Hi Chicks,

Last time I lost, I was on the Atkins diet. I lost 100 pounds and I was feeling good. Then of course the bottom fell out on my life and i gained 80 back, but not going there, it's a new day, right?

I've tried going back to atkins several times and i just cant fall back into it. Im looking for new suggestions and diet ideas. Ive heard alot about the Paleo diet. Can anyone shed some light on that one?

Thanks chickies!

Welcome back and good luck ! I am a dedicated calorie counter, I find it works best for me.

Hi Gals! I have tried Atkins, but it's hard to stick to for the long haul. I do like weight watchers because it's sensible about the foods and about portion control (which is my problem). It gives you the basics on how to create a "life style" and to be concious about what type of food you are eating and how much. I have been drinking ********** now everyday since May and have lost 20lbs. It's the healthies meal replacement shake on the market.
It's good and it works. I am also exercising every day at home.

If you are intersted in I am thinking about starting a support/motivational group (private of course) on Facebook. We can make it fun and motivate each other. Message me privately and let me know if you have a facebook account.

I'm also a calorie counter. I like the flexibility it provides. It's not for everyone, but it has worked very well for me. I, personally, like to track on myfitnesspal.com. There's a bunch of us from 3FC over there you could add as friends for additional support.

and each time about 10 days in I start dreaming about pancakes.

I have been doing WW at home since the 13th, and it is working well for me so far.

I've been doing WW online since January 18. I like the flexibility and the online blogs over there. The points system coupled with the Good Health Guidelines helped me to make significant changes in the quality and the quantity of my food. Online only costs about $19 a month. In April, I started tracking my calories on MyFitnessPal. I'm an analyst by trade and I wanted more information than the WW points system offered. I find MFP very easy to use and I like the fact that daily exercise is added right back into your daily calorie allowance. Oh, and BONUS! MFP is free.

I count calories because I can have anything I want as long as it stays on my calorie budget for each day. Last night after dinner, for example, I had a whole Hershey's Dark candy bar and an 8 oz. glass of Barefoot Pinot Grigio. Not that I always have that, of course, but just an example that it IS possible. I usually try to eat pretty clean and unprocessed. Lots of veg, plenty of lean protein, whole grains and beans, some fruit, and fat free dairy.

It's a pain in the butt at first, counting and weighing EVERYTHING, but once you figure out that an ounce of spinach is 6 calories, you remember after a while. I eat a lot of the same foods prepared with different spices/herbs, so it's much easier than starting completely from scratch. When I did it before, I lost 50-ish pounds in 4 months. I just started back again about a week and 1/2 ago and I've lost 8 lbs so far. I expect to lose only 1-2 lbs a week, and the starting week or two was more than that last time also.

Additionally, I do a LOT of exercise now. I didn't always, and lots of folks wouldn't want to do as much each day as I do. Today, I already did 90 minutes of walking @ 3mph, and later I will do 2 sets of 2 miles (28 minutes each) with my WATP video. I just started adding a 2 lb weight to each hand for the first mile last nihgt and I will do the same again t9night. It has taken me a long time to build up to that though. There's no hurry; I just add more calories used by time or distance or weight (resistance) as the same old thing gets easier.

I just joined My Fitness Pal last week, have been using it for 10 days now and I like that it tracks exercise as well as food, shows how much you can eat and still lose weight based upon exercise and food intake, and I really like seeing when it projects my weight 5 weeks from now.

Barb

I'm with the calorie counters. Try for something you can love with forever. Or at least a plan where you can put on the brakes quickly if you fall off - like after a gain of 5 or 10 pounds. We tend to stay with things that are easy and are intuitive. You have to do what works for you.

Lin

I have been paleo for 2 years, it's great for your health, but it's not really a "weight loss diet" more of a lifestyle, as is veganism and things like that. It's definitely great for losing, but you will prob need to mind calories at the same time. For me the recipe is Paleo+2,000 cals/day+ working out!

I also count calories. I've tried several other programs in the past and just didn't keep it up. At first looking up the calories was annoying but after a while it gets easier. I keep a food journal right now. This is something I can do the rest of my life and I find it easier than other programs I've been on.

My friend lost a lot of weight several years ago and she remembers what she eats throughout the day and doesn't have to keep a calorie journal. She's been doing it for so long that she just totals the calories up in her head and she hasn't gained any weight back. She knows how many extra calories she can eat when she works out. I'm looking forward to the day I can begin doing that.

I'm a weight watcher with a focus on whole foods (nothing processed and no sugar/fake sugar). Totally helps with cravings. And exercise 1 hour every day.

For me, I've tried calorie counting, Weight Watchers, South Beach, Nutrisystem, doing my own protein shake thing, and now I follow a carb controlled (not low carb, just carefully controlled carbs, fats, and proteins) diet through a dietician. It is the only thing that has worked for me long term. My body needs to have the carbs controlled in order to lose weight, and through my dietician, I discovered that my metabolism is so slow that I need to eat less than others my age/weight/etc to lose weight. I never would have known that.

Kind of following my own plan that is a compilation of all the things I've tried over the years, at least I'm using something from them all so they're weren't a waste of time.

One thing I can tell from reading posts and my own experience is although you can have alot of success on Atkins, it's very hard to go back to, I have no prob. going back to WW, but can't go very low carb.

We do try and eat whole foods, and pretty much gave up bread and pasta. What we do is watch/be good during the week, allow 2 treats on weigh in day, 1 treat the day after and then maybe 1 the next day if you need it, but get back on plan, we've been doing that combo for quite awhile and DH lost 30 and I lost 20.

I started the year with my own little thing called the 4 W's, my 4 w's are weight - log it (I'm a weigh every day girl, but only allowed to compare week to week), walk - log whatever activity I do, water - log how many ounces I drink that day and watch - as in watch what I eat, I just log what I had for supper, I write it on a calendar I keep on the dresser. It's easy for me and keeps me accountable.

best of luck to you and to all

I follow a lot of the protocols from Dr Gundry's Diet Evolution. It's essentially lean proteins, lots of vegetables, lower sugar fruits, nuts/seeds, olive oil, limited dairy, no "white" stuff. I have my own deviations but it's been a good overall guide and I don't worry much about calories (although I still eye ball it out of sheer habit) when I stick more closely to this eating approach.

You don't have to find "a" diet, because you can lose weight on one or fifty different plans. I've lost my 100 lbs on a variety of plans - the difference this time is that I don't take vacations from dieting between plans. When I feel like switching food plans I do.

For me, low-carb works best for weight loss and for hunger control. I can't go "too low" though or I end up feeling weak, dizzy, irritable, headachey, nauseated...

I overeat easily though, so even on low-carb I need a calorie-counting element. I like to use a reduced-carb exchange plan.

The frugalabundance.com website offers three different carb-level exchange plans in several calorie ranges (the high-protein, middle-of-the-road, and high-carb plan). I based my plan on the 1500 calorie high-protein plan (relatively low-carb).

I tweak and even change my food plans often. I haven't found that switching plans interferes with weight loss - what interferes with weight loss is failing to stick to A plan (any plan).

I do agree with paleo principles, and so even when I follow an exchange plan, I try to use paleo guidelines in choosing my foods. I can't do paleo though without a calorie-counting or calorie-limiting component, because I can easily eat enough paleo foods to maintain my weight. I can't distinguish between real and false hunger (and I'm not sure there IS a difference).