What diet plan works best for you?

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Replies

  • Ellaskat
    Ellaskat Posts: 386 Member
    I just count my calories. I do make an effort to get my protein, fats and fiber. Concentrating on those has moderated my carbs to around 200-250. I'm losing inches and pounds like crazy. Down 27 lbs since end of December and down 2 sizes.


    My current way of eating is long term sustainable because I'm not eliminating any foods.

    Edit: I did have to stop pasta because I could eat half a pound (measured when dry) by myself at one sitting. I'm adding it back in now that my portion control has improved. I stopped no other carbs.

    this is pretty much what I do too. My issue isn't pasta, but desserts, so I cut out all sweets for over a month, and I'm now able to give myself a reasonable portion and feel good about it, instead of craving more. I only had 18 pounds to lose, but I've lost 9 since I started in January. My husband used to do all the cooking - he's very good and works in catering, but it was killing our budget and my calories! I talked with him and took over all of our meal prep and grocery shopping in January too and that's made the biggest difference. Before, I didn't know how much of what was in a dish, now I know exactly, because i'm making it myself. i know that sounds like it must take a lot of time, but it really doesnt. On Friday nights I have fun creating a meal plan for the week, on Saturday morning I shop for weekly groceries, and then I only make 5-6 dishes a week. There are always leftovers to use for lunch, or for dinner if I have a really late day at work. It's been really managable, and I think we've only eaten out 3 times since I started. I make a lot of 1 pot meals, so it really is a piece of cake.

  • Jolinia
    Jolinia Posts: 846 Member
    Various forms of IF depending on the week, low carb, CICO, and since I ate way too much cheese last night and now feel bleh today, I think I'm going to back to paleo for awhile.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    counting calories, moderation and not labeling foods as "good" and "evil"
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,449 Member
    edited February 2015
    I started with the No S Diet, and have continued with the variations of it, through weight loss, then a period of maintenance, and now another period of further weight loss. As I've got smaller, I've had to add in either calorie counting or portion control to continue the weight loss. I plan to stick with a version of it in maintenance.
  • spoonyspork
    spoonyspork Posts: 238 Member
    I eat what I want, when I want, so long as I stay within calories MFP has given me. I never cut or avoid anything, though I tend to crave things that have lots of 'bang for my buck' (maximum amount of food for maximum amount of nutrients with minimum amount of calories). Ends up being that lean protein and fiber tends to make up a larger part of my diet than carbs and fats, though there are weeks I flip-flop or get an equal balance of everything.

    Don't exercise a whole lot either, though I keep myself active. Stairs instead of elevators, if my destination is less than a mile away I walk (though as my energy level has risen that's turned to jogging and running), less than 5 miles I try to bike, ride my horse several times a week, etc. I almost always eat under my limit, even on days I get lots of exercise in... though I'm always sure to net at least 1200-1300 calories.

    My weight loss has been in fits and starts, but has kept an average of just under 2 lbs/wk. That means weeks where I've lost insane amounts (up to 1lb a day!) and others where I lose nothing at all but do go down in size.

    It works well for me: I never feel deprived, nor guilty about eating what I crave, and I've already reached my goal size which has changed my goal weight... and goal fitness for that matter.
  • I just count my calories. I do make an effort to get my protein, fats and fiber. Concentrating on those has moderated my carbs to around 200-250. I'm losing inches and pounds like crazy. Down 27 lbs since end of December and down 2 sizes.


    My current way of eating is long term sustainable because I'm not eliminating any foods.

    Edit: I did have to stop pasta because I could eat half a pound (measured when dry) by myself at one sitting. I'm adding it back in now that my portion control has improved. I stopped no other carbs.
    Calorie counting and making sure I get my protein in everyday so I can feel energized for gym time :) Down 14 lbs so far! Also- If I feel like a sweet I have it, just in a small quantity. Drinking lots of tea helps me feel fuller and helps me to not be bloated as well.

  • sherbear702
    sherbear702 Posts: 649 Member
    My plan: Eat what I want. Just in smaller portions. Stay under calorie goal for the day.
  • justcat206
    justcat206 Posts: 716 Member
    @Justcat206 How low is your calorie that you need to be fasting till lunch? I was initially doing a crazy 1200 plan. I felt sick to be honest. Once I calculated my BMR and TDEE things became so much simpler.

    1300-1400. It's not crazy low but I feel better eating a couple bigger meals and a late afternoon snack rather than a bunch of smaller ones. If I'm working out in the morning I'll have somEthing small like a hard boiled egg or handful of nuts first but I try to wait as long as possible to eat.
  • MindySaysWhaaat
    MindySaysWhaaat Posts: 401 Member
    I can't call it a diet. I basically consider this whole experience relearning how to eat. For me it's not really about what I eat, but how much. I'm a big promoter of everything in moderation. I tried restrictive diets in the past and it landed me with the nasty habit of binge eating.

    So far just counting calories and not beating myself up over what I'm eating has been working well for me.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    runner475 wrote: »
    I eat low to moderate carb diet and mostly 80% nutrient dense and 20% treats. You'll see me wandering in the outer section of grocery store.

    Right now because I'm off season not training I follow TDEE method . Once the training starts I'll be switching to MFP method.

    1 have lost 123 pounds with this lifestyle though now I have stopped losing pounds and instead lost 2 pant sizes and down one T-shirt size while hovering over same weight range.

    This is me as well: I'm a perimeter shopper for sure.

    Same here. I think the only interior aisle food products in my own diet are frozen fruit, dried beans, almond butter, veggie broth (too lazy to make my own), bean pasta, and canned tomatoes and pumpkin. The kids and husband have a few more things from the inner aisles in their diets like bread, cereal, and crackers.
    Ditto: frozen kale/spinach for smoothie, frozen edamame, frozen berries, dried beans, canned beans, broth and nut butter.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    runner475 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Not so much a diet plan as a different eating pattern - 5:2, where you eat at maintenance 5 days a weeks and have 2 very low calorie days to create a small weekely deficit.
    Didn't have to change what I ate or exclude anything and found it far easier than trying to maintain a daily calorie deficit.

    Been maintaining with a 6:1 eating pattern for quite some time now - 1 very low calorie day and 6 days at a small surplus give me a calorie balance over the course of a week.

    @Sijomial why did you move from 5:2 to 6:1? Any particular reason.
    @runner475‌
    I tried maintaining for a while on 5:2 but having to eat at a big surplus twice a week (to cancel out 2 low days) was starting to undo some of my good eating habits - and it's habits that make things sustainable long term.
    Maintaining on 6:1 gives me quite a natural/intuitive feeling allowance 6 days a week - about 300 cal surplus.
    Which is funny as my real TDEE is always about 300 cals under what any TDEE calculator gives me.
    As I'm recomping this way of cycling calories gives a theorectical advantage too.
  • lauralooxx7
    lauralooxx7 Posts: 2 Member
    I am on herbalife and I don't go over 1200 if I can help it still a long way to go tho
  • Whittedo
    Whittedo Posts: 352 Member
    [/quote]

    Can you please list what protein you eat. I have a hard time getting my protein @ 60 grams. I need ideas for adding more protein. Thanks![/quote]

    I have the same trouble. Trying to eat meat in 100gr portions wouldn't bring me close to my protein goal, so now I don't limit meat so much and added protein powder to my pre-work out snack
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
    Whittedo wrote: »

    Can you please list what protein you eat. I have a hard time getting my protein @ 60 grams. I need ideas for adding more protein. Thanks![/quote]

    I have the same trouble. Trying to eat meat in 100gr portions wouldn't bring me close to my protein goal, so now I don't limit meat so much and added protein powder to my pre-work out snack[/quote]

    Chicken is the best one for protein. If you eat lots of protein, you need to break it up into smaller meals as the body cannot absorb the whole amount needed at once. I also drink lots of milk which is protein.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    For protein - meat, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, cheese, eggs, beans, beef jerky, nuts, nut butters....and I do add unflavored protein powder to my oatmeal.
  • jenika127
    jenika127 Posts: 10 Member
    edited February 2015
    Ketogenic, basically very low carb,(5%carbs, 25% protein, 70% fat) calorie counting and exercise. I have something called PCOS which has causes metabolic syndrome for me and makes weight loss very hard for the woman that have it. I have to stay under 15 grams of net carbs a day or I just gain weight. It's the only thing that ever worked for me! :D I've lost 58 lbs so far and am still going. Keto is not for everyone but it's what works for me! (I was put on this diet by my endocrinologist)