are you on a specific diet or do you just do your own thing.

I'm a 51-year-old RN with nearly 30 years experience. I know a thing or two about nutrition. Unfortunately, for me, "knowing" has never translated into "doing".

"All things in moderation" hasn't worked for me, 'cause my definition of "moderation" was flexible, depending on my emotional state, stress level, and if I just wanted to eat a whole tub of whipped cream cheese and half a box of Triscuits!

I've tried programs where "you can eat whatever you want on this program"... again that just didn't work for me, 'cause it was too flexible.

I am now 3 months into The 17 Day Diet, and I've lost 23 lbs. I have discovered that I do better with MORE restrictions. In a nutshell, the 17 Day Diet is 3 Cycles that last 17 days each. So even on the most restrictive cycle, Cycle 1, you can tell yourself "hey, I can do this, it's just for 17 days". You go through Cycle 1, 2, 3, then back to Cycle 1 if there's more weight to lose.

Cycle 4 is Maintenance, and when you get here - Voila! - you are eating fresh fruits, veggies, lean proteins, probiotics, drinking green tea and lots of water - and you are eating little or no refined flour, sugar, artificial sweeteners. You are allowed a few "free meals" per week so you can live your life, you can go to a wedding and eat wedding cake.

Kudos to those of you that can make this lifestyle change on your own - that's terrific! For me, I found I NEEDED a more structured way to get there, and the 17 Day Diet is doing it for me! And I'm completely off Diet Coke, something this old former "Night Nurse" never thought would happen!

Good luck to you - Great Post Topic!

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Ice

I have tried "diets" in the past, they don't work well for me. Like yourself, the second I "can't" have something, I want it more. I eat everything I like in moderation and try to make mostly healthy choices. I also try new to me, healthier or lower calorie alternatives sometimes to change things up. The only thing other than this that has worked for me was weight watchers, but I don't consider weight watchers that kind of "diet".

I've never ate to a set 'diet', mostly because I'm a picky eater and I like to eat out often and try different things.

I base what I eat on portion control. I also make protein the main part of a lunch or dinner (whether its red meat/poultry/fish/cheese/eggs) and fit my 5 a day in around that along with some form of carb (potatoes/rice/pasta). I don't think of foods as bad or good either, only bad/good sized portions.

I just count my calories, I don't even like to really use the word diet because I don't want to fool my mind into thinking this is just short term, I like to think of it as a healthy life style change. I eat whatever I want I just don't go over my calories. I do shop for better food now, but I still love my mt. dew and I drink 1 a day, it takes away from food I could eat but I am willing to sacrifice that. I now buy sugar free candies so if and when I get that craving for something sweet I have them and they taste really good. I exercise more now than I ever did in the past and I have seen a change, I have been doing this for 2 1/2 weeks and I have lost 12 lbs.

I'm exactly the same way. Tell me I can't have something, even something that I don't like anyway, and it's all I can think about. I'm following the "everything in moderation" plan.

2 things I follow: very low carbs for my PCOS and sugar free for my Type 2. Other than that I make my own up and have been super successful at it. Lost 45 lbs since March. Just hit my first plateau 2 weeks ago and changed up my calorie intake and have lost 4 more since then. I am now at the lowest I have been in 13 years!!

Like most everyone else, I just watch my calorie intake. With that being said, I do somewhat follow the foods listed in the South Beach Diet. In other words, I do try to avoid foods that are high on the glycemic index. That doesn't always happen, but I do want to keep my sugar in check. While I am not diabetic, it is in my family, so that is important.

I'm on the 6 week body makeover plan. This plan seems to really work for me since I was able to tailor it specifically to me.

I don't follow any diet. I just try to eat healthy & incorporate a lot of veggies, fruits & lean meats. But i will still have my "treats" also.

I tried every diet under the sun for 20 years. And I've come to the conclusion that there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all diet. Everyone is different, everyone's metabolism works a little differently, at different speeds, more or less efficiently...
If you study any biochemistry or anatomy, you see that our systems are incredibly complex. Tiny hormonal imbalances can have disastrous consequences, everything has to work together, everything interacts and affects everything else. Even the amount of sleep you get affects your ability to process foods & lose weight! A small percentage of people will be able to pick up "The South Beach Diet" or "The Primal Blueprint" and apply the principles "as is" and it will work for them. The rest of us need to adjust our lifestyles and eating habits for our own personal metabolisms & personalities.

With that said, personally I have had no success with the 'everything in moderation" rule. As some others have noted, that leaves way too much room for emotional eating and a lax interpretation of "moderation." I have to set strict rules for myself and follow them. Right now, I have two, both given to me by my doctor:
1. Eat no more than 25g carbs per day.
2. Eat at least 50g protein every three hours while I'm awake.
There are only two rules, and I can follow them any way I like (for example, any type of protein I want), but I do follow these rules strictly and never give myself a "day off" or cut myself any slack whatsoever. If I do that, I feel sick & miserable & remember why I started this in the first place.