The dumbest diet you ever tried?

dramaqueen45

I was always dieting in high school and I have NO idea why - I was 117 and the same height I am now (5'4"). Anyway, more than once I did this weird 3 day diet in high school- it had strange things like prune juice and beets and stuff teenagers do not usually eat or drink. I never made it through and always went off by the middle of the second day.

Other dumb ones- cabbage soup diet (took a lot of work to make, took up all my freezer space and wasn't very good), Special K diet of eating the cereal for breakfast and lunch and then dinner, diet pills on and off when I was in high school, grapefruit diet, and I did order some type of expensive pills once that were supposed to curb my appetite but did nothing.

The Eating for Life diet wasn't too bad - you eat a palm size of protein and a fist size of carbs six times per day - you can add veggies as you like. Then one day per week you can just eat whatever you want. I did lose weight on this diet but it didn't fit into my schedule well because you have to eat so often and my work day is too busy to stop and eat sometimes.

CupcakeCrusoe

I'll admit that at the middle of last year, after I'd been on Paleo and lost weight, rediscovered cake and gained weight, I went on one of those meal-replacement shakes things. Lean20, and the Special K shakes. It worked, while I did it, but I was miserable and my wallet was crying. And when I went back to normal eating (read: not all junk), I still regained some of it.

ta12pn

No doubt it was the "Moon diet" which means that you eat nothing but liquids whenever the moon changes phases lol lame

TheRealKit

Pineapple diet lol 13 yrs ago

WORST part of it was one of the Doctors I worked with recommended it after I had my son.
Fresh pineapple at every meal. Cottage cheese and pineapple breakfast and lunch. The diet print out was crazy sounding, but I did it. I lost weight, but honestly think it was lost because I ran and biked daily.

kaleforlife

1.The Physician's Weight Loss diet.
2. Weight Watchers(points system) when they become overly obsessed with fat free and diet food.
2. Engine 2 Diet (not practical or realistic) I will never give up yogurt!


The Physicians Weight Loss Diet in the late 1980's, it was a combination of the HCG and Atkin's diet. Extremely low carb and low caloric in the begining- 500 calories the first week then building up to 900 calories a day over the next several months. I went for weekly B12 shots and ketosis checks. I ate nothing but raw salad and lots of chicken, lean beef and fish. Fruit was forbidden except for a half a granny smith apple when I finally 900cal/day portion of the diet. The plan required you buy their tasteless shakes, lemonade and special salad dressings. Never again will I buy prepackaged diet meals.
Background:
Back in the 80's in high school I was obese, not very common back then. My mom wanted me on this diet more than myself even though I was not happy with my weight. I always was the "fat one" in the family. I had tried weight watchers(pre- points system) prior to it but was unsuccessful. PWL diet initially worked but with time my body was craving carbs, no wait my body NEEDED carbs. I received shameful lectures about not being in ketosis when I fell off the wagon. I had started on this diet around Christmas of my senior year and it lasted until spring around graduation prior to college, losing 30 pounds. I remember in college gaining at least 10-15 pounds my first year. It was carb heaven! Then my saving grace came- I transfered to a university that required me to walk because it was so spread out, started to eat healthy again. I was doing well for awhile with some ups and downs but nothing signficant until my mother passed away with pancreatic cancer . I had just reached my fabulous 40's, becoming an emotional eater (2nd worst diet). I am still trying to lose and have not given up hope. I joined Weight Watchers again, the monthly meetings are fine for group support but use their "points plus" loosely, verrrry loosely if at all. My biggest game changer in this weight loss/lifestyle change is exercise. My Fitness Pal helps me keep my calories and physical activity in check.

Francl27

I decided to stop eating meat when I was 17, I hated my mom's cooking and the only meats I liked were fatty sausages. I managed to lose 20 pounds doing that, but I ended up gaining it back within 3 years, so I gave up on that (looking back, I had no idea what I was doing and I doubt my diet was very balanced).

Then a diet prescribed by my dietitian when I was 20... Only eat 20% fat fromage frais and veggies for 2 weeks, but as much as you want, then you add something else every other week (like a serving of meat at lunch) until you end up eating a 'normal' diet. Plus I had injections and was supposed to drink some herbal remedy that just made me puke.

