What are "diets" that work????

sandradoll

I was watching this infomercial and I started really questioning if those expensive programs work??

Has anyone tried something that actually helped them lose weight? Food Lovers? Nutri-Systems? or Body Type?

I need something to help change my appetite. I have no control. I just need to jump start my weight loss... I have tried the eating healthier, track my nutrients, increase water intake, started working out (A LOT) and there is NO weight loss. Because I don't see any progress, I end up giving up and start eating everything in sight.

Help! I am stuck!

MissAnjy

I don't believe that any diets work for the long haul. I believe they work in the moment while you're on them. But once you stop (which you will because you can't uphold these types of diets forever) the weight creeps back on rather quickly.

It needs to be a lifestyle change, portion control. Eat whatever you would like .... in moderation. Fit pizza, chocolate,ice cream, cake etc INTO your diet. Fit it into your calories. Don't deprive yourself or force yourself to ONLY eat leafy greens. This is what causes binge eating. I've lost 36lbs and I still eat whatever I want. I just eat smaller amounts of it and make sure it fits into my daily intake. This is the ONLY way i've been successful.

taso42_DELETED

Most likely anything works as long as you stick to it. But what's most important is changing your lifestyle to something sustainable. I bet you can lose weight while eating nothing but sardines and lettuce every day, but would you want to stick to that forever? The key to picking a routine or a program is to evaluate it and make sure it's something you an do every single day and still be healthy and happy.

I am very anti programs that expect you to go to extremes for a short period of time. It's bad for your body. What happens when that short unhealthy time span is over? Your body rebounds and you put on weight again.

No magic shortcuts. Slow and steady wins the race.

Edit: just what MissAnjy said!

ladyhawk00

None.

Here are some threads I'd recommend -

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/20343-how-i-have-avoided-plateauing-length-warning

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/160943-why-the-scale-lies


Edit: Forgot...I would add one more thread that might be particularly appropriate:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/155059-everything-in-moderation

busub

I don't much care for the vast majority of fad diet plans on the market. Many are plain old unsustainable. Just stick with good, low cal, wholesome foods and you'll never feel hungry. Vegetables are virtually calorie free (most not all). If you watch your carbs by staying away from the processed stuff and sticking to whole grain, eating lean meats, and eating all the veggies you want, you'll never go hungry.

It's all about choices. A double cheese burger has 300+ calories. 3 cups of lettuce has about 20. Add a tomato, low fat vinagrette, and some grilled lean chicken and you have a more filling and satisfying meal for less than 200 calories.

Thomasm198

No magic shortcuts. Slow and steady wins the race.

I have to agree. I don't think there are any short-cuts.

All that seems to really work long term is a change of lifestyle and making the decision to eat better.

jkestens63

Diets don't work - it has to be a lifelong change in choices and outlook. Half of getting healthy is all in the head game. You have to decide what you want and work towards it, just like anything else in life.

In general, I believe it comes down to calories in vs. calories out. You have to burn more calories than you eat. You can use any method you want to acheive - South Beach, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem... whatever. Ultimately they can only provide guidance, you are deciding what to put in your mouth.

Enigmatica

Echoing what's stated above: LIFESTYLE CHANGE for the win!!!

I eat a healthy, varied diet and get lots of exercise. You might check the food diaries of people who are doing well with their weight to see what's working for others. Maybe it'll give you some fresh ideas.

Good luck!

Norma_24

I have had good results with the south beach diet you can do it your-self and dont have to buy into an expensive program..

aippolito1

Just eating healthy and exercising restraint will change your appetite.

sbwood888

If I had the money back that I have spent over the years on "diets", I would have quite the chunk o' change. (Jenny Craig, WW, Physician's Weight Loss, PHC, Atkins, South Beach, Slim Fast, and on and on). It seems that the best thing to do is TRACK and TRY. It's not easy, but it can be done.

MelissaL582

There are no quick fixes. I've heard so many people who were on Nutri-sytem do well, but once they stopped..the weight came back on. A friend of mine tried Sensa and it's made her bloated and constipated. It's all about lifestyle change and controlling yourself.

cakeordeath

tracking alories is the only thing that has worked for me.

anubis609

I actually started my diabetic portion control plan with NS, and it did work. As you mentioned, I used it as a starting point to control portions and ideas for creating my own food. After a while, I was creating my own meal plan and using less of the NS meals, so I cancelled my delivery plan and have still been losing weight.

