What seems to be the most effective diet on this forum? Just curious...........

The most effective diet is the one that you stick to.

I know you probably want a better answer than that but it is the true answer.

Some people do well with diets that have food restrictions (Atkins, South Beach, Ect)
Some people do well with no food restrictions but limits the amount of food you consume (Calorie Counting, Weight Watchers, Fasting Cycling)

You have to find what fits your lifestyle, your tastes, and your abilities.

Yes...what she said

I so agree with Ceb. Everyone must find their groove and what works for them.

I am a calorie counter.

I am switching to soy and doing the P90X...no red meats...less carbs and a colon cleanse...It made me lose 20lbs in 2 months.

Red meat is one of the only things I absolutely don't eat--been a looong time. In fact, mainly I eat fish--rarely anything else. I have discovered meat and most especially RED meat, doesn't do well inside me.

Yeah really it's hard to say cuz I've tried south beach, atkins, and even Fat Smash but the only thing that has worked for me is counting my calories and then cooking more at home and eating less processed food.

I am a calorie counter, too , however I don't think of it as limiting the amouint of food I can eat. Calorie counting limits the number of calories that you can eat. You can actually eat quite a lot of food as long as you stay within your calorie allotment. And I have done many other diets. Calorie counting works best for me.

Maybe I misspoke(wrote) however yes calorie counting does in a way limit the amount of food you eat. You can eat more depending on what types of food you eat, but it still limits it by some means, which is what I was referring to when I was pointed out those types of diets.

I am a calorie counter too.

For me, low carb is the most effective in the sense that I lose most rapidly and consistently on a low carb diet. That being said, there are some side effects that go along with very low carb diet that I don't like. So I need a plan that's low carb, not not so low that I get headaches, dizziness and other symptoms of low blood sugar. Too high carb a diet (even "good" carbs from whole foods) and I'm hungry all of the time, and prone to retaining water. I also tend to want to include more carbs than is good for me, so I sometimes struggle with what is good for me vs what I enjoy most. I'm still in the process (and may always be) of trying to find the happy middleground.

I can't say that any of that applies to you. If someone had an answer that applied to everyone, he or she would win a Nobel prize, and would soon be the wealthiest person on the planet.

You've got to know yourself very well to find the answer for you. That doesn't mean you won't lose weight during the process of finding the right plan for you. It generally boils down to trial and error. What do you need and desire in a food/exercise plan, both in the short-term and "forever?"

Is convenience important to you?
Are you willing to cook and try new foods?
Are you willing to document or count everything you eat?
Are there foods or food types you're not willing to eat?
Do you have food triggers, foods that you have difficulty eating moderately?
Do you have blood sugar issues or insulin resistance?
Do you overeat out of hunger, boredom, in response to emotional stress?

These are only some of the questions that can help you find the plan that is right for you.

If you google "nutritional typing" or "diet typing," you will find a lot of online quizzes that are designed to help you find the proportion of macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fat) that's right for you. I find the theory interesting, but I wouldn't consider it "proven" at this point - at least not that it's necessarily more effective than good old trial and error.

The beauty of calorie, WW point, and exchange plan programs is that you can adapt to any proportion of nutrients (or ignore the issue altoghether if you wish).

My personal theory is to start with the least restrictive, easiest to follow plan, and tweak only as necessary.

I've had to do a lot of tweaking, but "one tweak at a time," insures that I am comfortable with the changes I'm making. I think if you make too many changes, and then find out the plan isn't practical for you, it can be difficult to decide which component didn't fit into your life.

Ultimately, I don't think it matters where you start, as long as you start somewhere.

Meh, I'm of the other school of thought from Ms Kaplods. I think if you want to get there any time soon, ya gotta really soul search and get on with it. If I spent time tweaking and tweaking and tweaking, I'd still be over 200 lbs. And my SIL God Love Her is of the school of moderation -- and she has moderated herself to NOWHERES because she's afraid of making the changes that are NEEDED. She's more comfortable doing things slowly, and as a result, she just isn't getting there, and she's been "doing things in moderation" for the past 25 years without any result.

