, as well as giving you a maximum. This is really important, because most of us have been tempted in the past to go lower to try to lose weight faster - but our bodies don't work like that! if you go too low, your body thinks it's being starved, and actually clings to weight more.

the important thing is to find a way of eating that you can sustain permanently, because just 'doing a diet' and then coming off it when we get to target is the reason why the likes of me are back here!

[bindersbee]

This time I'm doing everything the opposite of how I've done it before. I'm not following a specific diet plan though I have committed myself to learning about all kinds of things related to health.

I'm not putting my results on a timeline as that's been a surefire recipe for disaster in the past. As soon as it appears the timeline can't be reached, I tend to give up.

I am eating healthier foods but not calorie counting because my ADD self could never stick to that niggling detail. I don't have the right personality for that though it's certainly ideal if you do.

Basically, I'm not doing, eating or changing anything now that I can't live with. It means I'm losing weight slowly but gaining good habits. It's HARD to school myself to go slowly and accept it- especially when I hear about quick losses of others. However, for me, it's what works.

Whatever you choose, consider your personality traits and pick a course of action that conforms to that and you'll be more successful than trying to force yourself into a mold you won't fit.

[Kim K]

I do calorie counting too. I wish you the best on whichever healthy plan you choose!

[JulesC86]

I have had previous success with calorie counting. Other diets, like atkins for example, where you can eat unlimited amounts of a certain type of food never worked for me, as I would just snack non-stop on those allowed foods, whether or not I was hungry.

Another advantage of calorie counting is that nothing is banned. If I really want to have ice cream/chocolate/a pastry, I can have it. I just look up the calorie content and know that it means that I may be a bit hungry later, since I'll have to compensate for eating a high calorie item that is pretty devoid of nutritional value. It's a great motivator for sticking to whole foods that fill you up (fruits, veg, lean proteins)!

Unfortunately, over the past couple of months my calorie counting has gone out the window (and my weight has rapidly increased due to all of my bad food choices). But, it has worked for me in the past and I'm re-committing to it for good!

Ultimately, I think that whichever specific diet you choose, as long as it is well-balanced and, importantly, sustainable in the long term, is a good choice! A super low calorie diet might be tempting for quick weight loss, but if it's something you can't keep up and will slow down your metabolism, it'll only set you up for weight gain the moment you stop!

Best of luck to finding what's best for you!!

*Jules*