That is so true. I remember there actually being a thread that turned into a bash fest for anyone that follows commercial weight loss programs saying that people who used it were simply wasting their money and are obviously too lazy to lose weight the "right" way. Now I don't follow Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem or any of those kinds of diets but I certainly don't look down on anyone who does. It has gotten to the point that if anyone IS on one of those programs they feel like they have to justify themselves and it shouldn't be that way.

So in answer to the OP's question. Which is better??? Whatever works for you so long as it is safe, sane and healthy.

I personally didn't say anything negative about any programs. I simply said gradual is a good way to go. That doesn't mean I think nothing else is good enough. I've been through many weight loss programs. Yes, I lost weight. But I gained it all back. Who's fault is that? My own. I take full responsibility for my weight problem because no one made me fat but me. However, 2400 diets later, I realized that gradual changes were best FOR ME because it allowed me to learn good habits on the way. Permanent changes that I can live with. And yes, I'll say it and I'll say it out loud, it's the ONLY thing that's ever worked. FOR ME.

Again, the original poster came in looking for opinions and we simply gave them to her. I wasn't putting Jenny Craig down, I wasn't putting anything at all down, I was just voicing my opinion and sticking up for what I personally believe to be the best way to lose weight.

FOR ME.

Oh, and a P.S. - I'm not saying you said I specifically said anything about diet programs, I was just adding a comment to the general subject :)

I totally agree with this.

Sometimes you have to 'play' with a lot of different diets and food plans before you find what's best for you. That's why I said to have patience. Because for some us it can take years to find that balance.

I absolutely agree with funniegrrl. You have to find what works FOR YOU. There is no best way, best program, best exercise. The best is what you will do, and do willingly for the rest of your life.

I'm also a compulsive eater and the only time I've succeeded (I'm going into year FIVE of now) is when I drew a line in the sand and made a total life change. If I had tried the gradual approach, or allowed trigger foods to stay in my diet, I never would have succeeded. I'm sure there would have been negative progress. I also tried to diet a zillion times before, usually adding the pieces gradually. Exercise, portion control (ha!), healthier food...but I never put it all together at once. Because I was always active and worked out, I just ended up a fat strong person.

Soooo, you really need to know yourself. I don't remember if the original poster stated her age or weight, but practically all women who view themselves as overweight have tried to diet in the past. What worked? Probably nothing you did so far or you wouldn't be asking this question ;) So try something different.

Mel

I agree that each person has to figure out what is going to be the best approach for them over the long haul.

The question was is it better to jump start a program or make gradual changes. The answer for ME was a little from column A and a little from column B. Once I made the decision to lose weight and keep it off I was gung ho. There was no looking back. I did make some drastic changes at first but I'm not sure I knew they were drastic at the time. I was just doing what I knew would work - reduce my calorie intake. From there I began educating myself about nutrition and exercise and incorporating those things that made sense to me and seemed to apply to my situation. I began paying attention to how I felt and foods and activities made me feel better. I began making gradual changes to my plan - and still do.

Whatever route you choose, I am of the opinion that you must keep and open mind and be willing to keep things flexible. What works for you the first week might not be what you need the second week. It is imporatant to constantly evaluate your progress - and not just by the scale. When what you are doing isn't working that isn't a reason to quit but a reason to try something else.

I think I kind of misunderstood the question when I posted earlier. I said I'm losing gradually. I meant that I didn't have an induction period where I lost a lot of weight up front and then went with a higher amount of calories. I have done "crash" or induction type diets before and did lose a lot at first. By "gradual" I meant in the sense of losing slowly but surely.

I've been consuming the same amount of calories (1500-1600 per day) from day 1 this time around - I haven't made "gradual" changes such as cutting back on specific foods one at a time.

Sometimes, it can give you a mental boost if you lose a lot in the first week or two, so if that works for you that's good. For me, I figured I'll be doing this new way of eating the rest of my life (if I'm serious about keeping the weight off) so losing a lot of weight quickly wasn't a priority for me. :)

And reading through all the responses here, the original poster never really expanded on "rigorous" for her "jump-start" possibility. That could mean all kinds of things from doing what many of us WOULD consider insane (like...I don't know....I've seen at least one person posting lately who was ingesting only 600 cals/day) or it could mean 1200 calories, ya know?

EDUCATION is so big here--and thats where each of us has to be responsible for ourselves--taking in information and opinions, but being able to think critically about how that matches up with what we know about our bodies AND our lives because lifestyle does matter too in designing an approach (or picking an existing approach) that will work for us.

That's VERY much like what I did, but until tonight I hadn't realized that I HAD made some drastic changes at the time, that I didn't realize were big at the time.