The Woo That You Do (Or Did)

13

Replies

  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    I think I tried just about everything. In high school in the 70's, it was dexatrim diet pills. I probably weighed around 110 pounds, but I thought I was fat lol. In my twenties, (still pretty thin) I used these diet candies that were actually called AIDS. In my thirties and forties, when I was actually obese, I tried Fen Fen, Atkins, South Beach, and Weight Watchers. I bought some Ally, but I'm so glad I never got the nerve to actually use it. A friend told me about this site when I was 50 years old and 268 pounds. When I realized the simple truth of CICO, it was as if a bright light of truth came shining down on me lol. To be fair, I think WW, can be a good program, as it's just another way to count calories. I just didn't like figuring the points, and I am not a meeting person.
  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    I'm on Nutrisystem now and it's working but then, I like the food and the convenience (since I only cook for myself.)

    I used Nutrisystem religiously 3 years ago and lost 70 pounds in about 9 months. I loved it and did learn to eat correctly through their Flex Meals. I am currently trying to lose more weight and am again using NS. The frozen foods now are so great! Now that I also use MFP and count calories, I don't rely solely on NS and am quite successful.
  • Jams009
    Jams009 Posts: 345 Member
    I was such a bro in college; chicken and rice everyday, a bazillion eggs, protein shakes galore, all the supplements, eating 6 times a day, timing meals curls, curls and more curls, cardio; what's that?

    I mean it worked, but I'm way more efficient now... If only I could go back and take advantage of the high testosterone again with what I know now.
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
    mamadon wrote: »
    I think I tried just about everything. In high school in the 70's, it was dexatrim diet pills. I probably weighed around 110 pounds, but I thought I was fat lol. In my twenties, (still pretty thin) I used these diet candies that were actually called AIDS. In my thirties and forties, when I was actually obese, I tried Fen Fen, Atkins, South Beach, and Weight Watchers. I bought some Ally, but I'm so glad I never got the nerve to actually use it. A friend told me about this site when I was 50 years old and 268 pounds. When I realized the simple truth of CICO, it was as if a bright light of truth came shining down on me lol. To be fair, I think WW, can be a good program, as it's just another way to count calories. I just didn't like figuring the points, and I am not a meeting person.

    I remember my mom using those candies. I used to sneak them out of her purse.

    WW points is calorie counting shorthand if you wanna look at it that way, and when the changes in the new program were explained to me, not just told to me like "here's the rules now do it", everything makes sense.
  • RetroPolkaDot
    RetroPolkaDot Posts: 83 Member
    I tried South Beach. Did well for two weeks and then well a plate of pasta was there looking for innocent.
    I admit to starting one of those lemon juice "cleanses" but I gave that up by dinner time on day 1.
    I did take Alli and never had side effects. I did lose weight but I figured I could do it on my own without the pills.

    I currently belong to weight watchers. I don't consider it woo. I actually like the new points but more importantly I like the meeting I go to and the leader. I lucked into a good one. My health insurance pays for weight watchers for me under their preventable care coverage. I rarely go to the doctor so I might as well get something out of my health coverage.
  • wuwu90
    wuwu90 Posts: 275 Member
    When i first got serious about weight loss i weighed in at 76.5kg. I joined Jenny Craig and lost about 1 to 1.5kg a week for the month i was with them (total of 5kg in a month). I found them useful as i was a beginner in weight loss/dieting and they gave me much needed advice. After the month their promotional price was done which wasn't that cheap to begin with. So i stopped jenny craig and started Lite n Easy meals. I ordered lunch and dinners (just had regular oats for brekkie) from Lite n Easy for about 10 weeks and lost 6kg. I then began doing my own meal planning and managed to lose another couple of kilos but i kind of plateaued for 7 months, unable to hit my goal weight of 60kg. It wasnt till joining MFP just over a month ago that i managed to lose those difficult last few kilos by keeping my calorie counting diary
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    I hope a few beginners read this thread and learn from others' mistakes.
  • CrazyMermaid1
    CrazyMermaid1 Posts: 331 Member
    The worst was the lnasty tasting liquid fast diet in the mid 1970's. Nothing but nasty liquid protein 3 times a day. No chewing, no food at all. Lost 15 lb in 2 weeks. That plus more came roaring back immediately. Horrible
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited April 2016
    I was a little chubby in high school and would basically starve myself for days, eating either nothing or close to nothing. After some trial and error, I ended up getting it semi-right and was pretty lean by my early 20s. Stayed that way till I was in my 40s eating pretty much anything I wanted. Then I got divorced and starting drinking a lot of beer. A whole lot.

    Last year I tried to just cut back on the beer while I lost the weight but that wasn't happening. Had to quit the beer altogether, probably for the best. Now have lost 30 pounds in the last 3 months or so, obviously feel a lot better now, still miss my beer though!

  • Soopatt
    Soopatt Posts: 563 Member
    I tried a lot of milkshake diets and starvation plans of various kinds. I was an expert at the cabbage soup diet. I lost weight on all of them but felt terrible and did my health no favors.

    This past year on MFP is the most sensible and sustainable approach to weight loss I have ever followed. I have lost 14kgs with 4 more to go (I have been maintaining for 3 months - dealing with some its-ok-to-wan't-the-lower-weight issues).

    I stay away from fads and woo and eat chocolate when I want it and carbs when I want them.

