Tell me it's possible without any special diet? :(

darrensurrey

I'm on the Eat **** And Die-t.

So yes, it's possible without any special diet.

Ok, I don't eat particularly poorly (chicken salad for lunch today) but I eat what I fancy, generally.

What I am toying with is the outcome of eating any old ****e I fancy and doing a 16 hour fast on Monday mornings to counteract any interesting food I've eaten with the family over the weekend.

capriciousmoon

Just make sure you keep an accurate food diary and you should be able to eat however you want. It's just a good idea if most of what you eat is healthy.

I lost 100 lbs with just a food diary and walking once or twice a day. The only foods I cut out were things that didn't work for me personally, like pasta, to me it's not filling at all and will cause me to overeat.

Giraffe33991

That's how I did it. Cut out the junk, counted calories and exercised my *kitten* off!!

Don't jump on the bandwagon of the latest quick weight loss gimmick. If you want to keep it off for good, you need to retrain yourself how and when to eat.

jwalworth

There is only one program that works -- ELEM (Eat Less, Exercise More). Any "diet" that claims to delivery superior / faster results is no different than the Nigerian prince asking you to send your bank info because he needs to deposit money in the US. You don't believe that because its too good to be true -- same for any "diet" program.

Now don't get me wrong there are a lot of good reasons (religious / moral / health reasons) to significantly alter the nature of your food consumption -- i.e. if your are diagnosed with diabetes you better change and/or eliminate certain parts of your diet -- but short of that there is no reason to cut anything completely from your diet -- just eat less.

Proof in point. I have not eliminated anything from my diet. I eat less, exercise 5-6 times a week and have lost just shy of 50 pounds in just over two months. And I eat dark chocolate almost every night and half a homemade pizza almost every Friday.

Weight loss is simply -- its not easy and anyone who confuses the two and or tries to tell you differently is trying to sell something or lying or most likely both.

pixtotts

iv only lost 10lbs so far this time, and thats just getting rid of the rubbish noone should eat anyway... crisps, fizzy drinks, sweets
and the sugar is mostly for teeth not weight loss...

i dropped 2 dress sizes when i went to uni just by eating healthy, its not about some weird and wonderful diet its about being sensible ....
x

Exill

Actually, you're much more likely to keep the weight off if you don't follow a fad diet. You need to change your lifestyle and continue it for the rest of your life or else you'll fall back into your old ways. But you shouldn't deprive yourself of foods you love, just eat less of them. I eat chocolate every day, but instead of a whole 100g bar I only have a few pieces. It takes awhile to get used to the changes and getting over the cravings, but the longer you go the easier and easier it becomes. It can take many months or years, but it's worth it. Take it slow and don't expect huge changes. The slower you lose the weight the better chance you have of it staying off.

I lost my weight by counting my calories and not overeating. I did very little exercise. I don't like "working out" and get my exercise primarily from walking 15-30 minutes a day. If you're cutting back on your food intake, then you're going to lose weight. There's no mystery to weight loss, but exercise allows you to eat more, ups your metabolism, and helps you feel better mentally, especially if you're getting outside.

chocl8girl

"diet" is a 4-letter word. That includes the word die. Don't do it! Seriously. Education is what is needed. Learn what portion sizes actually are. Learn how many calories things have in them. Learn whet your triggers are. Learn how to manage them. Learn how to eat better (as in, less processed, greasy, or otherwise non-nutritive foods), and eat less, and move more. That's it.

You CAN do this! It's a mind-set, a re-training of your thoughts, a de-coupling of what you've been told you need to eat by the media or people around you, and what you actually need to eat. Good luck!!!

Linbo93

Go to iTunes and listen to a few episodes of the podcast Fat2Fit radio. These guys revolutionized how I view diet/excercise and they are the reason my ticker says "53 pounds lost."

I cannot even imagine I would ever stop doing what I'm doing to live my healthy lifestyle, and I have them to thank.

Check. Them. Out!!!

