In your opinion, and experience, what diet is the best to keep weight off long-term?

I realize this is entirely subjective and I don't have any "right" answer myself.

I think the correct answer depends on the individual, but I'm curious what The Majority thinks

My own personal history includes trying several diets:
-Lost 52 pounds on Weight Watchers Points (over 2 years)
-Lost 24 pounds on Medifast (over 2 months)
-Lost 3-6 pounds on Atkins (about a month combined)

I have not yet succeeded in keeping off those dastardly pounds! But I'm not throwing in the towel! I'm leaning towards WW again since it appears to have been my own personal "best" way to lose, and least restrictive in what it allows from the food groups. I seem to get squirrelly if I cut out a large food group, or stop eating "real food."

But what worked for you - or is working for you?

Thanks for your input!

I've lost about 25 pounds on Sugar Busters...have kept it off for about a year and a half effortlessly while loosely sticking to the rules. I'd like to loose about another twenty, but that won't happen unless I exercise more You should give it a try!!

My thoughts are...considering that a "diet" isn't something one can sustain long-term, that no diet is best to keep weight off long-term. I did vote on calorie-counting, but even that can get tedious. You can "lose" weight via any diet. If you don't change your eating habits long-term though, you can't keep it off. So I just went to healthy eating to lose. As I neared my goal (and re-nearing it after pregnancy), I added calorie counting to help get the weight to drop off faster, since it's slowed down at this stage. It's the exercise however that helps maintain the loss...exercise coupled with healthy eating. I can sustain eating healthy long-term...indefinately. I can't sustain never again having meat or carbs or sugar, etc.

I agree... no diet is best long term. Eating healthfully and changing your lifestyle is best long term.

Interesting that "none of the above" or "other" is not on the options list to choose... so I couldn't vote.

Definitely Mediterranean (and, if looking for a bit more structure w/in Med diet, then Sonoma), where the emphasis is on fresh, whole, heart-healthy foods and fats (like oilive oil and fish oils). It's a lifestyle, really, not just a diet to lose a few pounds. The taste can't be beat, either, which is why it can be easier to sustain. Plus, having wine and a bit of dark chocolate is encouraged (in moderation) for the health benefits.

I wanted to pump up the Sugar Busters diet in the way that it is a wonderful maintenance way to go. For instance, the basics with SB (Sugar Busters...not South Beach) is that you are to stay clear of added sugar (high fructose corn syrup, table sugar, etc), whites (white potatoes, flour and rice) and a few high glycemic fruits and veggies like bananas/pinapples/watermelon and beets/carrots/corn. It really is nothing other than HEALTHY eating. You are supposed to have a protien (meat, eggs, cheese or protien smoothie) and two fruits or veggies at every meal. Its really not a diet, but healthy eating. It's literally GOOD for you. You aren't supposed to worry about natural sugars, like lactose or the sugars that are in fruit, etc. You can have whole grains. Milk. Olive oil is strongly suggested. It's really...just....healthy eating.

Oh...and to clear up something...Sugar Busters is NOT South Beach or low carb. We go by whether or not a food is or is not insulin producing. Carbs are beside the point. A lot of low carb foods are low sugar and are a nice cheat for a quick fix...so I sometimes buy South Beach pre prepared foods, but we stress a low sugar content, not low carb. I get that a lot, when I describe Sugar Busters...before I can finish describing it, I get immediately cut off as the person says, "Oh, so it's just South Beach." No...it is NOT. Its low sugar/low glycemic. They're similar, but not the same.

Well, I think that the best "plan" long-term is to do your own thing, something that you can stick to for a lifetime. I checked calorie counting because that is just about what I do, because it is simple and the only way that I can go "off plan" is by eating in one day more calories than my body burns and when that happens (cos it does occasionally) I simply try to make up for it the next day or so. IMO, as far as "plans" or "diets", simplest and most personal is the best way to go.

I agree, Charlotte! The less complicated it is the easier it will be to stick with!

I chose Atkins as that is what has helped me get my weight off. I eat a lot of protein. I modified my lifestyle to include plenty of fruit and green veggies. I eat whole wheat bread and Oats. Soon to include yams and beans. I don't eat all the fat this is recommended on Atkins. I do use Olive oil, cheese and real butter in limited amounts. I had to tweak this woe to fit my life and the foods that are healthy and that I enjoy. I haven't really been a calorie counter but did average them for a month or so just to see what they are. I eat 1400-1500 calories a day and am still losing slowly at this point and am 2 lbs. from goal. I exercise almost daily by walking or swimming.

Whatever works for you is the right one. I am another who has had great success with Sugar Busters. I need to fix my ticker...but I'm at 182 right now, not 252, and I owe that 90% to Sugar Busters. I eat out fairly frequently, so for me it is a must that I have a diet I can easily integrate into that. And Sugar Busters does it for me.

IMO, many of today's most popular diet programs share the same basis--whole grain (therefore low-glycemic) carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Sugar Busters has this. South Beach has this. The Sonoma Diet has this. Etc. Whole grains, lean proteins, good fats. That's what nutrition science shows to be the healthiest way to eat. Whether you follow a specific plan, IMO, is not terribly important as long as you follow a healthy, balanced way of eating.

I must confess that I also love Weight Watchers, but not long term. To me, it is best at the beginning of a weight-loss journey because it forces you to learn correct portions and portion control. I am not fond of extremely low-calorie diets (1200/calories a day or less), and that's what Weight Watchers essentially is--one POINT is roughly 50 calories, and so a lot of women are on 900 or 1000 calories a day, which isn't healthy long-term. I am less fond of their Core program. I know plenty of women who swear by it, but it doesn't mesh with me. I find it illogical (whole wheat pasta is a Core food, and yet sprouted-grain bread isn't), and I can't stand fat-free dairy products. But that's a personal thing.

I am back on South Beach right now, and I am very happy about it. It's a way of eating I enjoy. Dinner tonight is going to be lean carne asada (steaks marinated with lime juice & a few spices), Bibb lettuce/mushroom/tomato salad, & strawberries with honest-to-goodness whipped cream (NOT sweetened) for dessert. I am smiling just thinking about it. And that, to me, is what you need for long-term success. Enjoyment.