I am at a loss. At the end of my rope. I have been struggling SO much for the last 5 years. I have done Weight Watchers, lost and gained it all back. I tried Intuitive Eating, and gained weight. I tried Thin Within, same thing. I've done First Place and yo-yo'ed. I just don't know where else to go. Can someone help me find an eating plan for me? I am almost 54 years old and menopausal. Any advice, please?

I did all the things that you mentioned, I finally decided I was not going to pay someone to tell me what to eat and now I am a calorie counter. This is a much more flexible plan and something you can carry over into maintenance. There are no forbidden foods but of course it will work better if you eat healthy foods. Depending how much you weigh, now and how tall you are and what your goal weight is will determine the number of calories you will need in a day to lose. I use Calorie King for calorie counts and there are other programs available. You can do it online or use a pad and pencil.It all depends what you think will work for you. It will help if you exercise as well.

You are not alone! I've tried so many things, some with success, but always gained the weight back. I started calorie counting a couple months ago and it's the best thing for me. I feel like I can eat anything as long as I stay within my calorie range. It does take planning, but it's way easier than I expected and it's working Might be worth a try. Best of luck to you!!

Thank you. I just feel like I'm a slave to dieting. I absolutely hate it anymore. Counting point and now calories. I'll give it a try. Please pray for me.

You are in my prayers. Bargoo is right on point. Calorie counting is work at first, but so freeing! You absolutely CAN do this. You know I am right.
I am 50+ too. I lost 95 lbs and you can lose your weight too!


Don't give up - you CAN do this!!!!

I tried Weight Watchers too. But seem to do best with calorie counting.
Maybe check into the Beck Diet by Judith Beck. It works with any diet. I plan on reading her book soon. Good Luck!

Mama Duck I was wondering what happened to you , missed you! Bible study with Kellie and eating as the Bible says and exercise , you noticed I think Jesus walked 10 miles a day but he walked them fast ,I will never get that fast or walk that every day some days I struggle to get 1 mile in. Take one day at a time Mama Duck, it is easy for me to pass up something I really want now, when I think , who do I love more Jesus or that candy bar , well of course Jesus so I pass right on by. I am sorry if this may bother some people how I think but this is how I loose weight and I am not ashamed of loving Jesus more.

I, also, am a calorie counter and I agree with CountingDown that it has become the most "freeing" diet I've ever done. It's no longer a diet, but my way of living. At first, calculating calories for our favorite recipes seemed difficult, but now it's just part of my day, since most of the work is done-I now just have to measure and write things down and I mostly use a digital scale for measurement, as volumes tend to be inaccurate (such as a cup of cole slaw will be a lot more actual slaw tomorrow than it was today, since it will settle and "shrink"). So, having a good digital scale has been a blessing. It's now more strange if I have a day that I'm not writing down my foods (like when we were traveling and I forgot my calorie book) than it is to be writing things down. But, it's "freeing" in that if I want frozen yogurt, I can have it! I just write it down with amount and calorie count. Same with any snack or if we eat out. I'm not restricted to grapefruit or only foods with vinegar or no sugar of any form or.......... Check out the Calorie Counters part of the forum and you'll find a lot of others with lots of good ideas and websites that help with calorie counts, but I mostly use the Calorie King book. I know you can do it, because I managed to after decades of yo-yo-ing and only gaining in the end. (PS. I'm 46 and also menopausal, so I still eat my dark chocolate whenever I feel the need!)

Many of us here know how you feel; we've been on many diets, only to gain the weight back again and often with interest. That's why so many of us here know and say that you need to find something that you can do all the time, that is comfortable for you, that you could do for the rest of your life.

The problem with the original idea behind diets, is that they were only meant to be short-term and for emergency cases, but in time, they evolved into what we now have today ... many diets and plans. I like some of the ideas from the Beck Plan also; I have found it very encouraging and helpful: esp to understand the 'whys' and 'hows' of overeating (identifying our triggers and how to deal with them in a practical way).

Each person must find what works for them -- I am doing an EZ portion plan which is "loosely" based on the calories of the average female (about 2000 C's a day). We still eat what we want and what we like to eat, for the most part. I took all our favorite meals and made them healthier by using lean meats, good fats, switching to complex carbs, and adding lots of veggies.

I really think that portion size is so important for many people -- hence you will be eating less calories without even thinking about it. Personally, I just find it so much easier for me. From all my years of dieting, I already know how many calories most things have, but I found that portions just suited us better.

