General Diet Plans and Questions General diet questions, support for various diet plans other than those listed below.

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Old 06-16-2014, 11:42 AM   #1  
22LBS Lost! I CAN DO THIS
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Talking What diet has worked for you?

I'm still pretty young, only 18 years old, but I'm finding that just watching what I eat (I'm vegetarian, but I lurve my meat-substitute protien!) and exercising isn't enough. I'm on that fad-diet-yoyo effect. And with my depression-without-meds and the stress of my upcoming summer break/first real interview for a real company/graduation that is fast approaching, I'm finding that I'm yo-yo-ing far more than I should.

Unfortunately, my brain seems to be wired to equate this -> to the number on the scale going down, and when it doesn't? Boom, just a tiny sliver of depression. I've been working to keep it minimal, not wanting a full blow-out because I gained a few pounds over night.....

But I need something that'll actually WORK.

Any reccomendations as to diets that really WORK, and not the silly fad-diets? I will take anything. If you've tried it and found it works, please, share~
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Old 06-16-2014, 12:40 PM   #2  
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Hi. first wishing you success for your job interview and graduation.

Anything that gets complicated gets hard to follow and be consistant and then when it fails you end up blaming yourself for that. Since in your case you suffer from depression avoid that, keep it simple.

I count calories, it takes some getting use to it but you get the hang of it fast. By tracking my food it makes me more conscious of what goes in my body. Exemple a plate of french fries taste nice but when I look it up I find that it is not worthed, I then switch to something that will feed me properly and because I choose food that as less calories for the same amount I have a much bigger plate in front of me.

The idea is to balance what you eat with your activities. If you do not move a lot you have to be a lot more careful but if you are active you can eat a little more.

You are at a young age :0) not like me it will be so much easier to change your eating habits compared to someone that is over 50 and overweight all of her life.

Eat less process food they tend to have lots of salt and that salt will have you retain water and since it can bring you weight sometime up to 5 more pounds always try to remember what you ate the day before you weight yourself, most of the time it is water retention.

Eat plenty of vegetable, some fruit, lean meat, some grain in moderation and you will do great. Take at least 20 minutes to eat your meal, put your fork down between each bite, enjoy the food and tell yourself ghat on days where you let go a little it is ok.

Good luck
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Old 06-16-2014, 12:52 PM   #3  
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I count calories in MFP and try to eat more fruit and veggies and less pre-packaged or take-out/restaurant foods.

I also have 2 big dogs than demand walks (or runs) every day, so ther eis my exercise inspiration.
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Old 06-16-2014, 01:04 PM   #4  
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I've been non-dieting as of late but initially my weight loss came from just eating better.

First thing I did was cut out cheese and most dairy. I cut out a lot of sweets/treats/etc and focused on eating a lot of vegetables, moderate amount of fruits, some nuts, legumes, whole grains, lean meat, etc. I lost 140 lbs that way. Then I eventually gave up the meat (and eggs although I didn't eat much eggs) and ended up losing 20 lbs. I maintained my weight loss for 5 years then I had a lot of stress/loss in family and I gained some weight back.

After that, I struggled trying to 'diet' but generally I turned to non-dieting where I just keep the habits of eating 'whole foods' 80% of the time, focusing on vegetables, legumes, nuts/seeds, and some fruit. Sometimes I count calories just to see where I'm at but I think once you get into a routine, you don't need to count calories.

So overall, I'd just say eating better, focusing on whole foods has been the best in terms of losing weight along with exercise.
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Old 06-16-2014, 01:28 PM   #5  
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It is rather hard for some people (like me for example) to follow any strict diet! But i know i will have to do it in time! From the start you need to change your eating habbits. So just start with healthy lifestyle and food. Do sport, be active! You are young and it should help you. Of course it won't give you fast results but it is better for your future. Changing eating habits and life style will give lifetime result
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Old 06-16-2014, 02:16 PM   #6  
22LBS Lost! I CAN DO THIS
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Thanks everyone! I have tried the counting calories thing, but found that I can't while I'm still at school, since all of our stuff is guaranteed to come from a package, and they never show us the actual package. So I end up having to guess, and I feel like I'm guessing far lower than it probably is. Throw in that my school's cooks feel they need to add a pound of butter to EVERYTHING.... -.-' yeah.....

