Cookies and Cream sounds good! One of my favorite flavors of anything!

I do have more free time now so one of my goals was to increase activity....so that's why. Until recently I worked full time and since I'm fortunate not to have to for now, I'm taking full advantage I also know when I was in the get shape of my life, after kid No. 3 although weight was still the same as any other time, I worked out 90-120 minutes a day (through walking too though).

Ok, got my calories calculated so I figured I'd post them before going to bed.

Total Calories: 1232
Exercise: Level 1 of 30 Day Shred (27 mins)
Weigh In: 178.8

YAY! Did my workout! Feels pretty good. I was still sore from the other day when I was digging out my flower beds but I still gave it my all. I didn't use any weights. I only have 5lbs and I have NO strenght in my arms whatsoever. I'm going to be buying some 2lbs to start off and work my way to 5lbs. It wasn't TOO TOO bad. It still kicked my butt though! Going to see what I can do tomorrow.

Weighed in this morning at 177.4
My abs are stiff right now. Not sure how it'll go with tonight's workout. It's the same one again for 10 days and then you switch to level 2.
My Cookies N' Cream Shakes are getting bleh. It's too sweet for me. I think I'm going to try adding more water next time and see if that helps it a bit.

SophieI know I sound like a dork, but I love workouts you can grow into. I think if you said "did Shred, so easy!" I'd be personally disappointed. You go girl!!!

Uh about it being too sweet. Like I said earlier I have lactose intolerance so I'm like into that Muscle Milk (powder). It's not too sweet so maybe they have another flavor? I've been getting it at Target so maybe online.

We both lost overnight! I dropped to 170.4 and I think I was 171.8 yesterday? I can't remember. My period started Monday so that's typical for me to drop a pound. Usually I lose 3 weeks a month and then gain and do a 1-2 pound loss every day for about 3 days after the old cycle...but hey at least it's a trend right?

Calories from August 8th, 1592. I don't know why it's more lately, but I've been hungrier so eating usually more veggies or fruit at night. If I start gaining I'll worry about it.

Yoga 55 minutes and cycling 25 minutes.

Woohoo for 1 lbs-day weight loss

Had a bad evening last night that made me decide not to continue on this diet... It's too strict for me (especially during the summer) and when I go off plan, it really puts me down and it's happening a lot with this diet. Also, I can't stand the shakes anymore in the morning. I just don't enjoy them. I'm a breakfast girl (LOVE BREAKFAST). I'm not saying this isn't a good diet, it's just not a good diet for this time of year for me. I might attempt it during autumn or winter. For now though, I'm thinking of just counting calories and go from there.
I wish you luck though SerenitaDvia, I know you'll do awesome! Message me anytime

I totally get that. I'm sure I'll see you here and will message you! I am glad you found something you can do and are exited about

I'm having the same problem. I'm also not losing ANY weight. Not an ounce. I just don't get it, I'm eating WAY fewer calories than before and exercising every day. I think it's the carbs. I'm borderline diabetic and on this diet I tend to choose the pasta meals (really don't like many others) which probably aren't good for me.

The only way I've ever lost weight before was The Zone. I think I'm going to try that again, but using my calorie counter to check how much I'm eating. The last time I tried Zone I lost inches but no pounds, but I think I was eating too many calories even though technically I was following the rules.

At least after this diet I'm more aware of portion sizes and things that are "healthy" but still high calorie, so I don't feel like it was a total waste. And I'm finally in a good exercise routine that I love, I walk my dogs every night for 40 minutes or so. They love it too, they've started going to the door and crying if I go later than usual!

Kristin I bet it's the carbs too and I've read that some think the sodium in the entrees. I don't have a salt issue at all, I never add salt so for me it's working. But I don't think it would work for everyone unless you REALLY seek out the low low low sodium and low carbs, which are about $1-2 more an entree. It doesn't sound like much, but it adds up.

The portion control is really sinking in for me too. I had to go to a Mexican place yesterday for lunch. They have "light" fajitas which is 3 ounces of meat (I got steak!) and then broccoli, cauliflower, onions, red and green bell peppers, and mushrooms (love mushrooms). It's like served in an 8 inch skillet. I did get the tortilla with them...but when I saw the huge skillet of veggies I was like "um I don't need these." I didn't eat the beans or rice that came on the side and was totally full...I left some onions (but all the mushrooms were gone ) Anyway it made me more aware and that's a good enough reason to have tried it IMO.

Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you. There are SO many low-carb/good carb diets out there now I'm sure you will!

I've just started, and I don't think I will be able to do this in the long-term, but I didn't really go in with the idea that I would. For the most part, I'm very happy with my reduced-carb, pseudo-paleo exchange plan (I try to make paleo choices more often than not, but do include some modern, non-paleo foods). And on days when I'm up to doing the mental and physical work of preparing, calculating, and logging all my food choices, I'm perfectly happy doing so.

