Im very discouraged right now ladies. Obviously, I need a new diet/weight loss plan...and I just have no idea which one of the many many things out there are the best or right ways to go! Any suggestions?
1. Count calories precisely. No eyeballing. As little volume measuring as possible. Kitchen scale whenever you can.
2. Limit carbs, and severely limit or even eliminate sugars and starches. The simpler the carb (i.e., table sugar, white bread, potatoes), the more it needs to be limited. Only eat carbs with lots of fiber--vegetables, some fruit, wheat bran, oatmeal, popcorn.
3. Start eating at the top of your calorie range and drop down if you don't lose weight fast enough--don't start out eating as little as you can stand. I find that as long as I eat enough in my day-to-day life, I have the willpower to turn down treats.
4. Don't make excuses. Period. Assume there IS a solution to every problem and that you just have to find it--no circumstance can make you "have" to eat. You CAN go to a party and not eat, you CAN go out with your friends for dinner and not eat, you CAN pack a lunch when you are going to Six Flags for the day and go stand in the parking lot to eat it. These thins aren't even that big of a deal once you get used to them.
5. If you want to indulge, plan it weeks and months in advance. Birthday in October? Plan now what you are going to do about it. It's ok to indulge. You can work it into any plan. But indulgences should be part of a system, not an emotional "giving in" to temptation: this makes eating into a guilty pleasure, and rewards weakness. If every time a puppy went on the rug, you gave it a treat, THEN yelled at it and made it feel like crap, it wouldn't learn very much! But when we give in to temptation, eat something delicious, and then yell at ourselves, this is exactly what we are doing. So plan your treats so that they aren't a reward for making a poor choice.
Getting off the standard american diet, forever. It's tough. Less fast food, fewer processed foods, fewer defrost/heat foods. Being aware of the truth about restaurant portions/calorie. A goal of eating more whole foods.
Making a commitment to change your life forever. Which means finding something you like, you can do forever. I honestly don't think I can tell you what plan YOU should do, because you are the only one knows what you like, what you can live with.
I'm with everyone else...calorie counting. I also count fat grams, I want them under 60 grams a day and DH just started having to follow the diabetic diet (which is carb counting), so I know how to do that one too. For now DH isn't counting calories or fat.
I count calories because weight loss really is nothing more than calories your taking in versus the calories your expending. Find a site that can calculate your calorie requirement (like sparkpeople.com, fitday.com, or I like this one to tweek my own http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm).
And make sure your sticking to your calorie target.
I see though, that you've already lost a good deal of weight... what plan were you following?
It seems to me that excercise it's the foundation to weigh loss/weight control/good health. I think that any diet you pick has a form of restriction. You can choose lo-cal/low fat, low-carb, raw food, food combo, etc. No matter what you choose, it's a lifestyle change. Everybody has a diet they swear to because they were able to stick to it and see results. I don't feel that there is a one size fits all diet out there. I do believe that in any diet, making choices for a healthier menu is the goal.
First, start keeping a food journal. Learn what you eat, when you eat, why you eat, and how many calories you consume in a normal day. What is your body and your mind doing with food?
Start researching available diets. Diets in Review has info about many many different diets. Some are silly (30 Day Pizza Diet), some are well-known and proven (Weight Watchers). When researching, ask yourself, "Could I do this diet?" If it seems difficult, confusing, restrictive, you probably wouldn't be able to stick with it. Also ask yourself if the diet could be a lifestyle. A diet that you can't maintain over a long period of time is ultimately not going to be helpful.
Pick a couple diets to try. Do the first diet for awhile, maybe 6 to 8 weeks. Is it doable? Are you able to stay on plan and not feel deprived? Is it working? Are you losing weight? If you're miserable and/or not seeing results, try something else.
Finding the right diet is a matter of trial and error. Be patient. Be willing to experiment. Eventually you will find the diet that fits both your personality and your metabolism.
Getting off the standard american diet, forever. It's tough. Less fast food, fewer processed foods, fewer defrost/heat foods. Being aware of the truth about restaurant portions/calorie. A goal of eating more whole foods.
I agree with this about a billion percent. If you want to look like the majority of Americans, and feel like the majority of Americans, then eat like them. If you don't want to look or feel that way...don't eat the standard American diet.
Pretty much any diet out there will work... while you are on it. But if you are looking at it as a temporary diet, then when you go back to your "normal" way of eating, the weight goes right back on.
It's all about finding what works for you and what you can work with for the long term. Whether it's calorie counting, or low carb, or both, it has to be something you can maintain long term and make a way of life.
I feel like I am the only one here who doesn't calorie count....(probably because I am).
You should do what works best for you, but my best advice is watch what you eat. I've totally cut out processed sugar, and red meat from my diet, and I exercise like crazy. Don't be afraid to change things up when you get stuck, and don't get discouraged.
1. Count calories precisely. No eyeballing. As little volume measuring as possible. Kitchen scale whenever you can.
2. Limit carbs, and severely limit or even eliminate sugars and starches. The simpler the carb (i.e., table sugar, white bread, potatoes), the more it needs to be limited. Only eat carbs with lots of fiber--vegetables, some fruit, wheat bran, oatmeal, popcorn.
3. Start eating at the top of your calorie range and drop down if you don't lose weight fast enough--don't start out eating as little as you can stand. I find that as long as I eat enough in my day-to-day life, I have the willpower to turn down treats.
4. Don't make excuses. Period. Assume there IS a solution to every problem and that you just have to find it--no circumstance can make you "have" to eat. You CAN go to a party and not eat, you CAN go out with your friends for dinner and not eat, you CAN pack a lunch when you are going to Six Flags for the day and go stand in the parking lot to eat it. These thins aren't even that big of a deal once you get used to them.
5. If you want to indulge, plan it weeks and months in advance. Birthday in October? Plan now what you are going to do about it. It's ok to indulge. You can work it into any plan. But indulgences should be part of a system, not an emotional "giving in" to temptation: this makes eating into a guilty pleasure, and rewards weakness. If every time a puppy went on the rug, you gave it a treat, THEN yelled at it and made it feel like crap, it wouldn't learn very much! But when we give in to temptation, eat something delicious, and then yell at ourselves, this is exactly what we are doing. So plan your treats so that they aren't a reward for making a poor choice.
You have to find out what works for you. Some people just outlaw foods that are triggers. I can do that with some foods - like chocolate and potato chips, where once I start I just can't stop. But I've found that if I just completely cut out things like carbs - I start obsessing and then I binge. I'm still working it out !
I don't think there is one best way. I had to learn from my many failures and figure out a way that would work for me. Why don't you tell us what you have tried and why you think it didn't work for you?
What is your best strength and what is your greatest weakness?
I think you have to try different things til you find what works best for YOU. Calorie counting is great! It helped me for a long time. Low carb is also great... I highly recommend South Beach (there is a forum here). But whatever you choose, I think it is important to pay attention to nutrition, not just calories or results. Feed your body good things, and it will do good things for you.
What do you think is the best way to lose weight?
Good luck 
