I have been on many "diets" and I was just wondering what has helped you? Low calorie, low carb, Weight Watchers, Atkins etc. I am not looking for a quick fix. I am looking to change my eating habits and to get healthy. I want to be happy again. If you could tell me what has worked for you I would really appreciate it.

Welcome! You're asking a great question! You're looking for a plan of action. What has worked the best for me is calorie counting, logging my food intake into a program and working out and being more active. There's more to it, but that's the bulk of what I've done so far.

Welcome to 3FC!

lol you are going to get 10,000 different answers on this Just know what may work for me may or may not work for you...once you pick something stay dedicated until you feel that you need to explore another way.

I'm a weight watcher and started out with the core plan (they no longer have it) and wound up combining that with counting points....that clicked for a long time then I found an iphone app from the daily plate and since I love my apps I switched over to calorie counting. Since I get a bit obsessive with bigger numbers ( I knew it was going to happen, it was only a matter of time!) and happily saw that WW put out an iphone app I switched back

I advise just reading the different boards and see which one makes your head nod in agreement the most...then go with that!

Good luck!

When I stood there with a handful of pills one morning and I came to the realization that my food problem and weight were slowly killing me, I decided to take control. I made small changes at first because I just don't handle going cold turkey on things. I gave up sugared soft drinks first. I didn't worry or obsess over what the scale said; I just knew I was making healthy changes for myself. I basically follow the glycemic index for foods which keeps my sugar level intact and allowed me to come off of diabetes medicine. I've lost 60 lbs so far and I view every pound as a battle won.

Find what is right for you, what changes you can live with and start from there. Be committed to yourself and most of all do this for yourself, no one else!!!! You deserve it for yourself and don't let anyone ever tell you different.

That's the real answer. Change your eating habits and get healthy. What I mean by that is find a way of eating that you feel you could do for the rest of your life. Most people who follow a diet 'until they lose the weight' can't maintain it afterwards. I lean towards calorie counting myself, but that's just me. In learning how to count calories / plan meals I've gravitated more towards lean meats, whole grains, and lots of fruits and veggies. That just makes the calorie counting easier.

I'm a calorie counter myself, with an emphasis on consuming whole foods. I also workout 6 days a week... I'd say that's definately part of calorie counting and it's part of most programs in one way or another I'm sure

Calorie counting works for me because it gives me just enough freedom that I don't feel like I'm on any kind of diet, I'm just living my life. But on the other hand it does keep m on track and hold me accountable for what I'm consuming.

Hope this helps, good luck- You're going to do great!

I've done them all, too. This time I decided I was not going to pay someone to tell me what to eat,I am a calorie counter, I plan all my meals and stay within my calorie allowance. Calorie counting is flexible, reliable and best of all free.

Thank you for all of the responses. It helps to see the different ways people are losing weight but with the same goal in mind! Thanks again and in the words of my favorite 80's band Whitesnake: "Here I go again!!!!

Your post reminded me of something I did ages ago. I meant to keep it up, but didn't. The following all have 100 calories:

Soft Jelly Peach Candies


Soy Nuts


Broccoli


That's the same plate under each. It shows that as you move more towards whole foods that you can be satisfied with the same number of calories that might have made you hungry in the past. Not that I eat 1800 calories of broccoli a day though. It does kind of show why people who calorie count often move towards a better way of eating naturally.

Hi and welcome! I'm just starting my own weight loss journey down from 220 lbs. I had one time when I was really successful losing weight, and my goal is to get back on that plan and add in the 3FC support. What worked for me was being accountable to myself, sticking with a sensible diet, and exercising 6 out of 7 days - no excuses. I failed when I took a "break" - har dee har har - and never got back on track.

I had a buddy at work who walked with me every day and ate lunch with me. We emailed all day long - sorry, boss! - and kept each other on track. Think twice on that Mtn. Dew, sister! I walked as much as possible. Every step made a difference, so I got up from my desk at every opportunity. If I needed a potty break, I'd walk to one on a different floor. I walked the stairs for one flight, then two when I could handle it. I ate breakfast every day to get my metabolism moving. I didn't say I couldn't eat something, I just asked myself if what I was choosing was really the best option. Did I really need to eat that whole plate at once, or was there actually enough for another meal or a snack? I asked myself before going to bed if I'd really made the best choices that day. Did I exercise? Did I get in my 10,000 steps? If it was a weight day, did I lift weights? It was weird at first, but over time I replaced my bad habits with better ones, and eventually I was making the right choice most of the time. I kept a log for a reality check. Sometimes I thought I'd been doing fine, but my notes showed I'd made some poor choices that were showing up in my weight and in my attitude.

Consistency and repetition were the key for me, and I think are important for anyone regardless of their plan. Eat better, be active, be accountable. Wear a new groove in your brain - make new habits. The main difference this time is I don't have a regular office job and no exercise buddy. Hopefully 3FC will play that role. I'm also going to use a meal delivery service, probably going between BistroMD and DietsToGo, because frankly cooking confuses me. Having a reliable diet provided for me will take away one excuse I've been using as a crutch, namely that I can't seem to pull together smart meals.

For being accountable, I have a Food/Exercise calendar posted on my wall. My # of steps/activity goes on it everyday. I also have a post-it list of the things I need to do every day to reach my goals. That list will evolve over time. I have two index card with "DO" and "DONE" written on them, and the individual post-its move back and forth as I complete tasks. It's really great at the end of a day to see everything moved to "DONE." Not so great, but a fabulous reminder, when I didn't live up to my goals.

One day down, 80 lbs to go!

Losing 80 you are an inspiration! I really am fortunate to have found this forum and all of you. I did not want to go to meetings and weigh in front of people but it is really hard to do it by yourself. So I am so thankful for all of you and this forum. Thank you again!!!!!