Unanimously, it's agreed that weight loss begins with making a lifestyle change. It's not a temporary thing. Otherwise, whatever habits you acquired to make you want to lose weight to begin with, will never go away and you will always be looking for the next best thing. The ultimate best thing is to cut it off at the source, which is old habits. Change those and over time everything else in your life will change for the better as well. That doesn't mean you can't indulge once in a while, but once in a while literally means, once in a [long] while. And yes, slip-ups occur but that's also human nature. It doesn't mean you failed, it just means that when you do it again, you do it again differently.

Find your motivation and set small achievable goals. You will reach your ultimate goal before you realize it.

Dtho5159

No diets work.. You can still eat what you like as long as you fit it in your calories like another pp said. I still have my Taco Bell on Friday nights. Thats family time with my husband, myself, my kids, my mom and step father. I just make sure to eat a light, healthy breakfast and lunch so I can add that into my diary and not go over for the day. It takes some time to figure things out. I joined MFP late last year and it took a good month to figure out what works for me so Im not always hungry. One thing that really has helped me is I added double fiber bread to my sandwiches. Man, it keeps me full after lunch and I have to force myself to have my afternoon snack.

Tennessee2019

I did Slim-Fast shakes when I was working due to having only 30 minutes for lunch & it worked for me for awhile. Once I stopped working, I spent a year doing Nuti-Systems & the only reason that it worked was because I could NOT stand the taste of the food!!!
I agree with the statement "If I had the money back that I have spent over the years on "diets", I would have quite the chunk o' change." but the statement that is SO true is "No magic shortcuts. Slow and steady wins the race." & consider the changes that I have made to the way I eat since joining MFP as a "lifestyle change" not a diet. Counting calories & staying under my limit has worked for me. Knowing that I have to "report" to the people on MFP at the end of every day has really helped me stay on track.
I have yet to see any major weight loss & have honestly been yo-yoing on the scale but I know that I can do this & will have support from the people on MFP every step of the way.

aryaw

Diets don't work because once you stop you will end up gaining most if not all of your weight back and more then likely add a few more pounds on.

Making lifestyle changes will work in the long run and this is what I am trying to do because I want to be able to maintain the weightloss and be a good example to my kids.

Over the course of a year I have given up pop, don't use sugar (except for baking), adding fresh fruit and vegetables into our home and now I am working on getting white bread outta the house. I am also making sure I eat breakfast (something I have lacked doing and just recently started up).

Simple, small changes make the biggest difference. Mind you I don't deny myself either, if I did that it would be a diet and I am stepping away from Diets - I am working on portion control and teaching my children the same thing.

Starting on the first of Feb. I will be increasing my activity and this will be something that the whole family can do because we are going to a place that not only caters to adults but to wee ones too...

Healthy eating, No denying (but not bingeing) and exercise are the key to losing weight & being able to maintain for the rest of your life.

mallory39

I agree will all the comments above. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is learn how to eat healthy calories, not empty ones. If you need help with how to do that, I highly suggest Weight Watchers. Their meal plans teach you how to eat the right amounts of food and the right types of foods. Once you get the hang of it you can venture out on your own. I learned this years ago and have remained at a healthy weight for some time now.

Good luck in your search..

poisongirl6485

Unless you plan on doing one of the 'diet programs' for life, then none of them will work. For me, tracking what I eat and working out is working so far.

That said, my dad has had great success with Fast-5. He's turned it into a lifestyle though, not just a diet. It wasn't for me, but he has lost over 50 pounds and is smaller than I've ever seen him.

http://www.fast-5.org/

sandradoll

Thanks everyone for all the great information! I really appreciate it. I finally lost some weight 4 more pounds but it took 3 weeks! I wish it took 3 weeks to just gain 2 pounds, right? Our bodies work in mysterious ways.

stormieweather

You may find that you'll drop a bunch for the next couple weeks, then go another three weeks with nothing. That's just how our bodies work. It's not a precise, 1 pound loss every Thursday at 7 pm :laugh: :flowerforyou:

dls06

The only diet that works for the long haul is learning to eat healthy foods in the right portions. Inform yourself with nutrition
information and get off processed foods. Eat food in the purest form possible. Shop 90% of your food from the outer isle's
of the store. Don't drink your calories. The best advise I have ever heard is, Its not a diet it is a lifestyle!

hamiltonba

Can you give an example of a typical "diet" day for you so that we can see what you are eating? Maybe your not eating the "right" foods to hold your apetite at bay. You should not be hungry if eating the correct foods.

dbhutton

You should try Eat Clean Diet. It's not really a diet, it's eating clean and healthy.

http://www.eatcleandiet.com/