A question to All who have lost weight

There are a lot of different schools of thought on this one. Some say that what they eat makes a huge difference, others say it doesn't matter. For me, personally, increasing my proteins and fats have helped because I feel more full and satisfied on the same number of calories, so it's easier to stick to my goal.

Perseverance, dedication, and commitment.

Eat only what you need, not what you want. Get some physical activity.
It brought me from 260 to 190

Now I'm here because I need to really track what I eat for me to loose those last 15 lbs.

I didn't follow any 'fad' diet. I ate all sorts of meals. Just don't lie to yourself about how much you are taking in.

White bread is digested quickly and causes a big insulin spike, which means you get hungry again sooner & can mean that fat gets stored more readily if you've had a big meal. White bread and even white rice are almost like eating sugar or candy- just refined carbs. It's better to eat whole grains, or whole grain bread if that's all you have- it keeps your blood sugar levels more steady, which means you feel fuller longer, don't have energy crashes, and it'll probably be easier to stick to your diet.

if white bread is all you have, you could still lose weight eating it- you just have to be very careful with portions, and you'll probably be hungrier so it might be harder to stick to your diet. If you have blood sugar problems though, white bread will always be a bad choice because you'll get a blood sugar spike and then a drop, which can be dangerous for hypoglycemics. Best to eat lots of vegetables, protein, and whole grains to control your hypoglycemia AND to lose weight.

As for the expense? I don't know what country you're in so maybe this doesn't apply, but brown rice and dried beans are very cheap in the U.S. So are cans of tuna fish and tofu, for protein. Buy whatever vegetables are on sale and form meals around that.
Best of luck to you!

If bread is important to you, ration it and buy wheat bread instead. It's slow digesting and keeps you fuller longer.

I've tried every low carb diet there is. Now I just count calories and do to the gym 4 days a week and I've lost 13 pounds (in 3 weeks). I think for many people the HFLC way of eating works, but so do diets like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig that don't restrict carbs so much. I'm going to continue eating what I want as long as there's no junk and I stay at 1200 calories/day. When I feel deprived eliminating most of a certain food group (or eliminating things I love), I end up binge-ing on anything and everything.

My problem is and has always been portion control. I can eat enough food for 3 people in one sitting without a second thought - and still not get full. I realize that rather than try and find a diet that allows certain unlimited foods (HFLC, raw vegan, cabbage soup, etc) to accommodate my portion issues, I have to train myself to eat a smaller amount. It's been over a week and I'm doing pretty well.

So eat what you like while keeping within a certain number of calories. Being frustrated about what foods are available to you will only hinder your progress. Get some activity in every day, too. Good luck!!

I haven't followed any fad diet, I have cut back on white rice, white bread and only have them rarely. I just found that they didn't keep me full for very long and weren't worth the amount of calories in them. I try to eat a few carbs and protein with every meal because I like a balanced diet but try to stick to low fat alternatives if I can. I have cereal every morning and go for high fiber wholegrain ones as they keep me full for ages. I eat loads of fruit and veg. I must be doing something right as I've lost 7 stone.
It's trial and error really, If I eat something and I'm hungry again an hour later, I'm not likely to bother eating it again and I find that to be the case with bread and rice but not potatoes. My mother is trying to lose weight and she's always eating white toast and complaining that she's starving. I'd rather have the equivalent calories in a bowl of shreddies or muesli and not be hungry for a few hours.

Hmmm I've been fine just making sure i eat under my calorie, carbs, fats goals and keeping my fibre, protein nice and high

I still eat carbs, and I'm doing fine. I don't go crazy or anything eating every carb, and I did switch to wheat bread, but I'm not giving anything up completely. I upped my proteins because I'm on a high protein diet due to health issues, but I have no reason to go completely low carb.

I go with the approach of "unless you have a medical condition that requires watching/eliminating certain nutrients, all food is good". Other than having high blood pressure, I don't have any medical issues so I eat what I want and try to keep my sodium below 2300mg a day. If I didn't have HBP, I wouldn't give a crap about sodium and keep on enjoying my foods.

What about lentils? They provide great protein and fiber, both of which will help keep you fuller longer. My mom used to make bread out of lentils..