DIET yay or nay poll
denise_earheart
Posts: 354
What do you guys think of the Atkins,South Beach or whatever else there is for low-no carb dieting.. Honestly that is the only diet I have done in the past and actually seen results ... Just curious on your thoughts!
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Or is there one better???????0
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I don't believe in "diets", per say. For me, a diet is just the kinds of foods you eat in general. I don't believe in "diets" like Atkins, South Beach, etc... because I know that if I don't change my eating habits for the better for good, any short term loss will be lost and I'll gain as much, if not more, than I've lost once I've gone back to my old diet- which just wasn't working. My way is much slower, but I figure that it's more sustainable for me, personally. And, I get to have whatever I want, as long as I make the choice to use my calories in that way.0
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If I had to pick one I guess I would go with the South Beach. I'm not a fan of the Atkins. I had several friends/family members have some really bad medical issues after going on that one. I'm not a fan of any diet that it's ok to eat a pound of bacon and a block of cheese. But that's just me.
And I agree with the poster above. I think it really has to be a life change. Portion control for me is key. Saying it's 1/2 cup and actually realizing what 1/2 cup really looked like was key!
Good luck!0 -
I heard of this awesome new diet!! I heard everyone was doing it
I think its called the "eat right and exercise diet" I'm jumping on the bandwagon!0 -
If I had to pick one I guess I would go with the South Beach. I'm not a fan of the Atkins. I had several friends/family members have some really bad medical issues after going on that one. I'm not a fan of any diet that it's ok to eat a pound of bacon and a block of cheese. But that's just me.
UMMMMM ya I would do that per say LOL but I am thinking on the lines of an egg white and veggie omelet for breakfast chicken salad for lunch fish and veggies dinner .....0 -
wouldn't*If I had to pick one I guess I would go with the South Beach. I'm not a fan of the Atkins. I had several friends/family members have some really bad medical issues after going on that one. I'm not a fan of any diet that it's ok to eat a pound of bacon and a block of cheese. But that's just me.
UMMMMM ya I would do that per say LOL but I am thinking on the lines of an egg white and veggie omelet for breakfast chicken salad for lunch fish and veggies dinner .....0 -
Ya it is tough and the weight coming off soooooo slowly makes it VERY discouraging0
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I tried South Beach, and it actually made me really sick in the first few days (My sister had the same issue cutting carbs... must be in our genes). But people tell me they have had great results from Atkins. At the same time, they have also said it was hard to stick to, they're body reacts to food differently (not in a good way), and developed some health issues. I don't know enough about it to really give an opinion, but in theory I am a fan of a "balanced" diet rather than cutting food groups.0
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I don't diet. Never have. I did not lose 52 pounds on any type of "diet." I just eat sensibly. The way to lose fat is to burn more calories than you eat, all those weird, restrictive, expensive diets just trick you into eating less. It's that simple.0
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Ya it is tough and the weight coming off soooooo slowly makes it VERY discouraging
You didn't put on the weight overnight, so it's certainly not going to come off overnight. Fuel your body properly, exercise, continue educating yourself about nutrition and fitness, and have patience. :flowerforyou:0 -
I did Dr. Bernstein took 9 months to lose 90 lbs and exactly 90 to gain it back. I am now trying common sense. There is no easy way to do this and crazy diets are not the way to go. I had a nutritionist tell me to stop paying money and follow the Canada food guide. She said if more people did they would be better off. If diets like weight watchers, Dr B, south Beach worked we would not be on this site doing it ourselves. I doubt many of us have not paid big money to these commercial programs with little long term results.0
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Ya it is tough and the weight coming off soooooo slowly makes it VERY discouraging
You didn't put on the weight overnight, so it's certainly not going to come off overnight. Fuel your body properly, exercise, continue educating yourself about nutrition and fitness, and have patience. :flowerforyou:
This Its not a diet .....Work on it being a lifestyle change.0 -
I use South Beach as a rule of thumb for food choices, and log my food/water/exercise here (when I remember to do so). Atkins and South Beach seem to be pretty close; my doctor recommended a low carb diet to me. I chose South Beach because it focuses on counting carb portions rather than grams, doesn't limit veggies, and keeping saturated fats to a minimum (which with my and my family's cardiovascular history is probably a good idea). It seems a little simpler to me.
The other part is behavioral change, and that's where I think ALL diets fall down. And I think that's why so many of us have seesawed on on weights. For the behavioral part, I'm partial to Evelyn Tribole's Intuitive Eating: eat only what you like, eat when you're hungry, stop when you're satisfied, eat slowly and enjoy it, get moving and exercise. I also like that she emphasizes there are No Bad Foods. Other versions of her approach are sometimes called mindful eating. And part of it for myself is not weighing myself too often, so I don't become obsessed with what the numbers on the dial are doing.
