what diet plan has worked for you?

24

Replies

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,577 Member
    kaypee65 wrote: »
    I am very much a believer in gut flora as helping or hindering weight loss. And the best current evidence suggests fewer processed foods and a very, very high fiber diet. I consume 30 grams of fiber a day.

    My breakfast smoothies have 13 grams of fiber. I made a buffalo tempeh salad with ranch dressing for dinner last night. Delicious, satisfying on every level. And 10 grams of fiber.

    http://www.newsweek.com/weight-loss-enemy-within-414483

    I aim for 45g per day. I don't always hit that mark but I'm usually pretty close. I don't count them every day anymore. I consider this a high fiber diet but IDK if I'd say very, very high.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,694 Member
    What works for me is counting calories. I lost ~75 pounds. I eat mostly the same things I ate before. I do try to make an effort to get more protien, but I don't eat anything that I don't like and I don't restrict anything except my portion sizes. I have lost weight before doing low-fat, but it was not sustainable and I gained it all back plus some. And I was sad all the time because I really missed cheese and chocolate. I probably eat some cheese and some chocolate every day. I just keep the portions moderate.
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
    No formal diet plan has worked for me because I tend towards obsessive and negative thoughts if I am on a diet.

    I eat my regular life food within my allotted calorie budget. I tend to eat mostly nutrient dense food but I allow for some treats occasionally. This makes me happy and works best for me to be closer to my goal of a healthy body than I have ever been before.
  • need2belean
    need2belean Posts: 349 Member
    edited August 2017
    Macro counting and not eating back my workout calories 90% of the time has been the only thing that has worked for me in the long run. The only problem I see having in the future is I hate not knowing how much protein/carbs/fat I'm getting in a day which is why I log. I'm worried if I ever stop logging, that I won't get enough protein/carbs in to keep me going with my progress. That's why I haven't stopped logging except on vacation.
    With just plain ol' calorie counting, I wasn't getting all the necessary nutrients as I should have been, and when I lost weight, I lost muscle more than anything.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    need2belean wrote: »
    Macro counting and not eating back my workout calories 90% of the time has been the only thing that has worked for me in the long run. The only problem I see having in the future is I hate not knowing how much protein/carbs/fat I'm getting in a day which is why I log. I'm worried if I ever stop logging, that I won't get enough protein/carbs in to keep me going with my progress. That's why I haven't stopped logging except on vacation.
    With just plain ol' calorie counting, I wasn't getting all the necessary nutrients as I should have been, and when I lost weight, I lost muscle more than anything.

    how do you know that you were losing muscle more than anything? and when you count macros you are counting calories too as the macros add up to your calorie count. or at least they should,
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    for me I eat what I want and make it fit into my calorie goals. right now Im trying to maintain my weight to start recomping. but when I lost I ate all the same things I eat now just less.
  • need2belean
    need2belean Posts: 349 Member
    edited August 2017
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    need2belean wrote: »
    Macro counting and not eating back my workout calories 90% of the time has been the only thing that has worked for me in the long run. The only problem I see having in the future is I hate not knowing how much protein/carbs/fat I'm getting in a day which is why I log. I'm worried if I ever stop logging, that I won't get enough protein/carbs in to keep me going with my progress. That's why I haven't stopped logging except on vacation.
    With just plain ol' calorie counting, I wasn't getting all the necessary nutrients as I should have been, and when I lost weight, I lost muscle more than anything.

    how do you know that you were losing muscle more than anything? and when you count macros you are counting calories too as the macros add up to your calorie count. or at least they should,

    Because when you are in a calorie deficit, unless you eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass, you lose muscle mass. I was solely counting calories and didn't care what my protein intake was. I was eating pretty much just carbs and fat. I do understand counting macros means counting calories to an extent. But, sometimes, the app doesn't accurately count macros. They count the calories in the food (for example, halo top macros don't add up to the calories. or extreme wellness wrap macros don't add up to the calories listed on the package). The OP did ask what worked for us, so counting macros instead of counting calories only is what worked for me.
  • Sashslay
    Sashslay Posts: 136 Member
    Tracking my calories!

    And eating what I want, as long as it fits into my calorie goal I don't care what I eat! Haha
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    OliveGirl128 wrote: »
    kaypee65 wrote: »
    I am very much a believer in gut flora as helping or hindering weight loss. And the best current evidence suggests fewer processed foods and a very, very high fiber diet. I consume 30 grams of fiber a day.

    My breakfast smoothies have 13 grams of fiber. I made a buffalo tempeh salad with ranch dressing for dinner last night. Delicious, satisfying on every level. And 10 grams of fiber.

    http://www.newsweek.com/weight-loss-enemy-within-414483

    30g of fiber really isn't that much? I hit between 40g-50g of fiber a day and it hasn't done anything magical for me....what's a high fiber diet supposed to accomplish?

    Agreed that I wouldn't think of 30 g as very high, but apparently more fiber (related to lots of unprocessed plant foods and more specifically beans and whole grains) tends to result in a more diverse gut biome and specifically some bacteria that correlate with those from populations with healthier diets. But there's a lot we don't know yet: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/magazine/say-hello-to-the-100-trillion-bacteria-that-make-up-your-microbiome.html

    I tend to think that more whole plant foods is generally good, and that tends to mean more fiber, but I don't focus on fiber for itself. (I might if it made a huge difference in how full I am, but it does not.)
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    I've lost 90 pounds counting calories, eating an appropriate amount to achieve my goals. It helps me to pay attention to my macros to maximize satiety. I find when I do that, compliance to my calorie limit is easier. I eat a low fat, high carb diet with a protein goal around 100 grams a day and seem to do best keeping cravings at bay eating that way.

    What has not worked for me in the past? You name it, I tried it. Low carb, paleo, raw vegan, food combining, Nutri-System, Sugar Busters. The one thing all my past efforts had in common is that during all of them I was passing the buck for my weight issues onto the food itself instead of taking personal responsibility for my choices AND the methods used to lose weight separated me in some way from how they were supposed to work for the weight to drop. I really didn't learn anything sustainable from them.

    Coming here to MFP and reading the forums has taught me so much.

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