I'm certain I know exactly how to lose weight. I know how to eat clean. I can workout consistently pretty easily. I just have trouble getting started eating well consistently.

I think its because I'm addicted to any kind of sugary cr#p
I am ~163 pounds and I want to reach 140 by November-end.

My question is, what is the most sucessful way of starting a diet- eating clean from the outset, or easing in?

If easing in, then what stategies are best for doing so (i.e. one day clean, one day not so, for 2 weeks).

Thanks in advance.

Bob Green's latest book, The Best Life Diet, is all about easing into it. I think the first phase lasts 4 or 6 weeks, and you don't really "diet" during that period. You just work on habits.

Change One, by Readers Digest, is another popular diet where you ease into it. The first week you just work on getting a nutritious breakfast. The rest of the day doesn't matter, you just make sure your breakfast is on target. The next week you make another change. It lasts 12 weeks.

I jumped into it - you really have to go with what works for you!

I think you have to figure out what works for you, too! Some of us are jumpers and others are easers. I was an easer, myself. I was overwhelmed by all the changes I would have to make and couldn't do it all at once. The tough part with easing into it can be keeping the commitment, I suppose...

I did a little of both. For a while I tried to lose weight without really dieting, just trying to eat foods that maybe a smidge healthier than what I had been eating. When it became clear that this plan wasn't working, I decided to try tracking everything I ate and restricting my calories. I jumped into that--went from eating I don't know how much one day to 1200 calories per day the next.

But I didn't really focus on how healthy my food choices were. For a long time, I made choices that were similar to what I had been eating before, I just ate less of them and did a better job of measuring what I ate. But eventually, I realized I would be less hungry throughout the day if I ate better foods so started making healthier choices. I replaced my high calorie cereal with something more nutritious, replaced baked goods with energry bars, eventually eliminated the energy bars for homemade low calorie muffins, started eating my cereal with yogurt instead of milk, started eating more lean protein in my lunch, found a better bread, started eating a salad with dinner every day, starting making dinners that are under 400 calories, started trying to eat better at business functions (this has been probably my biggest challenge and I'm still working on it), etc. These, and more, were changes that I made over the course of the last year and a half.

Now, after a year and a half of restricting my calories, I'm starting to try to pay attention to the ratios of fat, carbs, and protein in my diet. And there's still lots of room for improvement; for example, I don't even try to cut back on sodium.

I don't ease into anything - that's just my personality. Weightloss included. So when I finally made that decision to tackle my weight and shed the pounds- I jumped into it with both feet - full steam ahead.

You also mentioned that you are addicted to the sugary stuff. Well so was I. Carbs as well. I found that by completely elminating them, in a matter of just a couple of weeks or so - I was no longer craving them. Something I never, ever thought could have been the case.

Good luck with whatever method you choose.

I jumped into the food part, but even so I have tweaked it as time passed to be even healthier. However, for me, cutting sugar and HFCS out of my diet cold turkey was about the only way I could break those bad habits. The first few days were difficult, but after that I didn't crave the sugar like I normally did.

I eased my way into exercising. It was a couple of months before I even considered that I should exercise.

Personally I think it's better to jump right in. You may as well take advantage of all the enthusiasm you have at the beginning.

The first phase of South Beach is all about getting your body clean and getting rid of sugar and carb cravings. Worked really well for me and I combine SB with keeping track of calories. It's been pretty easy actually.

I think you can do both. Things like sweets, pop, etc. almost need to be cut cold turkey or you'll basically never lose the craving. And really, the first few days are the hardest. The cravings will stop. As for the rest, I do think you can ease in. You can make one change at a time. I didn't even start exercising til I'd lost over 30 lbs by making food changes. And then I started slowly. But I know myself. If I try to do everything 100% all at once, I don't last. For me, baby steps work best. Once I'm comfortable with a change and it's pretty much a habit, then I'll work on the next thing. Sometimes it takes longer, but that's okay, I'm still moving forward (or downward ).

It's hard to tell, it really depends on the people. Personally, I did a little of both--I jumped in healthy eating all at once, but I also made gradual changes in how and when to include exercise, for instance, and at first I didn't count calories (I just made sure I had whole grains, vegetables and fruits, etc). The rest were adjustments made afterward.

Are there other areas of your life that you could use as examples to tell you how you usually react to those things? (Stopping smoking cold-turkey, etc.) I might not be a truth, but it may be a hint of your 'personality' regarding those things.

It's not fair to say I jumped in this time because I'd tried so many times before. How about if I say I hopped in with my mind fully loaded with notions about what didn't work before?

I was very motivated by my initial loses which can be a bonus for jumping in whole-heartedly.

Thank-you so much to everyone for their replies- they are all really helpful and inspiring!

I jumped in, but the wrong way.

I cut my calories to 1,300, I went to the gym, and I have a very physically demanding job. Yeah, that worked for two days before I went out and completely binged.

Then I eased up on the calories, but remained the exercise. Food wise, I cut out all the junk food. No sodas, no ice cream, no chocolate, nothing. I tracked my calories through fitday and lost my first 3 pounds in the US.

Then I moved here, where there is no fast food, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and I had to walk everywhere I went. Lost 14 pounds without even thinking about it.

So, what´s worked for me is to keep exercising and to work on the food. I know if I tighten up I can lose weight faster, but this is the pace that keeps me comfortable. GOOD LUCK!

I think it depends not only on your personality (I'm a jumper-inner by nature) but also on your starting weight. For a person who has more than 100 pounds to lose, starting slowly with baby-steps can be a good idea. But for you, with only 25lb to lose, I think jumping in would be the go. You can get those pounds off in no time--why mess around?!

But you do need to have a great plan into which to jump

I was a jumper. When I finally decided to lose weight, I knew that I had to just get it done. I didn't initially count calories, but completly cut anything with high fructose corn syrup, white flour, added sugars or just high sugar in general (like dried fruits). I cut my portions and started eating clean from day 1.

I could never have eased into it- I needed to end the carb cravings and monster portions immediately and to see some immediate results. For me, seeing results motivated me to keep going.

Mel