I have found that even sub concieously I have shied away from the pre-processed stuff, like the sack lunches they give us on the weekends.

Ugh.... It feels like all I'm doing is making excuses...... >.<'


I think losing weight will be much easier once I'm home, since I'll be able to actually see the package my food is coming in, and I won't have to go on the program's word that what they're feeding me is a "well balanced, nutritious meal".... I mean, cmon... Mashed potatoes shouldn't have THAT much butter/fat in it!!! Jeesus!
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Old 06-16-2014, 05:52 PM   #7  
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Well I think estimating isn't a bad thing. And calorie counts won't be too far off.

Something else you can try is a healthy plate like plan. Divide your plate so that 1/2 of it is non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 is starch (rice, potatoes, bread, etc) and 1/4 is protein (meat, tofu, beans, etc).

If the plates you are using are extra large, then don't fill up the plate and don't try to pile things high.
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Old 06-16-2014, 09:12 PM   #8  
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Consciously trying to eat less is my only diet right now.

Seems to be working for me so far, only been a few weeks. I won't lie and say I'm not hungry and have cravings. It's only in the evening when I have trouble, during the day I am busy enough. So far I am doing distracting things to keep me away from food until bedtime. Seems silly but I am purposely turning on a movie every evening to get my mind off food.

My brother was sucessful with Atkins, but he's stopped losing weight years ago and is still on it, says he basically has to be on for life. what kind of life is that? I didn't want to do a "diet"-diet becuase for it to work for me, it has to be a permanent change and something i can do. eating less is the only thing that made sense to me. it's hard though, hope it gets easier!
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Old 06-17-2014, 10:35 AM   #9  
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I've seen good results from counting calories, but I also find that I do well just paying attention to these principles:

- pay attention to portion size
- eat fresh, not processed as much as possible
- if you're craving something, eat it, just don't eat all of it in one go

My "diet" is that I buy mostly fresh healthy foods - fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats, whole wheat pastas, nuts and dried beans, etc. One day a week (usually Sunday) I cook a meal. Sometimes this is a one-dish meal like stir fry or casserole, sometimes its just food elements. Then I eat that meal for lunch or dinner every day for the week. That way I only have to prepare 1 meal a day for myself.

An example of what I'm eating today:
Breakfast - a homemade banana bread muffin, coffee (black)
Morning snack - a whole granny smith apple, sliced
Lunch - tuna salad made of 2 oz tuna, 1 tbsp. relish and 1 tbsp. olive oil mayo on 11 pretzel crisps (serving sizes! yay!)
Afternoon snack - a serving (110 cal worth) of roasted unsalted almonds
Dinner - the meal I made on Sunday - 3 oz. chicken breast, 1/2 sweet potato with cajun seasoning, 1 cup of steamed broccoli with a little butter

If I get hungry between snack and dinner or after dinner, I may have some hummus and crackers, or a little cottage cheese or yogurt, or a serving or graham crackers, or a glass of milk or 100% fruit juice
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Old 06-17-2014, 06:39 PM   #10  
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Congratulations on graduating, and best wishes on your job interviews!

It's good that you're asking this question while you're young: If there is one thing I wish I could go back and change it would be the yo-yo dieting I did. IMHO, yo-yoing has had a negative impact on my looks (stretch marks, saggier boobs, etc.).

I count calories, and I've been maintaining a 45-50 lb. loss for 2 1/2 years now. However, in the past I also counted calories, and it didn't work as well because I didn't tailor the plan for me. This time around, I tailored my eating and my exercising to what works best for me: I like spontaneity, variety, and I'm efficient, so I like to multitask. I considered all of these things when thinking about my plan. Here are some tweaks I came up with that work great for me:

1) I have a weekly rather than daily calorie total. This allows me to have some days where I eat more and some days where I eat less.

