I have to laugh to myself every time I see our 100 pound club mod, Sandi's, signature on her posts. It says "The best diet is one you can stick with."
Well, for YEARS I was on a diet I could stick with - it consisted of eating anything in sight and was probably about 3,000 calories on a good day! I was able to maintain my weight on it - unfortunately, that weight was about 250 pounds!
NOPE!! That's certainly not what my signature means!!
It rings so true to me because I spent 20 years trying to lose weight like everyone else. Jumping from one plan to another, none of them being anything that I could or would stick to long term. I finally realized that I needed a plan that suited my life, my preferences and one that I could stick to every single day...for the rest of my life. It doesn't matter how fast or how much everyone else is losing, chances are I won't get the same results anyway.
I have to agree, Sandi. I said this in a different thread - the word "diet" should have a new definition:
DIET - something you do to lose 5 pounds because you bought a killer dress and losing just that small amount will make it fit so well your friend will drop dead with envy.
I actually have a slightly different take on this (and this just applies to me, not saying it's true for everyone).
My plan right now on the Dukan Diet is somewhat extreme - it's low carb and low fat with no grains, sugar or sweets, or starches other than squash and a few other starchy veggies like that, but no potatoes, rice, etc. Not even if the portions are tiny.
And no, I would not want to live like this for the rest of my life. But the plan I am following doesn't require that. This is just one phase of the plan - a somewhat long phase for me because of how much weight I want to lose. Once I have lost the weight, then there are additional phases of the plan, also lengthy, of slowly incorporating some of the currently forbidden foods back.
I tried calorie counting before and was reasonably successful but it turned out that long term, it was not a good match for me and I could not see myself weighing, measuring and counting for the rest of my life. I think it's fantastic for those who can do that, it just wasn't the right plan for me.
I do think that I can stick with my current plan - both in the shorter term while in the losing phase, and then in the long term, where I will be eating differently than I was to have gained all this weight, but I will not be measuring and counting. I can't guarantee this will work for me long term, but I feel like it will. Part of this plan involves a lengthy time of less restricted eating than I am doing right now, but more restrictive than the lifetime maintenance phase. The theory is that it gets your body adjusted to the new, lower weight in a way that it's not trying to constantly revert to the old higher weight. Maintenance has always been my downfall, so having this guidance for a set plan to get from weight loss through getting used to the new weight to maintaining that weight is the major reason I tried this plan in the first place.
So for me, while I have been and intend to continue sticking to my plan, that's not the same thing as saying that what I am doing right now is what I will be doing for the rest of my life, the way it is with calorie counting and some other plans.
I totally agree that each of has to find a plan that works on an individual basis. However, counting calories doesn't have to involve weighing and measuring every item you eat. You eventually get a feel for it, so to speak. For example - a 6 oz can of tuna is 2 servings. I just imagine the meat I'm eating fitting into a tuna can and I try to stay with a piece that is no more than 2 servings at my main meal. A potato between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball is one serving. Servings of non-starchy veggies are pretty much any size you want - the more the better. And so on.
I think, in the long run, we're all following the same plan but just calling it by a different name. Whatever works!
Hi, I'm new to the forum. Perhaps it's too late in the evening to receive a reply. I just want support for the plan that I'm trying to tailor to my life style. I've tried them all, and some more than once. I think I can succeed if I have someone looking over my shoulder and saying, "Atta girl." or "No that doesn't work, but try this." If you can help me, I need to lose about 100 lbs.
Thanks.
scarlet only you can decide which plan works best for you, like most of us you will probably stumble and bumble till you find one that works for you. I can tell you that low carb and eyeballing cals works for me, someone else might need to measure out food or follow south beach, weight watchers etc. None of us live your live so we cant say what would work for you, only suggest what works for us. what types of healthy foods do you enjoy? are you open to cal counting? maybe tops or weight watchers would work better for you. Some people go vegetarian some do atkins or SBD. I would do a bit of research of the various "diets" and wee which ones youd like to try and switch aroun till you find one that works for you.
The Best Diet is One You Can Stick With
