Wish me luck. I'm starting a diet again. This time it will be low carbohydrate but not as strict as

[applegrove]

atkins. I'm also going to try and keep eating around 1200 calories a day. And I'll see if I can ween myself off of diet coke because I hear that can mess up weight loss. I think simply eating less junk will improve my mood.

[lazarus]

1. go to straight water

did wonders for me. I'm doing 1,000 calories a day, more or less, but I had lap-band a few months ago. It can be rough.

Best tip I've found so far: Write down everything you put in your mouth. Every drink of water, every nibble of an olive, everything. You'll be surprised, and will likely reduce the amount you eat without even trying.

[applegrove]

2. Great ideas. Did you find you could loose weight more easily when you went off diet cola?

[joeybee12]

4. Diet Cola makes me hungrier...I eat less when i cut down on it...

...try water instead....good luck.

[lazarus]

10. I was drinking sweet tea

made with Splenda. I don't know how much difference the straight water made, but that's what my gastric surgeon's nutritionist goes on about, water, water, water.

For snacks, try garlic-stuffed green olives. They pack a flavor punch, so you only need a couple to satisfy a craving. I do that and fruit (strawberry season is winding down, sadly, and peaches in California suck) for any extra-meal eating.

[backwoodsbob]

12. wife is dieting..has an app for her droid

that counts calories and fat and protein for her.she can scan a barcode b4 she eats and it will figure her daily allowance for her diet.

She has lost 50 pounds this way and at 155 looks DAMNED good.

[blue_roses_lib]

15. Do you know the name of the app?

I've got an HTC Hero, and this might help me stay focused on my own weight loss.


LoveloveLOVE your sig line BTW.

:hi:

[handmade34]

3. best of luck, really! I would suggest...

no soda, no coke!! ... water, maybe a thin slice of lemon. Tea.

try to eliminate as much processed food as possible...

when you're hungry brush your teeth :-)

[applegrove]

6. Also great ideas.

[MorningGlow]

5. Great idea

If you have a penchant for junk food, especially sweets, try replacing it with a handful of almonds, a homemade smoothie (I make mine with chocolate or vanilla almond milk, which is also great to drink straight), or some watermelon. It works!

[applegrove]

7. Thanks for the encouragement.

[TheManInTheMac]

8. Junk food is a big problem in our diets...

I hate to say it, cause I loves me some junk. Problem is, the only nutrients you get are calories, so your body is still crying out for more. And low carb is a good way to go for some people. I did Atkins for 6 months and dropped about 30 pounds and shaved 60 points off of my cholesterol. Increased my good cholesterol to a level that had my doc marveling.

Alas, though, I've slid back to my old ways.:-(

[applegrove]

9. I did atkins and lost 25 pounds. Since I've stopped I've gained back 15.

So this time I will go easy on the carbs and try and stick to a diet of less than 1200 calories a day. But I went out for lunch today and of course went right for the Reuben instead of a salad.

[TheManInTheMac]

11. The reuben might actually have been better than the salad...

lot of "hidden carbs" in salad dressings. Also the tomatoes, cukes and other fixin's can turn salads into a high-carb meal. I think you could've had the reuben sans bread. Still loaded with calories though, if it's a proper deli there's probably three inches of corned beef on that mo-fo. :-)

[grasswire]

13. if I have to eat a sandwich out, I take off one slice of bread...

...and either put the remaining two halves together or eat it with a knife and fork. Losing that extra slice of bread helps.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

17. If you reserve your carbs for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you'll be fine...

I'm currently down 25 pounds this summer. Started with three weeks of Atkins (I've done it before - years ago) and then switched to basically a Mediterranean Diet after that.

Biggest factor, IMHO, as someone remarked upthread, is that I got a YMCA membership and have been hitting the gym vigorously. I think any reasonably healthy diet will be effective if its combined with exercise.

[pink-o]

14. I'm a ex-serial dieter. If it helps, let me pass on what I've learned..

One of the most effective ways to lose weight is to take the plate of food in front of you, scoop up half of each portion and put it away for later. Portions are out of control in this country; you find if you eat less of everything you're still satisfied, you can eat almost anything you want, and you'll still lose. If half seems to radical, try removing a third and work your way up to it.

Also, I can't stress this enough: Find an activity you love and get moving. If you call it something other than "exercise" it tends to be more palatable. I personally love to cycle, but I'm no Lance Armstrong I don't have to be a racer. Yoga's always a good discipline, or swimming is actually the best activity for you. Just try a few, no stress, and see what you like best.

Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet to weight loss. It's calories in, calories out, and the more you burn the more you'll lose. Take it from me, I tried every shortcut ever published in every book, and I failed at all of them. The failure just makes you feel worse, like you're weak and it's your fault, and you make yourself feel better with a bag of Cheese Nips or something. But I finally ditched the diets and started moving; now I'm a Size 4. It took a lot longer than I wanted it to, but I've kept the weight off for almost 2 years.

[blue_roses_lib]

16. Good advice all.

In re the portion control... this country is so out of control with portions... I will add that half may seem like a lot (it did to me anyway), but as I started eating less, I found that my stomach got used to it, and I felt pleasantly satiated with less food.


It really is as simple as calories in and calories out. I have also found that when I don't diet, I feel "better" and as a bonus lose some weight. The trick is in understanding the difference between a temp "diet" and a permanent lifestyle change.