Diets You've Tried and Your Critiques

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  • netitheyeti
    netitheyeti Posts: 539 Member
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    Low calorie "only eat certain foods" type of diet (think along the lines of apples, lettuce/salad and eggs/plain chicken breast) with 1 day of water fasting a week that one of my friends swore by, around 2008-2009... ended up constantly dizzy, and gained back all the weight after I quit... Looking back, I was probably averaging about 600kcal a day for a month... Lost about 15lbs in a month but f that

    Also tried keto at one point but it made me feel so sick I ended up missing uni because I couldn't get out of bed
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Tried: Low calorie foods and portion control, meal replacement shakes, Nutri-System, Deal-A-Meal, Atkins, Paleo, Raw Vegan. Had varying amounts of success and all-around ultimate failure. None of these every got me to a goal weight that I wanted it to, btw.

    What worked: As with Trina - joining MFP, counting calories in/out, portion control. Reading all the stickies to educate myself on nutrition and weight loss with the help of Google. I lost 90 pounds over an 18 month period and have maintained that loss for 3 years now. I still log and weigh everything too. I still futz around with vanity weight I'd like to maybe lose, then maybe not.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited December 2018
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    I tried one "diet". One time. In about 2002 I heard Dr. Agatston discussing his new "south beach diet" on a news program. The book wasn't yet out, and I missed the beginning of the discussion, but figured out the basic details. I followed them, and some basic common sense and lost all the weight I needed to lose. It changed how I approached food. I maintained for MANY YEARS. It was easy (until menopause) to keep the weight off eating his "slow carb" way (lean proteins, lots of vegetables, healthy fats, nuts seeds, legumes, some dairy, some whole grains). Now, post menopausal, I'm about to launch back into a "phase one" diet to lose the menopause TEN.
  • witchaywoman81
    witchaywoman81 Posts: 280 Member
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    Low fat/low calorie - ah, the 90s. Haha. Wasn’t really “fat” at the time, just a little bit of chub. It worked, with exercise, but I was hungry all the time and it wasn’t sustainable.

    Weight Watchers - been on it too many times to count, with varying degrees of success. Their older programs in the late 90s/early 2000s worked best for me. Was really just a complicated version of what mfp does for us now. Wasn’t that hungry and I liked it. Their new program is NOT for me.

    South Beach - I did the first 2 weeks, where its most restrictive, and lost weight, but I didn’t carry on with it after that. I think eliminating whole food groups just isn’t for me.

    Slim Fast - disaster. Do not recommend.

    Now - when my head is in the game, I do great counting calories with MFP; however, based on the data I’ve been collecting here, Fitbit overestimates the calories I’m burning, so I’m testing out scaling back ever so slightly to see if that helps me.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited January 2019
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    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Low fat/low calorie - ah, the 90s. Haha. Wasn’t really “fat” at the time, just a little bit of chub. It worked, with exercise, but I was hungry all the time and it wasn’t sustainable.

    Weight Watchers - been on it too many times to count, with varying degrees of success. Their older programs in the late 90s/early 2000s worked best for me. Was really just a complicated version of what mfp does for us now. Wasn’t that hungry and I liked it. Their new program is NOT for me.

    South Beach - I did the first 2 weeks, where its most restrictive, and lost weight, but I didn’t carry on with it after that. I think eliminating whole food groups just isn’t for me.

    Slim Fast - disaster. Do not recommend.

    Now - when my head is in the game, I do great counting calories with MFP; however, based on the data I’ve been collecting here, Fitbit overestimates the calories I’m burning, so I’m testing out scaling back ever so slightly to see if that helps me.

    What food groups? Which diet?
  • witchaywoman81
    witchaywoman81 Posts: 280 Member
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    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Low fat/low calorie - ah, the 90s. Haha. Wasn’t really “fat” at the time, just a little bit of chub. It worked, with exercise, but I was hungry all the time and it wasn’t sustainable.

    Weight Watchers - been on it too many times to count, with varying degrees of success. Their older programs in the late 90s/early 2000s worked best for me. Was really just a complicated version of what mfp does for us now. Wasn’t that hungry and I liked it. Their new program is NOT for me.

    South Beach - I did the first 2 weeks, where its most restrictive, and lost weight, but I didn’t carry on with it after that. I think eliminating whole food groups just isn’t for me.

    Slim Fast - disaster. Do not recommend.

    Now - when my head is in the game, I do great counting calories with MFP; however, based on the data I’ve been collecting here, Fitbit overestimates the calories I’m burning, so I’m testing out scaling back ever so slightly to see if that helps me.

