Diet Tips that Never Worked For Me

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cjsacto
cjsacto Posts: 1,421 Member
in Food and Nutrition
For most of us here, this isn't our first ride on the merry-go-round of trying to lose weight and/or get fit. I wouldn't say anyone logged into MyFitnessPal and said, "Oh! You mean you eat less and exercise?? Wow, never heard that before."

I've been overweight most of my life and there are some diet tips I have been told over and over that I have tried and just didn't fit for me. Among them are:

"Just leave a bite on your plate at every meal."
This makes me unhappy. I do try to leave the last few bites if I'm truly full, but to deliberately waste that last bite... no.

"Close the kitchen after 6:00 pm (or 8:00 or other set time)."
Also makes me unhappy. I am far more likely to have cravings, eat more than I should, and feel bad about what I eat if I try to impose this on myself. Now I have a meal in my diary called "late snack" and I enjoy it very much and keep in my calorie goal.

"It's best to exercise in the morning."
I think that's been debunked and most people advise to exercise whenever you can, but I used to hear it a lot. I forced myself to get up early to exercise for weeks at a time throughout my life but I could never sustain it because waking up early makes me VERY unhappy.

"Reward yourself with your favorite food if you do well for several weeks/meet a goal, etc."
I still eat all my favorite foods that aren't terrible, so I don't feel deprived or focus on FOOD as a reward. Some stuff I've just had to cut out. If I were to reward myself for losing a pound with a trip to Taco Bell or a sugary cake I would backslide so hard I'd have whiplash.

"Only eat when you're hungry."
This one sounds very logical, but if I wait until I'm very hungry I don't make great choices. Besides, my hunger signals are pretty messed up. I've been watching the calorie count and eating small meals throughout the day to meet my goal; sometimes that means eating when I'm not hungry or before I really feel hungry. It seems to be working.

Anyone else have tips and advice that just didn't work for you?
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Replies

  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
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    The biggest "tip" that NEVER worked for me EVER was to starve myself. EAT MORE TO WEIGH LESS.
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
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    Waking up in the middle of the night for a protein shake for fear that my workout gains would somehow disappear
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
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    Cheat meals stop you from craving .. doesn't work for me.
  • cm1458
    cm1458 Posts: 742 Member
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    Cheat meals stop you from craving .. doesn't work for me.

    Same here. unless I eat a crazy amount of food and make myself sick... I only want more later! stinks!!!
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
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    Sounds right, I thought it was me this whole time...lol
  • dxwatson2
    dxwatson2 Posts: 69 Member
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    "Eat more to weigh less" has never worked for me. Not once.
  • isitsororo
    isitsororo Posts: 116
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    -eat a big breakfast (great, so I can go from eating a small breakfast and a gigantic dinner to eating a gigantic breakfast and a gigantic dinner! Really helpful tip!)
    -don't ever eat ______ (then I'll just want to eat it more)
    -leave food on your plate even if you don't feel full (once food is on my plate and doesn't taste gross, I'm probably going to eat it. The main battle has already been fought if the food is on my plate)
    -eat according to your hunger/eat whenever you want to (haha, nope. I have the appetite of a horse. If I ate whenever I was hungry I'd a) be eating constantly and b) be balloon-esque)
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Drink more water, it will make you feel full! Or, if you think you're hungry, drink water first because there's a good chance you're actually just thirsty!

    Nope... I can totally tell the difference between hunger and thirst. And, my stomach will continue to growl, even full of water.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    You have do everything at once in order to be successful.

    Nope, this time I'm taking the changes slowly and it's working.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    eat breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper, so stupid.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    eat breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper, so stupid.

    I also agree with how ridiculous that statement is. Forcing myself to eat that way just made me miserable - and it didn't take the weight off any easier, either.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    The last time I was an active member (recently re-joined), eating back exercise calories seemed pretty counter productive. I lost weight on my own at about 1500 calories per day, then I started here, ate back my exercise calories (and not even all of them) and gained 3 pounds.
  • lookpretty
    lookpretty Posts: 276 Member
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    to work out hungry, i cant do jack squat when im hungry
  • tbellamy1
    tbellamy1 Posts: 353
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    Eat less and burn more!!! FAIL!!! I gained weight, and loss my hair. Now I Eat More To Weigh Less and guess what I DO WEIGH LESS!!!! :tongue:
  • AtlantaWriter
    AtlantaWriter Posts: 91 Member
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    Good one! I used to hear this one at Weight Watchers all the time! Now, when I hear that, I want to scream. It is so NOT TRUE!
  • BlackTimber
    BlackTimber Posts: 230 Member
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    Eat less and burn more!!! FAIL!!! I gained weight, and loss my hair. Now I Eat More To Weigh Less and guess what I DO WEIGH LESS!!!! :tongue:

    You are eating under your TDEE. Doesn't that mean that you are actually eating LESS to weigh less? Didn't you gain the weight in the first place because you actually ate MORE? I don't get it.
  • cjsacto
    cjsacto Posts: 1,421 Member
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    "Just make small lifestyle changes, you'll be surprised how easily you lose weight."

    For years I have cut out soda, taken the stairs, not had mayo, parked at the far end of the parking lot, ordered dressing on the side, packed half my entree to go, eaten fruit and veggies, haven't had much alcohol... and I'm still fat. I mean, maybe it helped me not to gain much more, but weight didn't magically fall off. (I'm not suggesting I didn't overeat at all.)
  • Keto_T
    Keto_T Posts: 673 Member
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    "Eat whatever you want in moderation and JUST use willpower" never worked for me. If I was able to practice moderation and willpower on my own I wouldnt be here in the first place.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    "Eat whatever you want in moderation and JUST use willpower" never worked for me. If I was able to practice moderation and willpower on my own I wouldnt be here in the first place.

    Isn't that the truth!?
  • preslyann50
    preslyann50 Posts: 114 Member
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    Drink more water, it will make you feel full! Or, if you think you're hungry, drink water first because there's a good chance you're actually just thirsty!

    Nope... I can totally tell the difference between hunger and thirst. And, my stomach will continue to growl, even full of water.

    ME TOO! It frustrates me when someone says that. I know when I'm hungry and when I'm thirsty. Plus if you drink all that water and then eat because you are hungry it slows down the break down of the food. NO GRACIAS!

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