Which Diet: Primal / South Beach / Whole 30
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tmoneyag99
Posts: 480 Member
Hello all,
I am a very rules oriented person. So following a healthy diet with "rules" has always worked for me before. I got pregnant 3 years ago (now have a 2 year old) and my life literally depends on me getting my weight back under control. (I had a TIA/Mini-stroke this past weekend).
I have done Primal and South Beach in the past. They worked very well for me. A friend of mine recently told me about the Whole 30. My goal here is to lose weight and get my cholesterol way down.
Which of these diets do you you think will help me achieve my goal the best.
Please don't say "Oh just count calories and eat healthy" I have tried that method in the past and it just does not work for my personality for a variety of reasons one of which it's too vague. I have a much easier time saying know and sticking to it when I have rules. But the other method gives me far too much flexibility to the point that I usually end up seriously exceeding my calories on a weekly if not daily basis.
I am a very rules oriented person. So following a healthy diet with "rules" has always worked for me before. I got pregnant 3 years ago (now have a 2 year old) and my life literally depends on me getting my weight back under control. (I had a TIA/Mini-stroke this past weekend).
I have done Primal and South Beach in the past. They worked very well for me. A friend of mine recently told me about the Whole 30. My goal here is to lose weight and get my cholesterol way down.
Which of these diets do you you think will help me achieve my goal the best.
Please don't say "Oh just count calories and eat healthy" I have tried that method in the past and it just does not work for my personality for a variety of reasons one of which it's too vague. I have a much easier time saying know and sticking to it when I have rules. But the other method gives me far too much flexibility to the point that I usually end up seriously exceeding my calories on a weekly if not daily basis.
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Replies
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Whatever you decide, it is all about the calorie deficit. Nothing else. If you like rules, try the whole 30 diet.4
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Want to stick to eating right? I opened my diary.
The feeling that people could possibly look has been the best thing for me.
I stopped at 6 chocolate covered cherries !!!5 -
I can relate to your need for a strict "system", whether or not that's a bias I'm not sure. I personally battle a serious food addiction so whenever I just count calories and any food is allowed I fall off fast. In my experience the most difficult thing with the more strict guidelines like the ones you suggested are the social situations. You have to believe this is what you want and what you'll succeed with, after you believe and you set the plan in motion, you'll succeed. Go strict and keep us updated.1
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The right diet is the one you can sustain long term. Whatever diet you choose you will only lose weight if you have a calorie deficit.
I guess you know if Primal or South Beach were something you can stick to or not since you've tried those.
I thought Whole 30 was just a month not a long term eating plan. What would you do at the end of the month?0 -
JanetYellen wrote: »Want to stick to eating right? I opened my diary.
The feeling that people could possibly look has been the best thing for me.
I stopped at 6 chocolate covered cherries !!!
Lol Having my diary public definitely helps a little to keep me in line!
OP choose the diet that is easiest for you to follow. If you choose one that doesn't suit you, you won't stick to it.2 -
I like rules, too. I set my own rules, though, because other people's rules are too hard to follow. If I had to pick a diet from your list, I'd pick South Beach.0
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Primal
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I like rules, too. I set my own rules, though, because other people's rules are too hard to follow. If I had to pick a diet from your list, I'd pick South Beach.
I set my own rules too, but mainly because I find others' rules plain stupid
The best diet for you is one you can follow. Investigate why you stopped following the two previous diets, and decide which one, if any, you think you'll want to stick to for the rest of your life. Whole 30 is an elimination diet to detect intolerances, and is supposed to last a month (hence name).0 -
I think you need to reassess your goals.
Losing weight is one thing but you need to maintain it once you are at your goal....and "diets" don't help you do that.
If you are serious then set your own rules. Then enter your stats into MFP and follow the rule of staying in a calorie deficit with the foods you choose to eat.
For example I only drink coffee in the morning before work...I no longer stop and get one to sip....this ensures I drink my water in the morning. As soon as I have at least 2/3 of my water in I am allowed another coffee. I only drink soda after all my water is in. That is one of my rules.
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Whole 30 isn't really a diet, it's a way to figure out which foods you are sensitive to and which you are not. You generally lose weight because it's so limiting that you eat less. I liked the program because it gave me an idea of how good I could feel when I didn't eat foods I was sensitive to. It isn't really meant to be long term as it stands.1
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How about the Mediterranean Diet. It's one of the healthiest out there. But if you liked primal, I would probably aim for that one of all the choices.1
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tmoneyag99 wrote: »Hello all,
I am a very rules oriented person. So following a healthy diet with "rules" has always worked for me before. I got pregnant 3 years ago (now have a 2 year old) and my life literally depends on me getting my weight back under control. (I had a TIA/Mini-stroke this past weekend).