Although Intuitive Eating frowns on using a diet, it does advise making better food choices once you've convinced yourself that you can truly eat what you want. So what seems to be working for me is: journaling here, making better choices using the South Beach guidelines, and focusing on mindful (rather than mindless) eating.0 -
i don't diet - I eat what I feel like eating and i do so in moderation and i workout 6 days a week, mix of cardio and weight training. At least to me the word diet makes me want to go to McDs and get a large fry - I go for fries when i'm stressed (haven't done so in a few months, lol)
If you research some, you will find that most of the people who go on such diets gain very quickly once they are of it (not saying there haven't been successful cases) - when you are eating mindfully and losing slowly, you are also creating good habits. A lil of everything on your plate will give you the nutrients your body needs and before you know it you start making better choices in what you are putting into your body.
Also, if you really think about your weight and how long it actually takes someone to put on those extra 20 lbs, then you are able to gain a better understanding and expectation of how long it should take you to lose it.0 -
I use South Beach as a rule of thumb for food choices, and log my food/water/exercise here (when I remember to do so). Atkins and South Beach seem to be pretty close; my doctor recommended a low carb diet to me. I chose South Beach because it focuses on counting carb portions rather than grams, doesn't limit veggies, and keeping saturated fats to a minimum (which with my and my family's cardiovascular history is probably a good idea). It seems a little simpler to me.
The other part is behavioral change, and that's where I think ALL diets fall down. And I think that's why so many of us have seesawed on on weights. For the behavioral part, I'm partial to Evelyn Tribole's Intuitive Eating: eat only what you like, eat when you're hungry, stop when you're satisfied, eat slowly and enjoy it, get moving and exercise. I also like that she emphasizes there are No Bad Foods. Other versions of her approach are sometimes called mindful eating. And part of it for myself is not weighing myself too often, so I don't become obsessed with what the numbers on the dial are doing.
I agree... I also have a friend who only ate when she was hungry and started to lose the weight like crazy. I think everyone's body is different. Actually my DR recommended I do low-no carb as an option.. I also am thinking of going to the weight loss center to see if there is anything they can come up with for me ... but I know also need to exercise and eat balanced... soooo many choices ughhhh
Although Intuitive Eating frowns on using a diet, it does advise making better food choices once you've convinced yourself that you can truly eat what you want. So what seems to be working for me is: journaling here, making better choices using the South Beach guidelines, and focusing on mindful (rather than mindless) eating.0 -
I have tried a lot of diets for a couple of reasons. I only needed to lose 10 - 15 lbs, I was lazy, I didn't want to exercise because I smoked. Every single one that I have tried I have succeeded in and lost weight. However I was nasty to everyone around me, had no energy, was irritable, couldn't concentrate - basically because I was starving to death. And the bonus - after 10 or 15 days, all of it had come back again.
This time I want health first - exercise, good eating and a lifestyle change along with that. My fridge is now stocked with fruits and veggies, I make most everything and try to stay away from packaged goods, I read labels as well.
One of the side effects of getting healthy has been a weight loss. I only have 12 more pounds to go to my goal and I have never felt better in my entire life. I am energized, not tired, eating the things I like in moderation, exercising and looking forward to it (most of the time LOL). I haven't had abs since I was 11 and swimming competitively and I am starting to see the beginning of them.
So for me - I would go the route I have gone.0 -
I think Atkins is incredible! I'm not doing it currently, but when I did it a few months ago I lost about 7 pounds in the first 2 weeks. I agree that it's never healthy to eat huge amounts of unhealthy, overly fatty foods...but in moderation they're good!0
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I heard of this awesome new diet!! I heard everyone was doing it
I think its called the "eat right and exercise diet" I'm jumping on the bandwagon!
^^I'm jumping on the same bandwagon! I don't believe in doing a strict diet...just eating better, exercising better, and not letting myself fall into the fast food slump when I'm on the go.0 -
There is no doubt that Atkins and South Beach work.
But they're NOT for me. I prefer to just count my calories and do my exercise. Losing weight is just basic maths. Eat less than you burn, and your body will burn fat stores instead. Easy.
This way is a lot easier to stick with. My mother did Atkins for a long time, and it was so hard for her socially. It was always "oh I can't eat that, I'll just have that". How boring. Eat everything, but in moderation.
And the slower you lose, the less likely you are to put it back on (not sure why, but I think it's true).