How do I do our portions? I measure everything now -- try to find yourself a good set of scales: they are worth it. I use measuring cups when dishing out our servings; and I do this without even thinking about it now.

We are now eating soups and stews in bowls more often. One of my newest strategies is to have soup for lunch or dinner every day; with a slice of whole grain bread or roll, this is a light but easy, healthy meal. Right now, I have a beef stew (thick soup) in my crock pot; just tossed in leftover roast beef with a mix of veggies, water, and soup base. The house is filled with the aroma and it is cooking itself while I do other things.

We do this with soups, stews, chili, pasta sauces, etc. If you work, you can prepare the veggies the night before and just put the crock in the fridge until morning and turn it on to let it cook. One friend used to do this for the weekend when she was home; you can even do a pot roast in the crock for Sundays. During the week, you can do things that are quicker.

If you decide to try calorie-counting again, you can buy a little pocket book that has all the foods at your fingertips and the amounts, calories, etc from a bookstore. I have one just for general reference (ie snacks) that was published by DELL Purse books; very small and handy.

I try to get in some kind of 'MOVEMENT' each day; doing anything that I can think of that burns energy, with walking as my #1 choice. Plus I do toning work every morning upon rising; and try to do my walking early in the day also (even if it's only a short walk) as sometimes, I am too tired later on and may skip it, if I don't. This strategie has helped me a lot; and is fast becoming a new good habit.

We all struggle at times, we all have ups and downs; we all have stalls or hit plateaus; but the important thing is to keep going. The old adage is true for me: Practice makes perfect! I have much more discipline now than in the past. I have found that there are only a few things that I just mustn't keep in the house or I will be tempted to overdo them, but I may buy ONE SERVING of that item now and then, so I don't feel deprived.

I love pizza; but now, I won't have it unless it is on a thin, whole wheat crust, and smaller portion with lots of veggies. I believe you can eat good-tasting food and lose weight, and be healthier. What are your favorite foods? How can you prepare them in a healthier way?

I have taken the best tips that I have found from numerous plans and caring people, and added them all to my new healthier lifestyle. If it works for us, I keep it; if it doesn't, I toss it. Yes, GOD wants us to be healthy; yes, we want to be healthy; but I also remember, that GOD wants us to enjoy life too!

Remember, this is a journey of many steps; starting today, one day at a time. Forgive yourself for the past; look towards the future instead. Think only about today; that's enuff for us really. No need to obsess or worry; just eat healthy.

After many years of reading the bible and like you, doing many studies, I found this is what the bible says to me about eating, in a nutshell (and I am paraphrasing and condensing): "EAT GOOD FOOD; JUST NOT TOO MUCH!"

Will gladly send up some prayers for you. Don't give up -- there is always hope ...

EDIT TO ADD ~ ANEWCREATION has a good idea there; maybe that is what you are looking for -- very simple and EZ! Many people have had success with it too! If you can't afford that for all your meals, you can buy lean quisines or other brands from department stores for less, for your lunches or an occasional dinner.

Thank you, everyone for all of your support and help. I just registered for the online First Place 4 Health group. They follow the pyramid plan, which is similar to counting calories. If nothing else, I don't lose weight, I will grow closer to God. Thank you again for your time and encouragement. I'll let you know how it goes. It starts 9/4 and it's called Giving Christ Control. Wow! What do you think about that?

Mama Duck your going to love it. I used to be a leader there if you have any trouble finding your way around, Pat /TX is smart as a whistle! She taught me so much! What group are you going to be in hope it is her group!

Dear Mamaduck,

Ten years ago and many of those years after, I felt like you do. I tried all the diets... then I went to the best diet book in the world, the Bible. I have found so many scriptures about dieting and what our attitude should be about our bodies. About how we sabotage ourselves with negative thinking. I didn't need to try to change the foods I ate, I needed to find out the reason why I overate. I found one of the biggest reasons I overate was because with each diet I had already failed in my mind. Weather you know it or not your imagination has had a huge influence on you being over weight.

The following is an excerpt of Flowers Over the Wall, Diet Bible study
I couldn't lose weight because I had become so occupied with dieting and food. I was obsessed with food and dieting. As soon as I gave myself permission to pray before each time I ate first, ask God to help me to stop when I was satisfied, then eat, that's when I started losing weight, and I don't have to worry anymore about calories, fat, carbohydrates...

None of these diets did anything but change the food, it didn't change my heart.

Colossians 2: 20-23 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Give it to Jesus, ask Him what to do. He promises we can ask for wisdom and He will give it to you. That is a promise!

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.