I have done Primal and South Beach in the past. They worked very well for me. A friend of mine recently told me about the Whole 30. My goal here is to lose weight and get my cholesterol way down.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, OP, but if you gained the weight back, then none of these really "worked" for you. Losing the weight is only half the battle. As SezxyStef said, you have to be able to maintain it, too. I've seen someone on MFP say before that they firmly believe that what you do in weight loss mode should closely resemble what maintenance should look like, and that's my thought,too. Only you really can know what's going to "work" in that sense and be maintainable for you; none of us can tell you that. Do any one of these plans seem like something you could stick with for life? I'd start there when making a decision.3 -
I'd set your own rules, based on goals and preferences. I have some rules I follow most of the time, and because they are suited to me and I understand why I am doing them, they are easy for me. My problem with Whole30 is that unless you think you might have food intolerances (and if so I think it's better to work with a dietitian), the rules are pretty silly and pointless. Personally, I think more legumes tends to make most diets more healthful.
Of the diets you mentioned I think South Beach is a pretty good one and has fewer rather unnecessary rules, and all could probably serve as a structure for improving one's diet overall. Again, though, I think the most efficient and sensible way to improve one's diet is to create a way of eating for yourself, based on an understanding of nutrition, goals, and personal preferences.2 -
If you're trying to get your cholesterol better, I don't think that Primal is the way to go. Isn't that the diet where the man was putting butter in his coffee on that diet show that Shaun T hosted?
South Beach might work well. But why not combine SB & calorie counting? That way you're following your need to have rules, as well as knowing exactly how many calories you're consuming. It might help you get a better grasp on calorie counting and one day you may be able to become a bit more flexible with food.0 -
I'd say SB, but I'm biased, as I think it's one of the best, and most doable formal diets out there. It's based on the Mediterranean diet, which as was noted above, is super healthy. I think SB is a great way to build a true "lifestyle".
If you do it, decide ahead of time if you *need* to do the optional phase 1.
Primal is fine, but sometimes seems arbitrary, and cuts out legumes, which I think are a great tool for many dieters.
Whole30 wasn't designed as a weight loss approach, and BOY it's restrictive.
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dragon_girl26 wrote: »tmoneyag99 wrote: »Hello all,
I am a very rules oriented person. So following a healthy diet with "rules" has always worked for me before. I got pregnant 3 years ago (now have a 2 year old) and my life literally depends on me getting my weight back under control. (I had a TIA/Mini-stroke this past weekend).
I have done Primal and South Beach in the past. They worked very well for me. A friend of mine recently told me about the Whole 30. My goal here is to lose weight and get my cholesterol way down.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, OP, but if you gained the weight back, then none of these really "worked" for you. Losing the weight is only half the battle. As SezxyStef said, you have to be able to maintain it, too. I've seen someone on MFP say before that they firmly believe that what you do in weight loss mode should closely resemble what maintenance should look like, and that's my thought,too. Only you really can know what's going to "work" in that sense and be maintainable for you; none of us can tell you that. Do any one of these plans seem like something you could stick with for life? I'd start there when making a decision.
Do we say this to the legions of folks who return saying they lost a ton of weight with MFP (or any calorie counting app)? Perhaps the birth of her child factored in?3 -
If diet #1 and #2 worked very well as you say, why now #3? There is no magic diet, sorry. Whatever diet you choose, if it is not for life, absolutely will not work long term. Calories are what make a person fat or thin, regardless how your personality deals with them. Sorry, just reality. I loathe counting calories, but until science tells us there is another way, it is the only way.
This^
Especially the bolded0 -
If you absolutely want rules, I would suggest the No S Diet or the Hacker's Diet. (It's still sensible eating, but you can pretend it's not.)0
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »dragon_girl26 wrote: »tmoneyag99 wrote: »Hello all,
I am a very rules oriented person. So following a healthy diet with "rules" has always worked for me before. I got pregnant 3 years ago (now have a 2 year old) and my life literally depends on me getting my weight back under control. (I had a TIA/Mini-stroke this past weekend).
I have done Primal and South Beach in the past. They worked very well for me. A friend of mine recently told me about the Whole 30. My goal here is to lose weight and get my cholesterol way down.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, OP, but if you gained the weight back, then none of these really "worked" for you. Losing the weight is only half the battle. As SezxyStef said, you have to be able to maintain it, too. I've seen someone on MFP say before that they firmly believe that what you do in weight loss mode should closely resemble what maintenance should look like, and that's my thought,too. Only you really can know what's going to "work" in that sense and be maintainable for you; none of us can tell you that. Do any one of these plans seem like something you could stick with for life? I'd start there when making a decision.
Do we say this to the legions of folks who return saying they lost a ton of weight with MFP (or any calorie counting app)? Perhaps the birth of her child factored in?
In some ways, yes we do. A lot of those legions are folks who have used MFP, but again lost the weight in unsustainable ways (undereating, overexercising, over-restriction that didn't work for them, etc..) I'm not saying that's true in all cases, but it seems to be a common link. In that case, we tell them the same thing...you need to find a plan that works for you in the long term. Look, I'm not saying you're wrong about the childbirth, though she did mention it was 3 years ago. I have a coworker I adore who tells me jokingly a lot that she's been trying to get childbirth weight off for 25 years now. I'm not trying to be insensitive or unsympathetic, I'm just saying if she's going to try a plan, she really need to find one that is sustainable so she won't have to keep doing this again (and that plan can change over time, sure) That's what truly "works".0
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