I do think of myself as being on a diet though. I have no intention of counting calories for the rest of my life.0 -
Did your diet in the past actually work? I ask because you are here again right? If you put the weight back on it didn't work ..... You have to put in your mind that it is something you have to do for the rest of your life. Not saying you can never have choclate, ice cream, cake or whatever again but you need to figure out a balance and how to fit them into your new lifestyle and what you should be consuming in calories.
I am saying this as someone who has been there done that bought the t-shirt. Never again. If all of times that I have lost weight I would have done it in a way that I could do for life I wouldn't be doing it yet again! So much wasted effort to do it all over again.
Whatever you decide to do good luck!0 -
I heard of this awesome new diet!! I heard everyone was doing it
I think its called the "eat right and exercise diet" I'm jumping on the bandwagon!
I love you, Sunshine. XD0 -
yaaaaaaaaaaay!...........but following these plans I have been able to loose 140lbs over three years.0
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Years ago I did the Adkins diet (very strictly) for 7 weeks. I lost 7 pounds, ate 1 regular meal and gained 3 1/2 pounds back! it was a pain in the *kitten*!
But I do think it works better for men than women.
I don't think fad diets are the answer. Just eat sensibly and exercise. And track it all on MFP!0 -
I heard of this awesome new diet!! I heard everyone was doing it
I think its called the "eat right and exercise diet" I'm jumping on the bandwagon!
Coming from someone who is young with a faster metabolism, probably never over weight or dealing with weight issues ooooo at the most what 20 pounds lost?! Ya I am really going to take your advice
It's been proven that a healthy diet with good variety combined with an active lifestyle is one of the best ways to have long lasting weightloss. Yes, she lost 20 pounds, but she's also built healthy muscle tone and has a wonderful body fat ratio. Just because someone is younger, does not necessarily mean that they have a faster metabolism.
Good for you if these things worked, but the point is that any "diet" is going to involve restrictions that not everyone needs. For most people, changing their diet is better than going on a "diet".0 -
Once you lose the weight following one of these diets...then what? How do you plan to maintain that loss?
That's always been my problem with "diets". Yeah they're great for losing weight quickly. So was calorie restriction. Unfortunately they don't teach you what to do to keep the weight off once you decide you don't want to follow that plan anymore.
It has taken me nearly 2yrs to lose 70lbs, and yeah that's very slow to some. But this is the first time in my life I have been able to "stick with it", and that makes me very hopeful that I can continue this way.
I hope you find what works for you too. Good luck!0 -
Your weight took years of bad eating and exercise habits to creep up on you and shouldn't be expected to come off in even a months time. Low carb diets are great if they work for you, but instead of trying to force yourself into a diet because of something you "heard", find something you can sustain, not something you do for 2 weeks before realizing you can't maintain.
Stay in a realistic (25% deficit or less) calorie deficit and your weight will slowly come off. Patience and persistence.0 -
HUGE NAY... I despise low carb diets and would never advocate for one.0
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I heard of this awesome new diet!! I heard everyone was doing it
I think its called the "eat right and exercise diet" I'm jumping on the bandwagon!
I'm almost 30, have 2 kids and have lost 57 lbs... and I say the same. You have to make realistic changes that will stick, allow yourself wiggle room and burn calories if you want to eat them. She is right-- I don't think it can be healthy to cut anything completely out of your diet,or be so restrictive that it's not something you can keep up with- for good. I mean that with healthy and not so healthy foods. You need to be able to go to a birthday party, wedding or other social even and have cake, dinner or a drink. But if you learn to do that all in moderation and not to overindulge- and to work out extra that week, you will have it and you've learned a "secret".
Good luck- and happy experimenting. Learn what works for YOU!0 -
I just started a new book that looks really promising. " six weeks to skinny jeans". I did Atkins many years ago & had great results but they obviously weren't long term. I actually feel better on a lower carb diet so this one looks doable. It's low Carb, but you also need to stay within your calorie range & it's pretty low fat so I think it's the best of both worlds. By weeks 4-6 you add back in most fruits & some complex carbs. I'm super excited to finish the book & get started! Oh, the author also has a fitness plan to follow. It claims you should drop 2 jean sizes in 6 weeks so I think it'll give me the jump start & motivation to keep eating clean, low carb for the long run. Good luck to you on your journey!0
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I think the only real way to lose and maintain it sensible eating, regular exercise. We all know that, right? That being said, sometimes we need a jump-start or boost to get us going.... I have had luck using high protein/low carb eating plans to lose some weight quickly, therefore motivating me to keep going with a reasonable, sustainable eating plan. Or once in a while, going back to it for a few days to get out of a plateau.
I know this is a lifetime commitment, but I think very few of us will sustain our weight loss without some little tricks to implement when we need a boost. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion... Sometimes the process is stop-and-go. Eventually the timing will be right and the sustainable lifestyle will fall into place.0
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