I lost 25 pounds in 2 months or something (not gonna lie though, I was cheating and eating 'diet' biscuits too). Then real life happened and I couldn't follow such a restrictive diet anymore (although to be fair I was only 2 months in and the plan wasn't finished), and I gained it all back plus some in less than 5 months... it didn't teach me anything (but again, I had no choice but to eat out every day for lunch and all the delicious French food got the best of me).

After that my doctor told me to stop eating refined sugar and 'white foods' and I said no way and just didn't do a thing about it until 2 years ago.

CJsf1t

GM diet. Twice . Although the second time I barely lasted 3 days. It was the craziest diet I did. I was in high school then. Most recently I tried special k. Only thing I lost was money. I also made my own no added sugar/ sweets diet. I started cheating so much it stopped making any sense.

sydneydeb

Thanks so much for the laughs guys, I've been sitting in the office chuckling away to myself (thankfully no one else is here) and agreeing with all of you. I loved Weight Watchers, I lost over 18 kg on it but I can't afford it right now, at least MFP is free.

I tried some revolting soup diet that is only supposed to be used for very obese people who are going in for surgery so they can shed the weight fast, it was just gross and the ummm...toiletry habit side effects were the worst

Just reading Atkins was enough to know it would not work for me, far too restrictive. I've tried shakes and while they worked short term, I like my food too much to be happy with a shake long term.

katiequeen33

My Dumbest diet would have to be the watermelon diet, I strictly ate watermelon for seven days, I lost 6 pounds but gained It all back once the 7th day was over.

sydneydeb

katiequeen33 wrote: »

My Dumbest diet would have to be the watermelon diet, I strictly ate watermelon for seven days, I lost 6 pounds but gained It all back once the 7th day was over.

I love watermelon but I could not eat it for 6 days

Bekk927

Last year I substituted 90% of my meals with lettuce and soy sauce 'salads'... I lost about 30 kg but also about half my hair and was really depressed/ low on energy.. I dont know why I couldn't see how silly it was back then lol. It makes sticking to my diet now seem like a breeze though!

prosedraws

Not eating or staying under 250 calories per day... it worked, but at a really dangerous cost and has ruined my relationship with food

LilyOfTheValley008

I wasn't overweight when I was in high school so I've never been on any specific "fad" diet (good thing too because I was naive as hell)
I do remember when me and my friends bought those Garcinia Cambogia pills though thinking they would magically drop a few kilos of us without any diet/exercise change, smh

NotGnarly

Mine was the all fruit diet. I probably lasted about a day or two.

StrawberryLattes

M______ wrote: »

Probably the chocolate and takeaway diet I spent 10 years working hard on

But where is the lie?!? XD

LAWoman72

I've seen a few people mention the cabbage soup diet. That was by far my dumbest diet, I'd say. And my smelliest.

refuseresist

I find it amusing how people say they lost weight on a vegetarian diet. I have been vegetarian for 20 years and slowly gained weight. It's nothing to do with not having meat, I assume the meat they were previously eating was not replaced with anything therefore resulting in a drastic lowering of calorie consumption.

cmazurek85

The almased diet -- you drink 3 almased shakes for 7 days and then you drink 2 a day and have a "sensible meal" for dinner. The maintenance diet consists of drinking one smoothie in the morning and eating 2 meals. I didn’t do the diet for more than one day because I tried one of the shakes and thought I was going to throw up.

I read about the Body Reset Diet, as a friend did it recently. you drink smoothies for 3 meals and have 2 snacks. it was basically 1200-1400 cal/day. She gained all the weight back she lost in a VERY short period of time because she didn’t eat the proper amount of calories she was supposed to eat after finishing the diet. Needless to say I will NOT try that!

Pickles175

A friend tried this diet, no idea if it has a name: 3 days of nothing but rice, 3 days of nothing but chicken breast and 3 days of nothing but apples. You could drink water or black tea/coffee only.