    I used to be convinced that some food was "bad". That was a big mistake and led to obsessive eating on both sides of the scale. The best thing I ever figured out was that I am not the victim of bad evil food. Coming to terms with my own responsibility for my weight yo-yoing was a massive step as I could stop feeling sorry for myself and jealous of "naturally skinny people" (hint: they don't exist) and just get on with it.
  • xtina315
    xtina315 Posts: 218 Member
    I tried weightloss supplements first- no weight loss
    Then my doctor prescribed me adipex- was only eating 300 calories a day, and had the worst side effects heart palpitations, migraines, anxiety, and it stopped working after 1.5 months lost 40 ish lbs gained it all back plus more.
    Atkins- I did that for two weeks but was getting too shaky, and was so hungry that I couldn't function.
    21 day fix- workouts were fun, the measuring cups were nice but I was averaging too little calories a day.
    Now MFP, and am losing weight with this when I eat within my calories. I have fallen off the bandwagon so trying to get back on.
  • GYATagain
    GYATagain Posts: 141 Member
    edited April 2016
    What didn't I try? That would be a much shorter list. I tried, lost some weight, gained it back on Nutri-system, WW, Medi-fast, diet pills of all kinds (& that speed feeling sucked!) South Beach, Atkins, just plain not eating (diet pills) A. Wish I had all the $$$ I spent over the last 40 years B. messed myself up big time on stupid woo. January 2013 I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired all the time. Got on MFP - lost 70+ over 2013 and have maintained within a 10# range. Figured out over 2015 I NEED to keep counting, weighing, measuring, exercising or going to be right back up.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I did a highly restrictive diet. The only thing I ate was:
    Breakfast: black coffee
    Lunch: celery with 2 Tbl peanut butter, 2 oz cheese
    Dinner: a big bowl of oil popped popcorn with Parmesan sprinkled on it

    I lost lots of weight over the 4 weeks or so I did this, was hungry all the time, and put the weight back on a few months later, with extras.
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    Slim-Fast - Made my blood sugar spike and drop like crazy
    Low Carb - I lost a little weight, but it was not a lifestyle I could maintain so I gained it back
    South Beach - Couldn't make it past the first phase, just too restrictive
    Garcinia cambogia - Only thing I lost was my money
    Green Coffee - See above

    So far with MFP and exercise (walking and running), I have lost 28 pounds, more than I have ever lost on any other thing I have tried.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    Fortunately, none. Using MFP was my first time losing weight. I never had a weight problem until I graduated college at age 30 and took a desk job. I put on about 40 Lbs over about eight years. I knew it was just math and there were no magic bullets.
  • WJS_jeepster
    WJS_jeepster Posts: 224 Member
    My roommate did the "Chips Ahoy diet". She made it up herself (obviously). She was trying to lose weight for her wedding, so for 1 whole month she ONLY ate Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies. Her rule was that she could eat as many as she wanted, but nothing else. I think she lost 15-20 pounds in that month. Finally she cracked and ate something else when her boyfriend visited from out of town. That was the end of the Chips Ahoy diet. She still talks about how great it was, but I notice she's never tried it again. PS - she was heavier than ever at her wedding (but still beautiful).
  • RespectTheKitty
    RespectTheKitty Posts: 1,667 Member
    My roommate did the "Chips Ahoy diet". She made it up herself (obviously). She was trying to lose weight for her wedding, so for 1 whole month she ONLY ate Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies. Her rule was that she could eat as many as she wanted, but nothing else. I think she lost 15-20 pounds in that month. Finally she cracked and ate something else when her boyfriend visited from out of town. That was the end of the Chips Ahoy diet. She still talks about how great it was, but I notice she's never tried it again. PS - she was heavier than ever at her wedding (but still beautiful).

    Oh, I almost forgot, I did something similar to this. I called it my Chocolate Diet. I would eat nothing but chocolate Slim-Fast shakes and bars. I did this for almost a month, I think, and lost a bit of weight, but of course it came back on after I came to my senses.
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
    I tried -
    *starving myself
    *the 3 day diet, which only made me feel starved to death and on day 4 I regained what I had lost when I ate my normal meals. :'(
    *Atkins, but I didn't last long because it didn't make sense to me. Of course, I was thinking "diet" and it says bacon is ok, when in my head "diet" usually meant salads, fruits, and veggies! Oh and then I realized it was low carb... yeah, I need my carbs. :confused:
    *7 day Cabbage Soup Diet!! Oh man was this my go-to diet even though I hated it with a passion!! Now just thinking about the smell of it makes me want to gag. To make matters worse, when my brother would realize I was doing that diet, the next few days he'd get McD's, bring it home, and literally grab some fries from the bag in front of my face and loudly go "nomnomnom" while enjoying them. Yeah... guess where I'd go on day 8?! :s

    All these diets ever did was make me gain more pounds in the end. They always say, "Lose X lbs. in X days!!", which is what always catches your attention. Sometimes it works (but only for the moment). When you go back to eating normally, you gain the weight back and then some. Realizing here on MFP that all you need is CICO to lose weight, I'm glad I don't have to ever "diet" to lose the weight!! :blush:
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    Before joining MFP I was on a different calorie counting website that I think was a little pro ana. Everyone ate 1200 calories or less and talked about starvation mode ALL THE TIME. The woo was strong there.