There we go - calorie counting is now added!

I am doing the South Beach Diet plus a few extras I "borrowed" from other plans. Those extras include:

* Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day
* Exercise 60 minutes 1-2 times per week
* Eliminate fast food, junk food, processed food, and foods with hidden sugars
* Actively choose whole and natural foods when I shop for groceries
* Eat fish at least once a week
* Eat a vegetarian meal at least once a week
* Weigh myself every day and write it down
* Give myself permission to fail occasionally
* Pray to God for the strength to resist temptation, and to carry me through the times I that don't.
* Positively visualize what I will look like when I achieve my goal weight.

So far, it's working. I've lost 24 pounds since January 1. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Hi, I came here after reading YOU by Oz and Roizen, then I read SuperFoods by Pratt. I am reading all I can daily on the internet, magazines.
I am on the what is good for Sharon diet which consists of:
Lots of raw fruits and vegetables,
Plenty of water(tea)
Lean protein (chicken, salmon, turkey,buffalo)
yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.
Lots of fiber (oatmeal, beans, cereal, ww tortillas etc.) goal is 32 grams a day
Mostly whole good food.
So even though I follow many YOU and Superfood principles. I am not on a diet it is my custom good for me way to change my lifestyle.
I use fitday to track calories, weight, exercise.
I stay about 1600 - 1800 a day.
Exercise 90 minutes 5 days, 30 min. 2 days
Thanks to all of you for my daily changes to make my lifestyle healthier and better.

I count calories using fitday, but overall, it's more of a healthier lifestyle. We still eat the same things, just healthier. Pasta is whole wheat, rice is brown, veggies and fruit are a big portion of our meals, leaner cuts of meat, nothing out of a box, besides pasta. Whole<r> foods, meaning, I try and keep it close to nature and avoid as many middle men as possible. Lots of water, I tote around a 46 ounce empty juice bottle and fill that at least twice a day, a 30 minute walk every day, usually more, but 30 is the minimum. I alternate days for yoga and weights. Move more. Move more. Did I mention Move more?

I am doing my "own thing" here for the most part too.

1. 3 meals and 3 snacks a day

2. water all the time - I loose count of how many glasses I drink, I have a glass or a bottle of water beside me all the time.

3. Only whole grains - nothing white unless it occurs in nature that color!

4. I cut ALL sugar - real and artificial. This was a HUGE deal for me, always was a sweets addict. Since cutting them out, I no longer crave them. If it occurs in the food naturally, I of course eat it, but if there is ADDED sugar, NOPE.

5. LOTS of fresh/frozen vegies with some low fat proteins every day.

6. 1 - occasionally 2 fruits a day (becasue of the natural sugars in them - I prefer to eat more vegies instead)

7. Learning that is ok to say NO to anyone, and not feel bad about doing it.

8. I do keep track of calories in fitday - 5 days at 1400 - 1600 and 2 days at 1800 - 2000.

9. 30 minutes of walking everyday.

I am doing South Beach now, my whole family does it, it has made quite a difference. I have lost 75 of my 81 pounds on Weight Watchers, love that one also.

The Fat Smash Diet.

I've never been good at following ANY set plan. To me, all plans are too restrictive, and I always find myself putting my own spin on them. I have read a lot and talked to quite a few people. I have looked into research about what seems to work and what doesn't. My son who lost 75 lbs. recently by starting running and cutting out junk foods has helped me to understand the importance of making sure that what I put into my body is GOOD STUFF and not just low-calorie "stuff" or a set amount of calories of junk.

I began walking at the beginning of my weight loss journey but found that I needed more intensity to burn off these pounds that have been on me so long that I SHOULD send them each a Christmas card! I added Turbo Jam and yoga, step aerobics, and also recently added workouts "on the ball" as well as weight practice "on the ball." I do some type of exercise every day.

For me, variety is the key. I get bored with things after awhile and find that I do best when I change it up.

I buy a clothing item or two in a size smaller than I currently wear. (I've tried it on at the store and been unable to zip it or have found that it puckers or just looks small.) I keep the item handy so that I can try it on each week. For some reason I have lost a lot of inches even when the scale stays the same, so I don't rely on JUST the scale to tell me my progress.

As many others have mentioned, I drink water instead of soda, watch carbs, watch fats, and count calories. FitDay has been VERY helpful to me in assessing how I'm doing on the NUTRITION side in addition to helping me count my calories, fats, carbs, proteins etc.

I keep a journal and write all of my successes for each day. I keep it very positive and encouraging.

I have put up signs in my kitchen that say,"Cheryl! THIS will NOT help you reach your goal!" and tack them on the "bad" stuff purchased by my skinny husband and eighteen-year old son.

Cheryl

I am doing South Beach, it just really works for my body type and for now having a "plan" to follow really helps on the days I want to eat anything/everything. I also have NO more tummy pains which has given me a freedom to go out without being sick!

-Aimee

I think it's amazing all the different plans we have. It's awesome how many of you are doing it on our own.

It just proves that we don't need to spend a lot of money on dieting. It amazes me that the diet industry is in the billions of dollars!

Bravo to all of us to encourage each other daily :clap: when we follow such different plans.

To those of you that are on fitday.com I would love if you would link your fitday to yourself here. I love to look at others Feel free to look at my fitday and provide any feedback.

Dana

I am not really on a "plan" - I am more whole food and healthier choices.

I read two books that I really really liked (and seriously made me step back and think)- Fit for Life for Women and Eat to Live (I recently finished that book)

I started out increasing my healthier, smarter choices and watching, weighing and measuring my food.

Now I am currently working towards having my veggies and fruits being 90% of my daily intake. I don't know if I could or would want to ever go completely "vegan" but, I have made changes - when we have hamburgers - we use the veggie burgers, we are trying out the "chicken replacement" chicken strips.

But -it works for my lifestyle, it is keeping things simple and do-able. Now lets see if it works for my waistline.

Atkins plus counting calories and exercising 5x a week. This works for me.

I usually try to count calories, but sometimes just eating healthier and watching my fat and sodium intake.

I am on the "You" plan from the book "You: on a diet" by Dr. Oz and Dr Roizen.