What long term eating habit is best

#nutrition #diet okay everyone I am confused on what diet to do cause I first that low carb would be the best one but I have been trying to do it for a few weeks and kinda hard but thought I could do it. But I went to my doctor and asked him which diet is best to do and he said low calories and I told him I thought low carb was better but he said I could do a low carb and low calorie diet but was wondering which is the best to lose the most weight and easier to stick with for the rest of your life I have a lot of weight to lose about 100 pounds so I am looking for something real good that works for the rest of my life and is not expensive. Any help would be great.
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Replies

  • sugaraddict4321
    sugaraddict4321 Posts: 15,689 MFP Moderator
    The best long-term eating habit is the one you know you can stick with long-term. :)

    In my case, that's eating all the foods I like (in moderation), and a few of the foods I don't like but know are good for me.

    You might find it easier to start by tracking everything you eat now with your current habits, so you can get an idea of your calorie intake is. From there, reduce a reasonable amount of calories to lose about 1-1.5 pounds per week. You can do this. We have a lot of supportive people here! :)
  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
    Any diet you can most easily comply with long-term while meeting your nutritional requirements and caloric deficit is the best one.
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
    Everyone is different, so you need to find out what works for you. There are plenty of ways to eat less, and not expensive. Look around some of these threads and search for budget meals.

    You'll see lots of people who swear by intermittent fasting, low carb, low fat, keto and all kinds of eating plans. As others have stated, do what works for you for the rest of your life. It's really all about the calories. You can't go back to excess calories after you lose the weight. I tried that multiple times over the last 3 decades and guess what? the weight came back.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    Low carb is not intrinsically a weight loss diet. You can gain as much weight as you want to eating nothing but fat and protein, if you eat enough of them. Only calories matter, if what you want is to lose weight. Low carb is just a way that some people find easier to restrict their calories. If you find it hard, there is no reason on Earth for you to do it, unless you have a medical reason to avoid carbs, which based on what your doctor said, you don't.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    The best one is the one that you determine works best for YOU. No one here can know. There's things we can suggest like eating more vegetables and foods that are nutritional but not calorically dense. Portion control, weighing and measuring everything you eat. Higher protein, higher fiber, more whole or minimally processed foods. Ways to cope with trigger goods(moderation vs elimination) etc etc
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    The one you can stick with...

    Agreed. Persistence is key to success.

    For me personally, i have had great success losing over 80 LBS, and increasing my fitness, and reversing several conditions, on a WFPB diet, like the one recommended by Dr. Greger, Dr. McDougall, Dr. Goldhamer, Dr. Esselstyn, etc.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    There is NO one magic diet ... IF you eat low carb but still overeat you will not lose weight, you will gain weight because you are over-eating. IF you go low-calorie you will still have to decide how much of your calorie allowance you want to consume from the 3 macronutrients your body uses ... carbs, fats, protein. Too much of any one of them will tilt you ...

    So ... why not make your own approach to what you eat by deciding what foods you can limit and still be happy, and which foods you like to eat.

    For myself ... I set a calorie limit and try to stay in that range day in and day out. To help me stay focused and not go bonkers when I have an off day, I also take the time to figure out what my average calories are as the days of the week go by.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    The best diet is the one that doesn't seem like a lot of work. The one that seems comfortable to you. Because that's the one that you will be most likely to stick to long term.
    I actually feel some strange kind of guilty because my diet and lifestyle doesn't seem like a lot of work. Those thoughts are the real challenge for me, what I need to work on.
  • monicaamy902
    monicaamy902 Posts: 55 Member
    I think you should do what's best for you. Maybe experiment taking things out and see how it makes you feel. Personally, for me, when I eat sugar, I want more (it's like a drug for me) and then I end up eating like crap all the time. When I eat gluten/bread/pastries, I can't stop eating them and end up feeling way over full at every meal. I cut out dairy because I had skin issues and they went away when I quit eating/drinking it. I chose to do paleo, but that's my preference. I love the food I eat, I feel better, I don't feel guilty about what I eat and have lost 30 lbs. this year.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Eating in moderation.

    Within your calories.

    A doctor isn’t a dietitian. Or nutritionist.

    Low carb, high carb. Does not matter. Stay under maintenance calories and you WILL lose weight. It doesn’t matter what Kim or Jim down the hall told you.
  • losergood2011
    losergood2011 Posts: 172 Member
    one thing - cook at home
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Whatever is sustainable for you for the long term.
    For me, that is moderation in all foods.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    Baby43204 wrote: »
    #nutrition #diet okay everyone I am confused on what diet to do cause I first that low carb would be the best one but I have been trying to do it for a few weeks and kinda hard but thought I could do it. But I went to my doctor and asked him which diet is best to do and he said low calories and I told him I thought low carb was better but he said I could do a low carb and low calorie diet but was wondering which is the best to lose the most weight and easier to stick with for the rest of your life I have a lot of weight to lose about 100 pounds so I am looking for something real good that works for the rest of my life and is not expensive. Any help would be great.

    All diets work on the same premise...if one is losing weight on a low carb diet it is because they are in a calorie deficit. The carbs in and of themselves have nothing to do with weight management other than water weight...when you restrict an entire macro-nutrient, it's more likely than not that you're going to restrict a lot of calories as well.