I need to lose weight. What's the best diet?

[charlyvi]

I don't like meat too much and eggs give me a stomach ache. Any suggestions?

[Misunderestimator]

1. You can still do a low-carb diet without meat and eggs

Do you like fish, chicken, cheese, plenty of vegetables?

[charlyvi]

3. I love fish and chicken

I like veggies, but cheese is not on my most favorite list. Is low carb still viable?

[Misunderestimator]

7. Absolutely... If you cut the carbs, eat lots of veggies

and chicken and fish, you've got yourself a low-carb diet... After I got to a certain age and my metabolism seemed to slow down, I've been able to easily maintain my weight this way... and no suffering, very healthy (as long as you don't do what some people do and misinterpret the diet as being completely no-carb, and you eat lots of veggies).

[charlyvi]

9. Do you have any good veggie recipes?

I tend to just steam mine; it can get boring after a while.

[Misunderestimator]

10. Not much of a cook myself...

Steamed and raw and lots of salads.

[rwenos]

2. Best Diet is "Less of Everything" n/t

[kikiek]

4. Really it is about eating healthy and exercising. Good portion sizes

and not too much fat or carbs. Even walking every day helps for exercise.

[charlyvi]

6. I can live without the fat....

don't like meat, butter, fried foods. But I LOVE carbs. Can't stand whole wheat pasta, but like whole wheat bread. Do you think eating less and walking more will do the trick?

[kikiek]

16. Yeah..might take awhile to see results, but they're more likely to

be permanent. The key to keeping it off is the exercise becoming part of your life. Be patient! Like a few months before you really start to show it if you want to lose a lot. Look at those frozen food meals...those are normal portions! And quit eating early like 5 pm or 6 pm. Good luck and I really hope you do well. I think you will. Also don't forget to get your calcium and magnesium. Sounds like you like good foods already. Probably easier for you than most.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

12. Yes. If you restrict calories, and do even mild/moderate exercise

including walking like 5 times a week, weight WILL be lost. It's just hard for people to adhere to this. Either difficult schedules or they are just unwilling.

[kikiek]

20. We love our couches! I work out in the morning and evening. It isn't

easy most mornings, but I feel great when I am done.

[Emboldened Chimp]

5. Balanced meals, regular exercise...

It's that simple. Find out how many calories your body needs to eat, then space out said calories over the course of three meals and one or two snacks. Don't eat junk food, fast food, or snacks, and maybe even lay off alcohol for a bit (or moderate it to one or two drinks a week). Then get yourself on to a regular exercise routine: 3 days of cardio, 2 days of weights. Do this for 6-12 months and you will notice a signficiant, and lasting, difference. It takes discipline, but it's worth it.

[charlyvi]

8. I like my red wine each day.....

Is that a definite no-no?

[FlemingsGhost]

11. The best diet is reccommended by a qualified professional.

Certainly not from folks chattering on an online forum.

[Misunderestimator]

13. Well, you can pretty much say that about ANY advice one asks here

no? Why point out the obvious? Besides, sometimes qualified professionals are wrong. And you can ALWAYS find completely opposing opinions by multiple qualified professionals on the same subject.

[captainjack]

14. even then, a diet is a common sense thing

lots of fruits/leafy greens, legumes, etc, moderate fat and protein and moderate exercise. this diet is the best out there! it's harder to do than just eating the right foods, but you HAVE to put in some hard work at the gym too. lifting weights and building some muscle will also help you to lose fat(you'll gain weight but you'll be lean)

good luck!

[charlyvi]

15. Okay, but.....

folks chattering on an online forum can give advice; I can take or leave it depending on my common sense. Ease up and give us all a little bit of credit.

[charlyvi]

17. Thanks for the tips everyone!

You folks are the BEST.

[UrbScotty]

18. The Seven-Word Diet

Burn more calories than you take in.

[VOX]

19. Smaller portions, no straight sugars, and EXERCISE...

There's no getting around exercise -- it is essential to weight loss, and maintaining proper weight. Dieting alone doesn't do it -- the weight will come back guickly, and it's not altogether healthy to yo-yo up and down with dieting.