    What food groups? Which diet?

    Are you referring to the bolded? South Beach diet. It’s been about 15 years since I tried it, so my information might not be current, but from what I remember in the first 2 weeks you aren’t allowed to eat many/any carbs, including fruit, pasta, bread, etc. I think in phase 2 you’re allowed to add some in slowly, but I didn’t even reach that point before I realized SouthBeach wasn’t for me.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited January 2019
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    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Low fat/low calorie - ah, the 90s. Haha. Wasn’t really “fat” at the time, just a little bit of chub. It worked, with exercise, but I was hungry all the time and it wasn’t sustainable.

    Weight Watchers - been on it too many times to count, with varying degrees of success. Their older programs in the late 90s/early 2000s worked best for me. Was really just a complicated version of what mfp does for us now. Wasn’t that hungry and I liked it. Their new program is NOT for me.

    South Beach - I did the first 2 weeks, where its most restrictive, and lost weight, but I didn’t carry on with it after that. I think eliminating whole food groups just isn’t for me.

    Slim Fast - disaster. Do not recommend.

    Now - when my head is in the game, I do great counting calories with MFP; however, based on the data I’ve been collecting here, Fitbit overestimates the calories I’m burning, so I’m testing out scaling back ever so slightly to see if that helps me.

    What food groups? Which diet?

    Are you referring to the bolded? South Beach diet. It’s been about 15 years since I tried it, so my information might not be current, but from what I remember in the first 2 weeks you aren’t allowed to eat many/any carbs, including fruit, pasta, bread, etc. I think in phase 2 you’re allowed to add some in slowly, but I didn’t even reach that point before I realized SouthBeach wasn’t for me.

    I think you're not quite remembering it right. In the first two weeks you're required to eat substantial vegetables at every meal (and snacks). So that means carbs at every meal. It's suggested that you have 1/2cup of beans/legumes daily. Legumes are carb dense. You also have dairy and nuts/seeds which also contains carbs. When the two weeks are over you re-introduce fruit and grains at a pace that works for you. The carb count goes up there too, of course.
    It's not low or no carb, it's just low glycemic carbs eaten in low glycemic load meals. It's still "not for everyone". Here's a visual.
    tvz4cm633abz.jpeg


  • witchaywoman81
    witchaywoman81 Posts: 280 Member
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    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Low fat/low calorie - ah, the 90s. Haha. Wasn’t really “fat” at the time, just a little bit of chub. It worked, with exercise, but I was hungry all the time and it wasn’t sustainable.

    Weight Watchers - been on it too many times to count, with varying degrees of success. Their older programs in the late 90s/early 2000s worked best for me. Was really just a complicated version of what mfp does for us now. Wasn’t that hungry and I liked it. Their new program is NOT for me.

    South Beach - I did the first 2 weeks, where its most restrictive, and lost weight, but I didn’t carry on with it after that. I think eliminating whole food groups just isn’t for me.

    Slim Fast - disaster. Do not recommend.

    Now - when my head is in the game, I do great counting calories with MFP; however, based on the data I’ve been collecting here, Fitbit overestimates the calories I’m burning, so I’m testing out scaling back ever so slightly to see if that helps me.

    What food groups? Which diet?

    Are you referring to the bolded? South Beach diet. It’s been about 15 years since I tried it, so my information might not be current, but from what I remember in the first 2 weeks you aren’t allowed to eat many/any carbs, including fruit, pasta, bread, etc. I think in phase 2 you’re allowed to add some in slowly, but I didn’t even reach that point before I realized SouthBeach wasn’t for me.

    I think you're not quite remembering it right. In the first two weeks you're required to eat substantial vegetables at every meal (and snacks). So that means carbs at every meal. It's suggested that you have 1/2cup of beans/legumes daily. Legumes are carb dense. You also have dairy and nuts/seeds which also contains carbs. When the two weeks are over you re-introduce fruit and grains at a pace that works for you. The carb count goes up there too, of course.
    It's not low or no carb, it's just low glycemic carbs eaten in low glycemic load meals. It's still "not for everyone". Here's a visual.
    tvz4cm633abz.jpeg


    Ooh thanks for sharing! I didn’t remember the legumes part; I remember eating a lot of salads and lean proteins. They also had this “dessert” which was ricotta cheese with an extract (vanilla, almond, whatever) and sometimes cocoa powder in it. It didn’t taste bad, but I remember feeling a little odd about it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    We tried low fat no salt for a month. I learned that salt is in nearly all prepared foods and if you want flavour without salt start with very fresh, strong flavoured ingredients.

