How to decide which diet?
annbutler560
Posts: 15 Member
I am so frustrated with all of the different plans. One says you die with dairy, and another says you die without it. How do I select one and just do it?
0
Replies
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Just eat food and count your calories.23
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What do you like to eat? Which plan fits best with what you like to eat? Can you eat like that forever?
Long term sustainablility is probably the single most important factor when selecting a food plan. If you aren't going to keep eating the way you ate to lose, then you aren't likely to sustain long term weight loss.
If you like meat and are looking for a structured program, try something high protein.
If you love veggies, try something vegetarian or vegan.
If you love pasta and bread, try something high carb.
It's mostly about eating less, but some about being satisfied too...I find that eating more fat makes me happy and not sluggish...for some people they are more satisfied on more carbs or more protein. If you are looking for something structured as a guide, then start with what you already like to eat, and if you don't like the structured plan then modify for your own tastes, or try a different structured plan. As long as you are getting good nutrition and eating in a way you enjoy eating you have a recipe for success.6 -
Eat food. Real food, including vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and lean protein and whatever else you like, Nourish your body, but eat at a deficit and see what you like.
If you want a structured plan, consider one that involves a lot of foods you like, or want to eat, and that will TEACH you how to eat for a lifetime.
I think some formal diets/structured plans can be very helpful in the beginning, but the keys are compliance and learning.
Good luck.
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The diet you can stick to will work the best.
Use MFP or some other calculator to get a rough idea of how many calories you should be eating. Eat however you want based on your preferences and goals and log everything to make sure you are eating the right calories.
I didn't follow any diet to lose my weight. I focused on increasing the amount of veggies and lean protein I was eating, logged my food accurately and consistently, and eventually reached my goal. It can take some trial and error to find a way of eating that you enjoy AND keeps you at the correct calories, but once you find it you're golden!7 -
You don't need to follow a plan, just eat what you normally would, but log it all and stay within your calorie goal.6
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Here's a little plan that I've come up with.
1) If you want to lose fat (like me and my stomach region) then go for the low carb diet. Carbs are an energy source that your body normally works from. If you consume less carbs, then your body will go for the muscles, meaning that you should keep your protein content reasonable. Here, the body will finally start eating away at the fat for energy. Exercising will help speed up the process, but it isn't technically a necessity if you are fairy active.
2) If you are only trying to gain muscle, then go for the low fat diet. Make sure to consume the right amount of carbs and protein to help give you energy and help improve you muscles. Exercising here would most likely be a necessity, but make sure to stretch too!
3) If you are trying to gain weight, then go ahead and go for all of the above. This does not mean go and eat all the fast food and fatty foods you want. You still want your heart and blood vessels to remain stable and strong. Some good foods to eat for this are homemade dishes, since they are healthy and you know exactly what goes into your food. You should still moderate how much you consume, so that you don't hurt yourself in the process.
I hope this helps! This is just what I have been thinking of when it comes to dieting. I myself am trying to lose fat in weight, so I try to know what is best for me!2 -
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I just eat foods I like and make sure I stay at my calorie goal. It doesn't have to be complicated.4
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Move more eat less. How you motivate yourself to do those things is up to you. The best "diet" is the one you can stay with.3
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tcunbeliever wrote: »What do you like to eat? Which plan fits best with what you like to eat? Can you eat like that forever?
Long term sustainablility is probably the single most important factor when selecting a food plan. If you aren't going to keep eating the way you ate to lose, then you aren't likely to sustain long term weight loss.
If you like meat and are looking for a structured program, try something high protein.
If you love veggies, try something vegetarian or vegan.
If you love pasta and bread, try something high carb.
It's mostly about eating less, but some about being satisfied too...I find that eating more fat makes me happy and not sluggish...for some people they are more satisfied on more carbs or more protein. If you are looking for something structured as a guide, then start with what you already like to eat, and if you don't like the structured plan then modify for your own tastes, or try a different structured plan. As long as you are getting good nutrition and eating in a way you enjoy eating you have a recipe for success.
DITTO!! You need to do what you will "stick" to for life!3 -
annbutler560 wrote: »I am so frustrated with all of the different plans. One says you die with dairy, and another says you die without it. How do I select one and just do it?