(and, good luck!)

artslady96

Yes, it is completely possible to loose weight without a "special" fad diet. All it takes is commitment to eating within designated calorie limits, making the healthiest choices possible given one's finances and lifestyle, exercising regularly, and patience. It won't come off overnight, but it didn't all appear overnight either. I've dropped 61lbs this way.

hobbitgrrl

Please tell me there are people out there who have lost their weigh by just watching their foods, eating a little less, and exercising??! *sigh*

This is exactly what I've been doing. Fad diets don't work for me in the long run - I've tried many, without success. I had to find what worked for me, and MFP has been instrumental in my journey. I eat whatever I want, within reason, and I move more (thank you FitBit!). Portion control has been crucial for me, along with daily food logging and no cheat days/meals. It's working for me so far, and I can't see why it won't continue to work for the rest of my life.

Best of luck on your journey! :flowerforyou:

lexusgirl1

I lost 25 pounds watching my calories and fats and exercising. I make healthy choices and eat throughout the day.

HerPanda

I eat whatever I want when I burn enough calories. I eat pizza, candy, burger, and drink beer. I've also been getting fuller quicker because of the limit of 1200 a day. I use to get headaches because of the lower calorie intake, but it wasn't hard and the headaches eventually went away. I eat healthy stuff too.

sullivann

Zomg, thanks for all the positive energy! It's so comforting to hear that others have succeeded just being themselves. :flowerforyou:

ritoosh

ive tried something very similar to the atkins diet, and i find it better to just eat what i want how i want at a lower rate, and i felt better i can actually tell i get fuller now, as with the diet i was doing, it left me hungry too much cause it made me go bathroom too much. so i say just do what works for you.

jeremybrooks

You're at the right place. We're all losing with MFP and there are no tricks, gimmicks or pills! The natural and safe way to lose weight and be healthier.

aliwitt82

I have lost 51 pounds without a special diet. I just count calories and watch how much I eat! I have actually noticed I can't eat as much as I used to! So yes it can be done. It really is all about moderation and will power!

Chrisremi12

Im not on a special diet . I just stay at my calorie goal and exercising . Sometimes i go out of my calorie intake but just dont make it a habit . Stay active and eat healthy

vytamindi

I'm eating a ketogenic diet and have been since May. It's helped me stay full and has given me more energy than just calorie counting. I feel like it's the right way to fuel my body since I've rarely been sick and I feel great (something that's ultra exciting to me since I have thyroid issues and am prone to feeling sluggish). I tried just calorie counting, but it allowed myself too much room for bad choices. I had to completely wean myself off sugars and starches, and now it's easy mode! Now when I try those tempting foods, they taste not as good as I remember them. Plus, I've learned many new ways to prepare veggies and am incorporating them into my daily repertoire of food.

If I go over 20 carbs, I don't mind too much. If I go over calories by a little, I don't mind too much. I know now that it's the overall trend that matters, not how well you didn't do on one day.

Also, Type II Diabetes is a family issue that I would like to avoid, so stabilizing my blood sugar levels through diet to prevent that is another bonus

In the end, it's all about making choices about your diet that you can sustain over a long time and an overall feeling of health. Best of luck to you!

Amy911Gray

It's possible! Trust me it's possible to get this done without spending more for the foods you eat and how you move your body. It's all you! And it is the most rewarding thing you can do for yourself, your family and your friends!

I totally love the new me!!!

bchthrpy

I have lost a total of 22 since using MFP but overall weight loss is 37 lbs. I am not using any special diet, just eating 1200 calories a day and working out 4 days a week. I have not deprived myself of anything, just watching my portions.

LoraF83

44lbs down simply by eating less and moving more. Try to give your body nutritious foods as much as possible, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying your old favorites too. All you need is a calorie deficit and time.

emyishardcore

You don't need a diet, just a healthy lifestyle with portion control and regular exercise!