Don't get me wrong -- anything super restrictive won't generally be successful in the long term especially if you won't be able to maintain it in the long run. Plans like Medifast generally fall into this category for me at least -- quick results, quick regain because I didn't learn a whole lot.

But alot of those maintainers and people who have been really, really successful have HAD to make RADICAL changes. Some have ruled out sugar; others have chosen vegetarianism; others have ruled out what they consider to be junk food; others have ruled out dairy -- but they all have had to make tough decisions and have lived by them. They have made the decision that certain behaviours aren't productive, and make the gutsy decision to behave completely differently. Right now. Because to start small and make changes gradually is IMHO often an excuse NOT to change -- to make things easy and comfortable, to stay in a comfort zone that just isn't, well, healthy or productive, and to SAY that they have chosen to deal with a weight issue without REALLY dealing with it.

There are stories here of people who have lost huge amounts of weight BECAUSE they made the drastic changes NECESSARY. It was hard, it was uncomfortable, it was challenging, but when you hit a brick wall you can either STOP and stay comfortable, or you can MOVE RIGHT ON THROUGH IT and get results. Those who believe in moderation and gradual changes tend see the brick wall IMHO, and then ponder it and try to gradually either scale it or move around it which in my experience just means wasted time and effort with little or no results.

IMHO the most successful diet is the one that you can sustain, but it might mean a radical overhaul of how you view food, what you choose to fuel your body, and how you define yourself -- all radical stuff that takes guts and determination...but difficult times call for difficult decisions, and if you are at that point where you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, you just gotta say "ENOUGH" and JUST. DO. IT.

JMHO.
Kira

It has already been said.
The most effective diet is
1 - something you can sustain
2 - something that can become a lifestyle change - in other words, something you can do forever

For me, calorie counting is the way to go. I HATE deprivation. Tell me I can't have it, and I want it all the more. Portion control is a must for me. All things in moderation works for me.

I eat very healthy foods 90 percent of the time. The other 10 percent is stuff that I love and that I have worked into my plan (red wine, dark chocolate, pizza, ice cream, etc.)

So, while all things in moderation works for me, the key is that some foods need a LOT of moderation

I agree with Colleen - I tweaked my plan as I went along. If you read my goal story, you will see that I followed a cycle: plan, execute, gather data, evaluate, repeat cycle. As I lost weight, my plan changed. As my journey continues, my plan changes. This is a journey - with new twists and turns along the way.

Wow, I have to agree with Kiramira even though it is very hard to admit.

I have, over the past week, intentionally lowered my calorie intake to a low enough level to ensure that I am hungry -- I did this in an attempt to figure out why I have the relationship I do to food, why I am so afraid of being hungry, and WHY I am so addicted to food.

What I am discovering is beyond anything I ever thought I would. After about two days of barely eating, I realized that I had no idea between the difference of hunger and thirst. When I could barely stand drinking water, now I crave it like I used to crave chocolate. I have realized what a gift water is to my body in a way that I never would have before. The understanding is coming to me that food, while it should be enjoyed, is really just a tool. I have felt the anger, the sadness, all of it that I have covered up for years by overeating. And as I keep myself hungry, these emotions have been coming up and I have had to deal with them. Now I look at cravings as and indication that my emotional self is trying to tell me.

So yes, a radical overhaul. I hope developing a new relationship with food will stop me from the yo yo dieting.

me too! lol.. i love rainbow trout....red meat make me gain and keep weight for a whole week and it backs me up (no bowel movements)....

I just started MRC a month ago, I am 54 and was 200lbs overweight. Something had to change and I finally surrendered years of overeating, (as a misplaced coping skill). Something just clicked this time. Now, I agree the best diet is one you can stick to. For me though it is not just a diet. I am changing my life by the decisions I make. I have to remind myself of that often. I, with the help of God (cause I can't do it alone), am changing my life and my lifestyle. I wish you success too. God Bless!