But it's the days when I'm not up to doing that work, that "The Simple Diet" is going to come in the most handy. So I'm not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I will just be using The Simple Diet as my backup plan instead of my current backup plan, which hasn't been working so well for me.

Where my old plan was failing, was on my pain/fatigue flare and sick days (I have fibromyalgia and autoimmune issues as well as osteoarthritis and IBS... which I'm slowly getting better control over, but I still have a lot of days when I don't have the will/energy to prepare my foods from scratch).

On down days, I would use a higher-carb 1800 calorie exchange plan (whereas my good-day plan is a lower-carb 1800 calorie exchange plan).

I did use frozen dinners, shakes, bars, soups and other convenience foods, and I'd do my best to calculate the exchanges from the labels (this works fairly well on slightly bad days, not so well on really bad days).

On really bad days though, I'd get very careless with the counting (or decide that since I was "sick" I deserved comfort foods, even if I didn't have the exchanges or calorie budget to include them).

The Simple Diet, I think will work a bit better (as long as I don't allow myself the "I deserve it" mentality).

So, I'm using it now every day, to get used to the plan, and to see what it can do for the current weight loss stall I'm experiencing (largely because of those down/sick days in which I'm not counting accurately or at all).

It's nice to have a plan, even if I only use it as a back-up plan, for days I don't have the energy for more rigorous planning, executing, and counting.

I had two amazingly great days in the past week. I ended up cooking and making freezer meals that fit into the Simple Diet calorie, fat, and protein requirements. I also figured out their exchange values so that I could incorporate them into my normal plan if I wanted to as well.

I've not met many people who've used a patchwork system of weight loss, as I have (or at least haven't met anyone who admitted so).

At most, when we read in magazines or see on tv stories of successful losers they usually talk about following either one or sometimes two different plans to lose all their weight. It makes me wonder whether using only one or two plans is the most successful way to lose weight, or only the most culturally acceptable way to lose weight (so anyone using a patchwork system is less likely to admit it).

I get bored, very very easily, and in the past, I was always the most successful in the first two to five weeks of any new eating plan. So changeing my plan every six to eight weeks has worked perfectly. A lot of people have told me that "you can't lose weight that way, you have to find a plan and stick to it," but that hasn't been my experience at all. I have to stick to A plan consistently, but it doesn't have to be the SAME plan.

I'm with you, kaplods, about switching up plans now and then: I have to stick to A plan consistently, but it doesn't have to be the SAME plan. In fact, I'm pretty sure I got that idea from you. I'll own up to at least five different "diets" to lose 70 pounds.

I've never tried two plans at once -- one for good days and one for bad days, but I could see how that would work.

Have you read The Thin Commandments by Stephen Gullo? That's the book I recommend to people who can't go the all-natural route that I did because not everyone has the time and energy for it. He argues that processed foods might have got us into this mess but lighter version can also get us out of it. There's a list of products in the back that work well for his clients.

Kaplods I think I posted in the other thread we were on, but yeah I too am using this as a weight loss plan. But once I lose it's my back up, ideally I'm going as unprocessed as possible. But I can't make that many changes myself at this point. Tried for years...I suck at it lol. That said I do think shakes will always be part of my meals since I don't do breakfast. Right now if I had to say I'm 90% "Simple Diet" and the rest calories and watching nutrient densities.

Hi,

I think this diet is good but I am very interested in some ideas for the make your own and freeze meals. I am getting tired of the prepackaged frozen ones.Any ideas and recipes are most welcome.

Good luck to all.

Sheridan

Sheridan I'd get some of those 300 and 400 calorie recipe books, and then the cheap Reynolds plastic kinda Tuperware things after cooking them so they could be portioned out. I have two good cookbooks if you want the names I've I'll find them (I have not used them since I moved) but 300 and 400 are in the names. Good luck and I can't blame you, I think the food is bland, but I have to say I have lost the urge to eat for pleasure mostly. I look forward to salads, but like the meals I just would say the anticipation I used to have associated with say my favorite meals is cut to 50%.

ETA: The 2 I have are Betty Crocker 300 Calorie Cookbook and the other one is 400 Calorie Fix (not the cookbook one yet). I have made a few recipes from each when they came out that were hits.

Hello,

I tried the Simple Diet in the past and I really, really liked it. I want to start again but want to use the leftovers from the dinners that I prepare for my family for my daily entree's. How can I do this and stay within the guidelines of calories, fat and protein? Is it mostly portions or will I have to research those things somewhere?

Thanks!
Gwen