    We’ve moderated back to low salt but I still pay a lot more attention to my vegetables.

    Follow the create-your-plate diabetic plan. It does keep my blood sugars in check. A higher protein breakfast helps the whole day go better.

    Weight Watchers. Generally balanced with lots of peer support. I did not like the suggested meal plans that came with it. Too “wet”. I’m a tactile eater and I need a lot of dry crunchy.

    Consistently lost weight when I logged my meals daily and followed up with a dietitian once a month.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited January 2019
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    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
    witchaywoman81 wrote: »
    Low fat/low calorie - ah, the 90s. Haha. Wasn’t really “fat” at the time, just a little bit of chub. It worked, with exercise, but I was hungry all the time and it wasn’t sustainable.

    Weight Watchers - been on it too many times to count, with varying degrees of success. Their older programs in the late 90s/early 2000s worked best for me. Was really just a complicated version of what mfp does for us now. Wasn’t that hungry and I liked it. Their new program is NOT for me.

    South Beach - I did the first 2 weeks, where its most restrictive, and lost weight, but I didn’t carry on with it after that. I think eliminating whole food groups just isn’t for me.

    Slim Fast - disaster. Do not recommend.

    Now - when my head is in the game, I do great counting calories with MFP; however, based on the data I’ve been collecting here, Fitbit overestimates the calories I’m burning, so I’m testing out scaling back ever so slightly to see if that helps me.

    What food groups? Which diet?

    Are you referring to the bolded? South Beach diet. It’s been about 15 years since I tried it, so my information might not be current, but from what I remember in the first 2 weeks you aren’t allowed to eat many/any carbs, including fruit, pasta, bread, etc. I think in phase 2 you’re allowed to add some in slowly, but I didn’t even reach that point before I realized SouthBeach wasn’t for me.

    I think you're not quite remembering it right. In the first two weeks you're required to eat substantial vegetables at every meal (and snacks). So that means carbs at every meal. It's suggested that you have 1/2cup of beans/legumes daily. Legumes are carb dense. You also have dairy and nuts/seeds which also contains carbs. When the two weeks are over you re-introduce fruit and grains at a pace that works for you. The carb count goes up there too, of course.
    It's not low or no carb, it's just low glycemic carbs eaten in low glycemic load meals. It's still "not for everyone". Here's a visual.
    tvz4cm633abz.jpeg


    Ooh thanks for sharing! I didn’t remember the legumes part; I remember eating a lot of salads and lean proteins. They also had this “dessert” which was ricotta cheese with an extract (vanilla, almond, whatever) and sometimes cocoa powder in it. It didn’t taste bad, but I remember feeling a little odd about it.

    Ah yes the dessert. I'm not much of a dessert eater (and I started SB-like-eating before the book came out) so I've never actually tried the ricotta thing. It's always sounded good.

    And yeah, it's basically a protein and veg with beans, nuts and seeds, and dairy two weeks, then add back grains and fruit as tolerated.

    Of course the mail order program *called* the south beach diet is NOT the original. Boo for buying names.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2019
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    I'd consider fruit and starch to be food groups (although I'd usually consider legumes to be in the starch group if not being used as a source of protein).
  • Mike1804
    Mike1804 Posts: 114 Member
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    Back in 2012 I solicited the help of a personal trainer for 3 months. During this time he not only taught me how to maximize my workouts for my own body type and interests, he also introduced me to the crossfiit eating lifestyle. It’s not so much calorie tracking as it is portion sizing, timing, and choosing the right foods. It’s super simple and broken down by blocks of protein, carb, fat for each meal and snack period. It provides a huge amount of flexibility and for me, it gave me the most success. In fact as long as I’ve followed it, I’ve either managed to lose or maintain my weight. The only time I’ve actually gained weight is when I don’t follow it. During that 3 month period I was with the trainer I lost 30 lbs (10lbs/month). http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_2015_05_Zone6.pdf
  • jdog022
    jdog022 Posts: 693 Member
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    I did the eat less diet. Wildly successful
  • secotton13
    secotton13 Posts: 7 Member
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    Did keto for about 3 months. Did lose some weight, but my gosh, how I missed my carbs. Also had horrible keto headaches the first couple of weeks. Found it to be quite expensive and time consuming prepping my meals. Refocusing on a simple calories in < calories out plan going ahead.

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