I agree!

dharmony1

It's definitely possible. I've been logging my calories and exercise on MFP for a month now. I have managed to stay under my calories both in terms of food consumed and net calories (after exercise). I set an initial 50 pound weight loss goal and have now met half of the goal. I've been so successful and feel so much better that I am actually going to increase my goal by another 20 pounds. I know now it can be done.

The good thing about losing weight this way, as opposed to special diets, is that when you stop a special diet you are bound to return to where you were previously. With calorie counting and exercise you eat what you want (within reason) but much smaller portions. As someone already noted, you begin to feel full sooner and not want to eat as much as you previously did. Last night I ate a piece of baked swordfish (a little over 200 grams) and some steamed veggies with olive oil. I felt uncomfortable when I was done and realized I would have been better off with half the amount of fish. By the way - no bread, no tartar sauce.

I have given up bread and pasta. The bread I really do not miss. However, I rediscovered spaghetti squash as a great pasta replacement. When I achieve my target, I will reintroduce these items to my diet but in controlled quantities. No more subs for lunch. Also, because my doctor told me my cholesterol was in the so-so zone, I eat mostly fish, chicken, turkey and occasionally pork. I have pretty well eliminated beef and lamb for cholesterol reasons.

I have two useful tools that I use frequently: an inexpensive kitchen scale (Walmart, $17) and the USDA Nutrition Database to find calories for foods when the MFP directory does not have what I am looking for. I have added a few items to the MFP list from this database.

You can do it with "won't power" and determination. Stick with it and come back here when you feel you need a boost!!

ruststar

I haven't cut anything - my focus is to add in more fruits and vegetables rather than eliminate other things. For example, tonight I'm having a ribeye steak for dinner and I'm choosing to pair it with a salad and sauteed mushrooms. I could have gone with potatoes, sour cream, butter, and all that, but by adding in the vegetables first, I know I won't have room fro all that. Plus, I get ribeye!

Oh - and ice cream. Dryers slow-churned is a godsend. I've found no other dessert option that satisfies as well for just 100 calories.

MissAnjy

I don't use diets, infact, I don't even count calories (found it caused me to be too obsessive)
I eat in moderation, I eat healthier options, I drink water and I exercise 6 days a week (all at home, no gym, no trainer)
I've lost 8lbs so far this month....and I don't have much to lose.

Do not do a "diet".

BSchoberg

Probably repeating here --- those "special" diets are recipies for failure! They are difficult to maintain an even when you drop weight, as soon as you start eating regularly again (just normal, healthy food), you blow right back up.

Eat a little less, make a better choice when you can, move your body a lot more - that will get you there.

Motleybird

Once you start logging your food, and seeing how the numbers add up, you may decide to make a few changes yourself. For example, Campbells soup looks pretty good on the calorie side, but it is completely evil when it comes to sodium. Now I try to avoid the stuff unless the rest of my kitchen is bare and I'm starving. You'll probably start to have your own version of "eat this, not that" as you go along, but it's not a fad thing. It's something you decide as you go along, after you play around with what works for you.

I think you're probably more likely to stick to small changes than if you tried rearranging everything at once. If you don't feel deprived, then it doesn't take as much will power to keep you going.

BrienJD

I've lost 55 pounds so far just watching what I eat (portion size, cals etc) I exercise to eat more of what I like. I have cut down voluntarily on some things but I haven't really changed my diet all that much. I still have steak, hamburgers, pizza, sweets etc etc.

It can be done without these "diets" Besides, you can't stay on these things for life. They'll probably work in the short run, but not long term.

carolannrichard

Yes you can. I seriously started my journey a little over 2 weeks ago, when I found this website. I was trying on my own with no success. Since using the food track, I finally see the scale moving in the other direction. With mfp friends to encourage me I know we can do this, and you can too. If you need a friend, feel free to send me a request, we will help each other!!! :happy:

Healthy_4_Life2

It is possible!!! Am not doing any special diet, Just eating healthy and tasty foods in moderation and working out 4 to 5 times weekly. You can do it. Stay focus and determined. Good luck.:flowerforyou: