HELP!

sasy_pumpkin

I'm new to MFP and not sure what diets are best out there. I've tried the keto/atkins diet several times and liked it but couldnt seem to stick to it. Is that the best diet out there? Should I just count calories?

yarwell

The best diet is one you can stick to. Get a decent amount of protein and vegetables as the foundation and top up to your calorie goals.

branflakes1980

You should just count calories. Figure out how many calories your body needs to do your normal everyday stuff and eat less than that amount.

paris458

I dont really have a diet, I just try to eat as healthy as I can and avoid flour and sugar. Once I am not making progress I adjust to eat healthier and healthier

Ninkyou

Using MFP works pretty well..... Just sayin'.

branflakes1980

Why are you avoiding those things? Do you have a medical condition that restricts you from eating those things? If not than there is no reason to cut them out. As long as you are eating less calories than your body needs you will lose weight. Plain and simple.

sasy_pumpkin

So.. count calories, eat more veggies... Should I stay away from breads etc all together or just eat smaller portions?

Unknown

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yarwell

asflatasapancake wrote: »

Smaller portions worked for me. If you like lots of foods, don't restrict them. More than likely, you will end up binging and not maintaining.

If you like bread, eat small amounts. If you're not fussed then miss it out.

naxeea

5:2 diet has worked for and doing it again.

yirara

If there's no reason to avoid bread and similar then just eat it. Hey, I lost the weight I wanted to lose by eating masses of bread, pasta and rice. Just make sure you weigh all your food on a food scale and log it properly.

dubird

I don't diet. Diets are temporary fixes. What you need to do is find a way to adjust your eating habits so it works for the rest of your life. That's why I just started with calorie counting and finding out how much I was eating. I had to learn what a proper portion actually is, and slowly adjust what I was eating until it matched. Or at the very least, I know how to log it properly. Yes, it's slow. Very slow sometimes! But after three years (about 8 months of that in the middle slacking off *bluargh*), I'm finally at the point where what I eat for a meal is very close to what a proper serving size is. I can't actually eat large meals anymore, which is good. It makes me be careful of what I pick to eat, and though I have to be careful of sweets and junk food, I can still eat them if I want to. While I will probably log the rest of my life, this is a change I can stay with. That's what diets can't actually do for you. Would you really want to do a no-carb, no-sugar, no-fat diet for the rest of your life? If you do, well, more power to you, but it sounds miserable to me! So find a way to adjust your eating habits for the long term, and if that means budgeting in a slice of cake once a week or so, then so be it. At least you will still get to eat foods you like, even if they're smaller amounts when you do so.

fearlessleader104

Eat less move more is the best diet out there.

GreenIceFloes

1. Count your calories
2. Eat at at a moderate and sustainable deficit; set MPF to lose 2 lbs/week and eat accordingly. Later on when you have lesser weight to lose, set it to 1 lb/week, and for your last 10-20 lbs, to 0.5 lbs/week.
3. Hit your macros and micronutrient goals best you can
4. Incorporate resistance training into your workout to minimise muscle loss

You don't have to cut out any foods / food groups unless you have a medical reason to do so.

Read this and all the links in the post.

ETA: Please, do not do any fad or VLC diets. They don't work.

SezxyStef

naxeea wrote: »

5:2 diet has worked for and doing it again.

then why do you have to do it again?

branflakes1980

SezxyStef wrote: »

naxeea wrote: »

5:2 diet has worked for and doing it again.

then why do you have to do it again?

Diets are temporary as someone above mentioned, what you need is a lifestyle change. Calorie deficit plain and simple.

sasy_pumpkin

Lol, thanks for all the advice guys!!

TSith

Hey hey!!!! The best thing I've done has been meal prepping!!! Protein, a starch, and vegetables! I eat that both lunch and dinner for the weekdays! More lenient on the weekends! Good luck!!!

Ready2Rock206

I like the eat what I want as long as it fits in my calorie goal diet.

LuanaBean

Learning to cook/prepare your own meals is important. Also avoid processed foods as much as possible. Check labels for lists of ingredients as well as nutrition information. If you're not used to cooking it may be difficult at first, but soon you'll be an old pro.

phillipdean299

You can simply count calories but I would not recommend that. The quality of the food is important as well. One could be on a calorie deficit eating nothing but ice cream. If your goal is better health and not just temporary weight loss, please consider a healthy diet. Lean proteins, low glycemic carbs and healthy fats in the proper ratios and caloric content.

SezxyStef

phillipdean299 wrote: »

You can simply count calories but I would not recommend that. The quality of the food is important as well. One could be on a calorie deficit eating nothing but ice cream. If your goal is better health and not just temporary weight loss, please consider a healthy diet. Lean proteins, low glycemic carbs and healthy fats in the proper ratios and caloric content.

the quality of the food is not important for weight loss...no one just eats ice cream but...

I know I could eat at McDonald's everyday for all meals and a snack and still not gain weight and hit my macros..

no salads involved...I wouldn't want to as I prefer variety of foods but don't be peddling that here....