2) Even though I have a weekly total, I still have to count each day's calories to keep track (I use a smartphone app to make it easy). With that in mind, I start my "day's" calorie count with the most unpredictable meal for me, which is dinner. I used to count my calories starting at breakfast, and I would always be anxious about what I would eat for dinner. My husband sometimes like to impromptu go out for dinner, and that would really throw off my predicted total. So, I start counting at dinner, and it works out great. It is much easier for me to control what I eat for breakfast and lunch than it is to predict what I might have for dinner.

3) I have a treadmill, which my husband tweaked to be a tread desk (Google it). That has been the single most useful item I have. I do a ton of work on my computer, and I spend eight hours a week doing work while walking. I really feel that I could not eat as much as I do if I did not burn so many calories using my tread desk. The best part is that I don't have to set aside time to do it; I do it and get work done at the same time.

And don't worry about having to estimate. I go out to eat at non-chain restaurants quite often, so I always have to estimate, and it's working out just fine.

If you really don't want to count calories, though, you may want to check out the No-S diet (Google it). It's a simple way of controlling your calorie intake without counting calories.

Best wishes to you!
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Old 06-18-2014, 07:13 AM   #11  
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How do you know they're adding butter? Did they tell you they add butter or does it just taste so good that you know it's got butter in it? I'm just curious, I would be totally angry if someone didn't put a pound of butter in my mashed potatoes lol, what's the point of mashed potatoes without butter?

When I was young and in college and at the start of my eating disorder I wish someone would have told me not to diet. Diet after diet after diet, it ruined my life. It took away all my self confidence around food, gave me a bunch of food phobias, made me not trust myself around food and all of that helped me gain and lose and regain and regain some more. I wish I never knew what a calorie was. Just eat the food that makes you feel good, eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full and exercise because it's fun and end the worries. A little portion control, a developing love for salads and veggies and a few fruits and you'll feel great.
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Old 06-18-2014, 10:46 AM   #12  
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I have been doing weight watchers for a few weeks now, and it seems to be working well for me. Overall, it helps me a lot with portion control and eating fewer treats. I have tried counting calories before, but it tends to get to my head (when I count calories, food is all I can think about and I become a little obsessive about it, ED behavior). But for me, I need numbers to keep my food intake in check. If I just try to eat healthier or eat less in abstract terms, that doesn't work for me. My brain likes numbers, and so associating how much I can eat with numbers (besides calories that mess with me) really helps me to know exactly how much I am eating.

Anyway, I'm not trying to say that WW is the best way for everyone to lose weight. It just seems to work well for me. But overall I would agree with what most people have said on here, that portion control is probably the best first step.
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Old 06-28-2014, 06:05 PM   #13  
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Smile More of The Same Advice

Yes! Good luck with your graduation and new job!

A lot of what was said above is standard good advice.

I have lost and gained back over the years and it's always about calories.
Have tried a lot of popular diets but South Beach style works best for me.
That's mostly meat and veg, some fruit, not much carbs.
I have to skip bread and potatoes. Take the hamburger off the roll.
Better yet have chicken.

I don't follow the SB plan, just a similar eating style. If I eat a pile of raw veg w/dip, or a salad w/dressing, plus an apple, I will be less hungry later than if I ate a granola bar. As mentioned above, all the bars contain huge amounts of sugar. I can't eat yogurt either, as much as I love it. It makes me STARVING a couple hours later! Nor wheat bread, more sugar than white.

Actually I have flax or sprouted toast for breakfast and that's it for the day (for bread). Bread and cheese are way too high. Try eating a cup of soup and an apple instead of a sandwich.

Many restaurants have "nutrition" charts on their websites. I print out my favorites and use that to order. Panera Bread makes little half sandwiches that are only 290. One can join in the fun and not get carried away.

Best of luck!
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Old 07-18-2014, 12:57 PM   #14  
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Start every morning with a Green Powder Supplement and a table spoon of Flax Oil. This benefits you for a number of reasons but in a nutshell your body needs the greens and your brain needs the fats. This immediately gets your mind/body working together to manage stress, stay motivated, increase metabolism and control food cravings.

Do this and it will change your life!
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Old 07-18-2014, 01:03 PM   #15  
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DANDR while using MFP to log and periodically check my calorie total intake to help portion control.

Last edited by TheSatinPumpkin; 07-18-2014 at 01:03 PM.
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