I eat normally just appropriate amount of calories.
You need to eat in a way you can sustain for life. Most diet plans are not sustainable long term.
If any diet claims you have to eat or not eat particular foods to lose weight then they are garbage. Weight loss is about calories not type of food.3 -
Thank you all for the replies.
I am in full research mode.
Have too much to lose...or rather nothing to lose for effort.
Here's to the battle!1 -
Research flexible dieting while you are at it.
You can lose fat on any eating plan so long as you are eating at a deficit.4 -
annbutler560 wrote: »Thank you all for the replies.
I am in full research mode.
Have too much to lose...or rather nothing to lose for effort.
Here's to the battle!
I'm afraid full research mode will lead you to over-complicate things. Many of us just eat less / move more.8 -
You will die whether you eat dairy or not. Find a diet that sound sustainable to you. As long as it's providing adequate nutrition a diet is good, all the rest is just noise.7
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kshama2001 wrote: »annbutler560 wrote: »Thank you all for the replies.
I am in full research mode.
Have too much to lose...or rather nothing to lose for effort.
Here's to the battle!
I'm afraid full research mode will lead you to over-complicate things. Many of us just eat less / move more.
I have to agree to this. Losing weight/gaining health isn't really a battle. The battle is cutting through the "information" overload. When you have found (or rather, created) your meal plan, you will know it's right, because it's something that's easy for you to follow.1 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Eat food. Real food, including vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and lean protein and whatever else you like, Nourish your body, but eat at a deficit and see what you like.
Pretty much this. No need to overcomplicate it or eat special diet things. The basics of nutrition are generally agreed on and what's important -- eat a variety of foods, vegetables and protein, include healthy fats (basically from whole plant sources or fish, although of course cooking in oils like olive oil or coconut, etc., is great). If you ignore all the ridiculous arguments about carbs bad or good or raw vegan is the only way or milk amazing or the devil or bananas, do they make us fat? and just think about what you understood to be a healthful, balanced way of eating before all that, I think it's pretty much common sense, no?If you want a structured plan, consider one that involves a lot of foods you like, or want to eat, and that will TEACH you how to eat for a lifetime.
I think some formal diets/structured plans can be very helpful in the beginning, but the keys are compliance and learning.
I'm not big on formal plans, just don't see the point at all and I think they often have completely baseless and unnecessary rules and make things more complicated than they need to be. However, if you want one, I think this is good advice on how to approach them. And if they demonize foods based on bad science (like claiming that dairy or legumes or whatever will make you unhealthy) that's a reason to avoid them.1 -
Research flexible dieting while you are at it.
You can lose fat on any eating plan so long as you are eating at a deficit.
Yes this too.
My approach to flexible dieting (or flexible maintenance) is to eat a diet I enjoy that is generally healthful but includes some foods that make the overall diet fit with my preferences and lifestyle (for example, I have room to go out to a local place and get pizza or try fun new restaurants regularly, and I can have a little something indulgent after dinner most days and fit that in).
Often a good approach is to log your current days (or how you were eating) and then look them over and figure out some easy ways to improve the diet and cut calories that won't leave you feeling like you are missing anything.4 -
Just eat food and count your calories.
It doesn't need to be any more complicated than ^this^
In fact, this method is your personalized learning tool. Eating foods YOU like tells you about portion sizes and nutrition for those foods. Then you can make informed choices going forward.
Avoiding or eliminating a list of food (someone else recommended) doesn't help you when you get to maintenance. You need to figure out what changes you can live with, basically forever.1 -
OP stick to a way of eating that you can do for the rest of your life. Calories are king for weight loss, not eliminating foods or food groups. You will comfortably lose weight if you combine nutritious foods to satiety and include treats such as chocolate, ice cream, cookies, taco bell, or whatever favourite snack and foods you enjoy. Don't make this difficult for you. Get a digital food scale and weigh everything (even more weighed and pre packaged foods) and use mfp to log. This will provide you with some structure.
Sorry, this is bioscience:nhowell0918 wrote: »Here's a little plan that I've come up with.
