Good Diets?

[0reo]

Anyone want to make any recommendations for good diets? I need to trim off some extras . I know this probably isn't the best time of the year to be doing so, but I can be very committed when I'm serious.

I'm not into diets where it requires me to only eat 500 calories a day or crunch on celery for 3 months. Those are unreasonable and not to mention very unhealthy.

Let me know. I appreciate your help.

[Rathji]

True Star. It balances your fat, protien and carbs and limits some stuff like pop to off limits. I lost 40lbs over one summer and have kept it off. The first 2 days I was hungry, because I am a big boy. I added a snack or 2 and was fine after that.

The first week or so I had to weigh stuff, but after that I knew how much food I was supposed to eat. The biggest thing I learned from True Star was just how much my body needed. When I was growing up, I never learned about when to stop eatting or how much you should be eatting. Now I know.

[Peanut]

I've really been enjoying "Clean Eating". I have some books/cookbooks by Tosca Reno.

It's less of a diet and more of a lifestyle change to just wayyyyy healthier eating.

[SixtySix]

Enter the necessary info here:

http://www.healthyweightforum.org/en...ories-required

You can eat anything you want, it's all about counting your calories.

[burnin_vernon]

I've known a few people who've had success with Body For Life. It is a very simple eating plan. As far as I know, there is no calorie counting involved.

[Bill Bumface]

Burn more calories than you eat.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Burn more calories than you eat.

That's been working for me.

I was REALLY REALLY big and I hated going to the doctor because I knew he'd read me the riot act. He even threatened to toss me as a patient if I didn't start taking my weight seriously.

So I've gone from 340 to 250 since July. I credit most of that to "LoseIt" on the iPhone. It counts my calories for me.

I didn't need to change WHAT I was eating too much, only how much of it I was eating. Some things I dropped like french fries because there was just way tooooo many calories. But most things I am still eating but reducing the portion.

One thing I can recommend is Weight Watchers bread. If you make a sandwich with deli meats, usually there is more bread than filling. With the weight watchers bread, the meat sticks out the sides. Less bread = less calories.

So Saturday I had 2100 calories, Friday 1900, Thursday 1200, Wednesday 1900, Tuesday 1900, Monday 2000. So I'm not starving myself. The iPhone is giving me a limit of 1600 per day + whatever I do for exercise. So on Mondays I swim for 45 minutes which burns 450 calories, so my actual limit is 2050. Like I said, it seems to be working thus far.

[SportsJunky]

Whenever I want to drop weight fast I tend to go back to 20 carbs/day. It is pretty much the Atkins Induction phase. I don't see how anyone can maintain eating like this for an extended period of time(I did it for two months a few years back and dropped 25 lbs.) but for a couple of weeks you should be able to handle it. It is amazing how our bodies can get "addicted" to ("bad")carbs and refined sugars. My problem is I feel great when I finish the two weeks but then slowly go back to old habits.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

So I've gone from 340 to 250 since July.

Wow, that is amazing. Good for you man.

[firebug]

No diet works.

What is needed is a lifestyle change.

Also, I have recently downloaded LoseIt for my iPhone, and am shocked at my usual caloric intake.

Comments from Steven Novella (NeuroLogica Blog):
"To summarize, in my opinion here are the best diet recommendations that can be made from existing evidence: - Eat a varied diet, mostly plant-based
- Limit carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (simple sugars and starches)
- Do not diet for weight loss. Rather, employ reasonable portion control and exercise regularly.
- Whatever you do for weight control, make sure it is sustainable long term. You should be happy with your diet and exercise should be fun and convenient. Anything that seems burdensome will likely not last and be of no long term utility.
- And most importantly – completely ignore diet fads, diet books, or any product that promises easy weight loss. They are scams."

[GreenLantern]

If you want to see some really good results, start exercising as well. Swim like DA said, or go on the elliptical a few times a week. Maybe start weight training two or three times a week as well. You don't have to just dive in to a 6 day training program like most gyms will try and force on you. Just start slow, get comfortable and pick up a few more days/work outs as you go. The key to consistency and actually sticking to a work out/diet plan is enjoying it. If you aren't enjoying it, or liking your results, you need to change something asap.

Eating healthy is such a great feeling. It can have adverse smug effects though, so make sure you watch out for those.

Don't starve yourself, if you are hungry, eat. But eat something that is right for you. Some people really enjoy fresh produce, others really enjoy whole wheat muffins. Some people like plain bran cereal. Find something you like, that is good for you, and use that as your safety food. Something you can pull out whenever you are jonesing and get a quick fix.

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by firebug

Also, I have recently downloaded LoseIt for my iPhone, and am shocked at my usual caloric intake.

Absolutely. I was shocked when I first started. Things I thought were "good for you" were chock full of calories. So I started switching things out. For example, I'd have corn, peas, potatoes and some tofu-"meat". I knew the corn and potatoes were bad, but they were shockingly high in calories. So I cut the potatoes in half and replaced the corn with carrots. That cut 250 calories off a weekly meal alone. Chips during the hockey game became popcorn. Hamburger Helper - well, the unopened boxes got donated to the food bank. Instead I'll have a M & M veggieburger, some steamed veggies and some almonds for desert. With the help of LoseIt you quickly learn what works and what does not.

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

If you want to see some really good results, start exercising as well. Swim like DA said, or go on the elliptical a few times a week. Maybe start weight training two or three times a week as well.

Absolutely. AND FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY!!! I use a stationary bike for exercise and absolutely abhor it. But if I put the bike in front of the 50in. plasma and throw on some 'Criminal Minds', the time passes quicker. But I REALLY enjoy swimming. Plus I go at 6:30 in the morning before work and that's when all the seniors are there.... so I feel like I'm super fast. Some people like dancing, some like running.... find what works.

I think weight training may be next for me. I've been avoiding it since I want to lose weight, not add weight. But when losing large amounts of weight the body loses fat AND lean tissue. So I need to build up the lean tissue or my metabolism will reduce.

One neat thing about LoseIt is that I feel like I'm playing an RPG, but with my own stats. It makes you want to exercise more and eat less crap food. Previously I would never write anything down, so I would end up underestimate the food I ate and overestimate the calories burned exercising. Recording everything really helps keep things under control.