You've gotta exercise. It's that simple.

[Misunderestimator]

22. I'd agree with that... no getting around it.

And it feels so goooooood too.

[lightbulb]

21. I lost 12 pounds in a month eating whole foods

I was doing it for health reasons, but was not unhappy with the weight loss. Eat mostly raw fruits and vegetables, with lesser amounts of nuts, eggs, and lean, non-ground lightly cooked/seared meats. Drink lots of spring water. Don't consume anything else. At all. Seriously. You don't need anything else to be healthy. But eat as much as you want of the above.

Pounds will drop fast. This is a super-healthy way to live, and much less toxic than diets that include milk/butter products (especially pasteurized dairy). I read something that inspired me to stick to this diet religiously for six weeks:

"Is this going to be hard to maintain? Yes. Is this going to be the hardest thing you have ever had to do? If it is, you've had a pretty easy life so far, haven't you?"

[charlyvi]

23. What about beans?

I LOVE beans. More than meat or fruit.

[elepet]

25. weight loss

I did something like that and lost 20 pounds in 5 months. and am keeping it off.Mostly it's the mindset that matters.
I wrote a whole article(actually chapter in book) about the process.
I'd be glad to post or email if anyone is interested. but it's pretty long.

[wickerwoman]

24. I like South Beach.

There's a whole testimonial thread in the meeting room.

I'm too busy to count calories every day so just following the general guidelines on South Beach works great.

It's all about managing hunger better instead of fixating on numbers. It starts from the basic premise that if you're ravenously hungry, you're going to cheat. The problem I had with every other diet was that I have a job that requires a lot of mental focus and energy. If I don't have that, I'm heading for the vending machines. Carrots don't cut it. And it's not a question of discipline- it's a question of not looking like an unfocused idiot and getting fired.

On South Beach, you use the Glycemic Index to choose foods that keep you full for as long as possible.

They have the same restricted two week phase as Atkins (but you can eat tofu or veggies or lots of other things if you don't like eggs) and after that you can eat pretty much anything you like as long as it doesn't bring back cravings or stall your weight loss.

I'm a major chocohalic but after three days, I didn't even miss it. No cravings, no dizzy mind-wandering blood sugar crashes in the mid-afternoon. It's great.

I'm down 35 pounds after 6 months but I haven't been on the diet continuously. I went off it for the month I was on vacation and didn't gain any of the weight back.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

[flvegan]

26. Veganism and exercise

Lose weight, feel great, live longer.

[charlyvi]

27. I know I sound stupid, but.....

what exactly is veganism? I keep hearing about it, but no one explains it to me.

[MissB]

28. Vegans

Vegans consume no animal products. Most don't wear animal products. There is some disagreement whether honey is acceptable or not.

An example: vegetarian might have butter or cheese, while a vegan would not.

If you are interested in vegetarianism or even in a vegetarian diet, you could check out vegsource.com

[TexasLady]

29. Walkin'

but it needs to be about forty five minutes a day.

i just lost 25 pounds in two months this summer eating lots of times during the day, smaller portions of what I liked, and even occasionally having a beer or two..

Maintaining, and lovin it..

[UTUSN]

30. I Need to Lose--------BADLY-------

Started today---------salad.

[GOPisEvil]

31. Weight loss is about math.

Calories burned must be greater than calories taken in. There are estimators of calorie burn on the internets. ;-) Read labels and figure how much you are intaking. When I first started losing weight, I limited myself to less than 500 calories for breakfast and dinner, then ate whatever I wanted for lunch. Eliminate empty calories like most beverages. I drink water 95% of the time. When the change in diet stopped, I incorporated exercise to burn off more calories.

[Awsi Dooger]

33. Water is a great start

I like to eat big portions so I needed to compensate somewhere. Almost 20 years ago I began drinking water almost exclusively, close to your 95%. Now it's orange juice for breakfast then water the remainder of the day. Soft drinks have a repulsive taste to me now.