1) If you want to lose fat (like me and my stomach region) then go for the low carb diet. Carbs are an energy source that your body normally works from. If you consume less carbs, then your body will go for the muscles, meaning that you should keep your protein content reasonable. Here, the body will finally start eating away at the fat for energy. Exercising will help speed up the process, but it isn't technically a necessity if you are fairy active.
2) If you are only trying to gain muscle, then go for the low fat diet. Make sure to consume the right amount of carbs and protein to help give you energy and help improve you muscles. Exercising here would most likely be a necessity, but make sure to stretch too!
3) If you are trying to gain weight, then go ahead and go for all of the above. This does not mean go and eat all the fast food and fatty foods you want. You still want your heart and blood vessels to remain stable and strong. Some good foods to eat for this are homemade dishes, since they are healthy and you know exactly what goes into your food. You should still moderate how much you consume, so that you don't hurt yourself in the process.
I hope this helps! This is just what I have been thinking of when it comes to dieting. I myself am trying to lose fat in weight, so I try to know what is best for me!
1) Low carb isn't necessary for fat loss, a calorie deficit is. One can lose fat on a high carb diet if they wish to do so.
2) Low fat is not necessary for fat loss and can be quite dangerous. This is faddish 1980s thinking. We need a certain amount of fat for digestion, hormone regulation and fat solvable vitamins. The body will start consuming fat stores once you are in a calorie deficit (eating less than maintenance/TDEE) . That's it. We also need a decent amount of fat to keep our hair, skin and nails looking healthy.
3) No. Once again, it's about a calorie deficit, not about macros. To gain weight one has to be in a calorie surplus (eat more than their maintenance/TDEE. And healthy? Its not optimal to label foods as junk or healthy. A balanced diet of nutritious and 'junk' food is perfectly fine.6 -
That is kind of funny .. I am just hittING calorie goals is MFP. I looked at my micros and they pretty much lined up perfect was not even trying .
OP just hit calorie goals for now and work from there .. it can be confusing looking at bulking .. cutting .. different diets etc
Good luck1 -
I've lost 110 pounds with no special "diet". I eat lots of whole grains and veggies, some chicken and fish, and diary every day. I eat around 1400 calories with a weekly social splurge most weekends. One meal only. And I track calories most days. That's it. No gimmicks needed. If I gain a couple of pounds I tighten it up, and I just have fun on holidays and vacations. Go for long term solutions and run from fad diets.2
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These are just what I needed to break out of the crazy one way then the other approach. It was adding to the flat frustrating experience of being fat. I am determined to track it all. This is a start. And a reality check.1
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I went with CI<CO.
I always go with CI<CO any time I want to lose a bit of weight ... because it works.3 -
Ignore all the gimmicks. Just apply a little common sense, eat healthy, and eat at a calorie deficit.0
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Just count calories.
Once you start logging what you eat in MFP, you'll soon categorise some foods as "worth the calories" or not.
Some people make room in their daily calorie count for chocolate. Others might like a lot of bacon. Tuna is low in calories, high in protein, and quite filling, but some people hate fish.
Eat what makes you satisfied. That is different for everyone.
But the diet that keeps you satisfied is the one you will stick to.5 -
Eat whatever foods you like. Just less of them. You'll soon decide which of them are worth the calories or not, which are most filling.
Losing weight isn't about a plan. It's about learning how to eat within a calorie "budget". Keeping your weight off is the same thing.
Don't think of a diet as something you go "on", or you'll never keep the weight off.0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »You will die whether you eat dairy or not. Find a diet that sound sustainable to you. As long as it's providing adequate nutrition a diet is good, all the rest is just noise.
Lol. Word.0 -
don't start a "diet" but change your eating habits....
Diets will have an ending, changing your eating habits will keep you going. Counting calories is a good start.0 -
I let myfitnesspal set my calorie goal for me. I do try to stay around the recommended guidelines for fat, cholesterol, sugar, protein, and sodium. I try to cook most of my food, but then I like doing that. I eat a lot more fruits and vegetables and less in the way of bread and pasta than I used to, but I still eat those things. I occasionally eat over my calories for the day.
Generally though, I eat what I want and very well. Just less of it.0
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