What works for you?

Im trying to add some lean muscle so I take in about 250-500 calories over my MX. I try to keep a strict clean diet of high protien ( Turkey/fish/chicken) and good carbs (Brown rice, Red potatoes) only because I hate sweet potatoes. Also, I use avacado or nuts for my fats. On the weekends I pick a day to cheat. Meaning I spike up my carbs to double and dont measure my protien intake, I basically just enjoy myself but with good choices. Congrats on your 94lb loss

5:2 works for me, the idea, I just need to restrict for one day and tomorrow can eat more makes it easier.
I was thinking about this earlier today. I think all diets work cause you replace crap with healthier foods.

interested to see what others say

Eat all the foods.

Primarily paleo. With a tiny bit of organic/real food IIFYM indulgence.

Let me first get one thing straight...
I KNOW THIS IS A CALORIE COUNTING SITE AND I'VE BEE COUNTING FOR OVER 700 DAYS.

However, what's your plan?

Moderation within your caloric limit?
Anything as long as it's within your caloric limit?
No caloric limit, just _________?
Low carb?
Paleo?
Vegan?
Atkins?
LCHF?
Vegetarian?
Whole30?
5:2?
Intermittent fasting?
Cheat days?
IIFIYM?
What?
A combination of more than one one?

What has not worked for you and what's your go-to plan?

First and foremost---wow! That is awesome that you've been on here for over two years straight! Very impressive.

This is my 2nd time on MFP, but I have had the most success during this round. I had lost 18 pounds in 2013, then gave up on calorie counting and exercise and I re-gained it all back...and then an additional 7 pounds. After being completely disgusted with myself, being sick of feeling sick all the time and a weigh in for a "health screen" for work, I amped it up. I'm gonna break my answers up in different parts. I want to go into my background before answering...

a.) I started eating cleaner during May & June. I stopped having fast food for every freaking lunch. I slowly started cutting out soda, with a month's worth of migraines and feeling terrible from caffeine withdrawls. I made a new MFP profile and started tracking my foods again. It took me a month and a half before logging started to become second nature again. I lost 8 pounds just from eating better and cooking at home, packing lunches, etc.

b.) At the end of June, on my father's birthday, I started C25k and finished it in August. This was also my 2nd round of attempting C25k and running altogether, but I actually kept up with it! Now I am 5 weeks into C210k! I have lost 17 pounds from running and as you can see in my ticker currently, I am 25 pounds down Running works for me, and I am no athlete!

c.) Obviously, I have a calorie limit. Like everyone, I attempted to start at 1200 calories (which for me, felt impossible to manage). I bumped up to 1400 for a while and am now at 1600 daily with decent results!

d.) No crazy diets. I hate the word, diet. I adopted the viewpoint of using my weight loss journey as a "lifestyle change". It makes it not nearly as mentally daunting. I tried doing juicing a couple of times and it just wasn't for me. I absolutely love smoothies, tho. I have my go-to foods, and I tend to eat about the same most weeks. My body can not handle fast food anymore---I get so sick, bloated, heavy-feeling and nauseated. Plus, it really doesn't taste well anymore. Everything is saltier, sweeter. Some foods are more bland and just don't do it for me anymore!!!

My first goal is to hit 30 pounds lost, but my ultimate goal would be to hit closer to 40 pound loss. Then I will re-evaluate from there.

Congratulations on your 700 days.

I eat almost anything as long as it fits into my daily allotment. With 1200 calories to go thru in a day I am choosy on how I spend those calories.

Congrats on your time and effort!! I just recently started using mfp again and I know that for me I'm just trying to do the best that I can Sure some days I eat healthier than others but the majority of the days I've been back have been great

i cut out white bread and bread products ..bagels i was eating like grapes lol .. i cut out normal tea with milk..i stopped eating white potatoes completely and changed to sweet potato..
i found mfp and now count all my calories , and weigh all my foods once a month and guestimate it in-between .. found I've not been going over
sticking to my defecit given by mfp ..lost 10lbs but my ticker says 5 as i logged in wrong a while back.
Eating healthily,fresh foods,fresh veg,loads of chicken/turkey and discovered new proteins etc from avocado and the likes..
i'm now loving my diet and my food allowances.. i am sticking to it except on the odd night out when..well..you gotta have a night out on the beer every now n then.
Started jogging and walking more ..dumbell exercises and at least 30 squats a day now that i can do them properly..

Everything seems to be working for me so far

I weigh all my food. I am a vegetarian, but that is not for weight loss. I eat within my calorie limits. I don't worry too much about macros and things. If I want to eat more, I exercise more.

I'm doing the TDEE minus 25% with the IIFYM. I'm recently new to counting macros so I'm falling short most days.

Walking, low-carb, and I don't keep the things I love the most in the house, instead I buy small portions at a time.

For me it is anything within my calorie limit. However, this weekend I will be buying my own groceries. Then is will be whatever I can afford.

i count calories. and work on making my body fit with exersize.

outside of that... my motto is to keep it simple.

i have tried my whole life a variety of this program that plan limit this cut out that blah blah blah

the only thing that has ever worked is some from of calorie counting coupled with keeping it simple and having people to talk to about it.

this is by far my most successful venture, my last was 35 pounds lost on weight watchers... same concept but with less social assistance.

so my plan is.

count calories, have fitness friends, stay active, and think long term and not beat myself up over moments.

i eat what i want if it fits and i refuse to feel guilty only take action to solve issues as they come.

Anything as long as its within my caloric limit.

I fulfill my protein macro as best I can first (I've been slowly building up and make sure I have AT LEAST 100 per day, though the goal right now is around 150) and then I don't worry too much about anything else...so I can eat or drink what I like. Luckily, what I like tends to be mainly non-processed with the exception of breakfast cereals. I try to have some veg and fruit daily. But I don't hold back from having a few drinks or going out to eat once in a while. And I try to keep under my calorie limit. Right now, I'm trying to figure out my actual TDEE so I'm eating quite a lot more calories than normal. Once I have that established, I'll go for a 15% cut.

What has worked for me? Eating at a small deficit, weight lifting and being kind to myself. I decided that even though I only wanted to lose around 20-25 lbs, I would make it a two year journey so that I could do it slowly and make sure that I had a lot of muscle - this isn't just about losing weight for me as I was only a bit overweight to begin with. I want to be strong and fit when my 50th birthday comes round in about 4-1/2 years. I'm not doing this for a look or a party or anyone other than me.