Plenty of walking is terrific also. I walk on the golf course even if they insist on paying for a cart. I'll park long distances away in parking lots just for a couple hundred yards to and from the store. And always the stairs, never an elevator or escalator.

[bobaloo2]

32. I agree with lighbulb

I've found the best way to diet for me is to eat good food, whole grains, fruits, veggies, good cheese, lean meat, real bread, and to eliminate all junk food from my diet. Junk foods are generally packed with trash calories, but if you eat good food you will be satisfied and not have the cravings that come with junk food. When I want a snack I eat an apple or a pear or something similar.

The other difficult aspect is to learn to eat when you are actually hungry, not by the clock. No more, "oh, it's noon, I need to eat lunch." Rather, ask yourself if you're really hungry, and if not, don't eat. Learn to break free of the breakfast, lunch, dinner trap and eat when your body tells you it needs food. For example, what works for me, is something small like a bagel about 10 a.m., then a light dinner about 7 p.m. Others would starve on that, but it works for me.

I've lost about 40 pounds in the last 8 months just by following the above suggestions, without ever feeling like I was "dieting" or going hungy. The gist of both tip 1 and 2 above is to learn to listen to your own body. As you eliminate junk from your diet it will cease to even be appealing to you, your body knows that it's not good for you. Once you become sensitive to that, it's not a chore to avoid it, you simply lose the desire to eat it, which is much better in the long run.

[norml]

34. The Hunger Diet

they all sell the loose weight,and not be hungry line,but if you really want to take off some pounds,you're going to have to cultivate,and learn to love the feeling of being hungry. On another tack,Atkins is the bunk. It's good to cut down on the white sugar,and white flour,and don't forget to stop eating hydrogenated oils,but when you start to worry about the sugar content of a carrot,yet think it's healthy to eat pounds of bacon,you've gone too far.

[bloodyjack]

35. Become vegan?

It probably won't work because it's so much easier to live without consuming animal by-products than it used to be, say, a decade ago (and, believe it or not, the cuisine is actually kind of enjoyable) but think of how good you will feel to not live and let settle your food like a beast

Granted I'm not vegan but everyone knows meat's what kills people

[Zinfandel]

36. Got it!

Low carbs, and Low FAT, --- like chicken breast...

NO SUGAR!

Hit the beach, just walk...if thats what the way one feels...

And simply, lastly....DON"T eat after dinner.

No soda's Drink... (always) WATER!

And you WILL kick ass!

[haele]

37. Check with a good doctor...

One that will work with you with the following issues:

1) Are you really overweight? or do you just need to "tone up"? Is it pounds or inches? How quickly do you want to lose the weight?
2) Does your family have a history of being "big", or "small"? Are they "weedy runner types" or "big ol' farm folks"? What sort of chronic issues do they have
3) Metabolism tests - especially thyroid, hormonal, blood (esp. liver functions), cholestoral. What medicines are you taking? Do you drink alcohol much, and do you smoke? How's your heart and lung function?
These tests and questions will do a lot to indicate whether you'd do better on a low carb, low fat, low protien, vegetarian, or simply a more balanced diet.
4) What is your current diet? Whatever your diet, you should look to start cutting out highly processed and/or "fast" foods. What is your current amount of excersise? How much stress are you under?
5) If you need excersise, what sort of exercises should you do for your best "effect"? If you don't excersise, how should you ease into it; would it be better or easier for you to weight train, do aerobics, do yoga or martial arts, jog, bicycle, or swim?

If you are grossly overweight or sedintary, you may need a lot of help with your doctor, a nutritionalist, and a trainer to get where you want to go. If it's just slimming down an inch or so to fit into a 20-year old suit or dress for New Years or College Reunion/Homecomming, you might do well with just trading out the sodas and beer for juice and water and start up a tai-chi class and morning work-out.
Of course, if it's all just a case of "less processed food, more excersise" after a minor period of weight gain due to more processed food and less excersise, you should be able to lose the weight without much trouble without a doctor's advice.

Oh, and whatever you do, work on cutting down your personal stress levels - which should ease up a whole lot for everyone come November 3 and the announcement "Kerry in a Landslide!"

:hi:

Haele