Ltl 2/3 Take 2

newmantjn

We meet here to explore, share, celebrate and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.

This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!

Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.

Monday - crewahl (Charlie)
Tuesday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday - newmantjn (Todd)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday - imastar2. (Derrick)

Today's Topic:
Apologies if this is old news, or if it has been covered recently - or is just tribal knowledge. I'm only on my third week here, so I don't know where everyone is or was.

1. What program are your currently following? What do you like or not like about it.
2. What notable programs have you followed in the past and what did you like or not like about them?

Todd's answers:
1. I'm currently following the My FItness Pal calorie counting and (mostly) not eating my exercise calories. I like it because it is similar to the WW (I think points plus program) that I lost a lot of weight on. It is flexible, but it makes me contemplate what I am eating.
2. The aforementioned WW program was probably my favorite. I think it switched over to something I couldn't live with at the end of 2017. I had also use Scarsdale. Lost weight but not sustainable

Al_Howard

I'm doing WW Blue. Pretty much Smart Points. I also track in MFP, so between the two I SHOULD lose weight. However, I'm real good at overeating my budget.
I also lost on Points Plus, but I tried the I tried the Green, but felt too restricted (probably better, but..). Looked at the Purple and said "nope", Way too easy for me to overindulge.

whathapnd

I'm currently not following a particular program but simply tracking calories in MFP. I'm trying to slowly get back to eating the way I learned to eat with the WW PointsPlus program (i.e. mostly Power Foods.) I periodically join challenges on the MFP Challenge board to help keep myself focused on small goals.

crewahl

I’ve successfully lost or maintained on every version of WW since 2008 - when I committed to it. That excludes, like Al, the Purple/Simply Filling program. If I knew how to stop eating when I’ve had “enough”, I wouldn’t be here.

So I’m currently doing Blue on WW. That’s the default program they assigned me to when they split into three programs. Green is more like earlier plans that I characterize as “fun with fiber”. Whereas Blue penalizes fat and incentivized protein, Green (if its what I recall) basically reduced points for higher fiber content.

Blue offers enough zero point foods and enough incentive for proteins to work for me. However, it’s really inertia keeping me on it.

I’m also tracking calories on MFP. The one thing it gives me that WW doesn’t is a view of fats, sodium, etc. Thats helpful in thinking about long term health issues.

I’ve done lots of other programs. I had good success with Atkins in terms of weight loss, but after a year I’d have assaulted anyone who got between me and a loaf of bread. Also, I ultimately found it hard to retain a belief that bacon and eggs for breakfast every day was a sustainable model for long term health.

I just don’t do well with the “can’t eat that” or “eat this” prescriptions and proscriptions of most plans. WW works for me because I get to make the choice - even if it’s a Jersey Mike’s Philly Cheesesteak.

linmueller

I'm on WW purple. It's been going pretty well, as long as I have good food in my frig.

I also do some diet bets to help keep my head in the game.

I've previously done PP, loved it and lost pretty consistently, and SP, hate it, weight loss stalled for a long time, then it just became hard to follow.

I've also done keto, with low fat. Worked great, but def not sustainable for me.

Lots of other fad diets in my teens, 20s and 30s 🤷

whathapnd

I forgot to address past programs. We jumped on the Atkins craze in the circa 2003 re-boot. I lost weight fairly quickly but nothing like people around me lost. I wish I'd actually tried to move through the three phases like you're supposed to. I suspect lower-ish carb is something I could live with. One long-lasting effect from Atkins, is I rarely drink fruit juice.

I participated in a medical study a few years ago and had to eat keto for a couple of months. Other than twice eating an entire package of bacon by myself, I was miserable. I lost weight because I had trouble getting enough calories. I can only eat so much meat and so many avocados. (Ok, I could eat bacon all day/every day.)

steve0mania

I've been intuitively maintaining for years. I started WW on the Momentum program, which I found very easy to understand and follow. Once I made goal/lifetime, I didn't see any reason to switch, and over time, the approach turned into more of a habit than anything. At that point, I slowly moved away from counting points (doing a version of Simply Filling), and ultimately gave up on all counting.

Last year (or maybe it was 2 years ago) I tried rejoining to lose the 10 pounds or so I wanted to drop. I found the newer iteration of the program confusing to the point where I couldn't understand the "spirit" of the program. There were simply too many discounts/penalties built in and it didn't seem like a calorie-focused program any longer, and seemed like they were looking to manage "health" (or, healthy-eating anyway). I stayed on for a few months and then gave it up.

So, I'm back to intuitive maintenance (or maybe intuitive losing for now). Eat less, move more, blah blah blah. It isn't rocket science.