Hi all - in 2012, I plan to lose the weight that has been holding me back for years. I am curious what diet plans others have found successful and which they liked the most and why? Thanks!

I am a calorie counter. I have tried other diets and have found calorie counting works best for me. Nothing is restricted, no counting carbs or fat grams, no eating of only certain foods or not eating certain foods. Calorie counting is flexible, reliable and serves you well on into maintenance.

How did you determine the amount of calories to eat? Did you use a certain tool that tracked your calories? example - livestrong?

I would say calorie counting is also the best way to go. It needs to be something you can manage for the rest of your life. BUT, I am always amazed at the people doing the IP (ideal protein) diet. They seem to lose a lot of weight pretty quickly.

Calorie counting for me, is the most realistic and most successful. It isn't the fastest way sometimes but it is more reliable in the long run for me.

Low-carb, however you want to interpret it, works best for weight loss.

However, just like calorie-counting, you can eat low-carb and not eat very healthfully. For a sustainable healthy lifestyle, you need to focus on real, whole foods - plenty of vegetables, small amount of fruit, quality meat, "good" fats. If you don't already have basic cooking skills, you definitely need to acquire them. Eat as low on the processed food spectrum as possible.

Over the years I have tried many different methods: various crash diets, counting calories, (heavy) exercise only, MediFast. I even went very-low-calorie for a while and subsisted on less than 500 calories a day for several months, which I don't recommend.

I have found that, for me, a combination of low-carb and counting calories is best. I swear by FitDay PC software to help me do both.

Now that I am finally in pre-maintenance I have added weight training, light cardio, and JUDDD to help me restore my metabolism and find a new balance of activity, carbs and calories for LIFE. -- So I won't have to do this yet again.

I calorie count (and I use MyFitnessPal to guide me in my calorie needs). I don't do low-carb, but I use the king approach to carbs. Eat carbs like a king for breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner. Meaning, eat your carbs earlier in the day and not at night. This has worked for me...and is something I can continue for life.

Someone once told me "Don't do anything for a diet that you wouldn't or couldn't do for the rest of your life." This made a huge impact on my crazy crash diets...because they weren't something I could continue forever. If you can't do it forever, the weight will just come back on.

The best diet is one that will work for YOU! I like calorie counting best and it works well for me but each person is different. You may have to try things to see what works well for you. Good luck!

This.

So far, maintaining isn't all that different from losing weight. I just eat a little more, but otherwise I'm doing the same thing I was doing when I was losing.

So, find a plan you can stick with forever. If you can't stick to a plan forever then it isn't for you.

I'm a calorie counter and found that it was a plan I could stick with for the rest of my life. I can eat anything I want as long as I account for it in my calorie count.

I am liking Weight Watchers, though I was very successful with calorie counting as well. Do some research and don't be afraid to try something different. I would have never joined weight watchers and would still be gaining weight, for sure.

Everyone is saying counting calories, which is great, but I think it's important that someone new to it knows exactly how many calories is too much or too little. I find this tool great for calculating it: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate/index.aspx

I think if you're going for the healthy eating option, that tool is perfect since it breaks it down how much of each food group you need for a healthy diet. If you are going to keep eating whatever you so desire and just count the calories, and those foods can be considered junk food, then consider lowering the daily calorie intake by say...500 calories? But I'm no expert!

I eat 2200 calories a day of healthy food, it's a LOT and I feel stuffed. If I was eating 2200 calories of junk food, well then I wouldn't have lost any weight at all! So the point is, just make sure you do your research and try it out! Sometimes people feel too weak and sluggish on too little, some people don't see any weight loss on too many - sometimes it can just be trial and error.

Good luck!

Definately Calorie Counting
you should go to your local nutritionist at the doctors or hospital they can set you up a `diet` that is right for you... when I was pregnant I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and was put on a strict 1800 cal low carb diet wasnt allowed sugar, juice, jams or jellys, wasnt allowed to drink anything other then milk water and tea.. and even my milk was limited (which almost killed me itself because im a huge milk drinker) but with all the limitations I had and things to switch (white bread to whole grain etc) I did it for like 4 months because I knew that it would effect my health and my sons in the long run. After I had him I craved so many things because I hadnt had them in SOOOOOO long and I did eat them, but I continued to eat all the good stuff too and stuck with most of my diet. Now I am pretty much on the same diet but I allow myself to have a little bit of sugar once in awhile like if im craving a PB & J then I have one. but watch what I eat for the reast of the day. Long story short I lost 10lbs while I was pregnant and most of you are going to say thats dangerous but my doctor was monitoring me and my baby was still getting plenty of food... it was actually helping me with the gestational diabetes to lose the weight. That 10lbs I pretty much lost in the first month as well...

Ultimately its what works best for you... try the calorie counting and see how it works... but def have a chat with a nutritionist GL!!

I second the calorie counting. Also go to loseit.com and there are some great calorie calcualtors and trackers on there. : )