On one of the apple days she had 14 apples! Think that would wreak major havoc with my stomach. She lost 9lbs during that time and was thrilled.

willrun4bagels

I took Alli years ago

LokomotivMordor

Full Irish breakfast every morning and about 12 pints a day for 2 weeks = 4kg gain

Owlie45

Atkins was the only other one I tried. Didn't work for me. But worked great for my dad. He lost 60 lbs on it.

KylaDenay

Some cave man diet I found online. You ate fruit, nuts and drank water all day. Then for dinner you could have whatever you want.

Then I tried the fat flush. I actually felt great on that health wise, but after a week I went in on a cheesesteak.

Everything I have tried in the past has caused me to have cravings and binge.

itsHealthy

General Motors diet...7 days- first day fruits, second day veggies, etc...looked great at the end of the week and put it all back on the following week!

caracourtney83

Medifast Diet. I know it works for some but it gave me horrible gastric problems, which resulted in needing my gall bladder removed. The food, save for a few items, tasted horrible. I did lose 80+ pounds on it but quit before I could do the "maintenance phase" and never learned how to properly eat. I started carb binging because that's all my body craved. So that + my slower metabolism I gained everything back and then some. Thanks to MFP I'm now doing it the slow and steady way. Calories in/calories out.

lorib642

caracourtney83 wrote: »

Medifast Diet. I know it works for some but it gave me horrible gastric problems, which resulted in needing my gall bladder removed. The food, save for a few items, tasted horrible. I did lose 80+ pounds on it but quit before I could do the "maintenance phase" and never learned how to properly eat. I started carb binging because that's all my body craved. So that + my slower metabolism I gained everything back and then some. Thanks to MFP I'm now doing it the slow and steady way. Calories in/calories out.

You think the gall badder problems were directly related to the diet? I believe that. It is scary.

LAWoman72

refuseresist wrote: »

I find it amusing how people say they lost weight on a vegetarian diet. I have been vegetarian for 20 years and slowly gained weight. It's nothing to do with not having meat, I assume the meat they were previously eating was not replaced with anything therefore resulting in a drastic lowering of calorie consumption.

My sister actually got to the heaviest she had ever been in her life as a vegetarian. The thing is that she was able, as a vegetarian, to eat lots of pasta, lots of more calorie-dense and highly carb-y vegetables such as corn and potatoes and so on. She was NOT subsisting on junk food, BTW. She carefully planned every single meal (was and is an excellent cook), got plenty of the vegetable rainbow in there, combined her proteins and so on.

But when people think "vegetarian" (well...when people who aren't vegetarian think that), they often envision a person sitting down to a big breakfast plate of oranges and celery stalks. Just ain't so. You can eat lots of pasta. You can eat lots of rice. You can eat lots of potatoes. Even balancing to make sure you're getting in your macros and micros, you can sure as heck eat your way to overweight even if you eat no animal products of any kind (even my niece, a vegan, has to fight the battle of the bulge).

Elsie_Brownraisin

refuseresist wrote: »

I find it amusing how people say they lost weight on a vegetarian diet. I have been vegetarian for 20 years and slowly gained weight. It's nothing to do with not having meat, I assume the meat they were previously eating was not replaced with anything therefore resulting in a drastic lowering of calorie consumption.

Yeah - similar here. I'm not a vegetarian, but don't eat much meat and I ate vitrually none when I was at uni. I'd get naan breads wrapped around chips, salad and onion bhajees on the way home from the pub several times a week.. No meat, but I still got a fat *kitten*. And there's the faithful pint of wine. No animals were harmed in this destruction of my liver.

YalithKBK

tsikkz wrote: »

kaseyr1505 wrote: »

I did this really stupid Cheerios diet. I had Cheerios for breakfast and lunch (dry cereal, no milk), then ate a small dinner. I lasted about a week, then went to McDonald's.

I might actually be okay with this one. I *kitten* love cheerios

I was thinking the same thing! I would LOVE to eat Cheerios twice a day!

jnv7594

When I was in high school my friend and I decided it would be good to start an all cereal diet, lol. We would eat nothing but cereal...and I am talking cereals like Lucky Charms. In hindsight, I realize this was a bad idea for several reasons, lol.