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What diets have worked for you long-term?

Posted on Nov 8th 2006 7:34PM by Brian White

Filed Under: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

We've heard them all recently -- the Atkins diet, the Zone diet and the South Beach diet. All of these "diets" are really not diets at all -- they are nutritional plans. Everyone has a "diet" these days, which is defined by Websters as "food and drink regularly provided or consumed."

So, in other words, our routine -- no matter what it is -- is a "diet". But, have you found that a plan for your personal weight loss worked recently? It may have been the "diets" of Atkins, Barry Sears or South Beach -- but what nutritional plans have worked for you for the long term?

I find that a sensible plan of five smaller meals throughout the day plus plenty of water and no soft drinks, fast food or junk food provides a very reasonable way to maintain optimum weight. Beyond that are raw meals and highly-nutritious organic foods, but cleaning your palette of years of chemical-laden and preservative-filled foods is one nasty habit to shove aside in the quest for good nutrition.

What has worked for you?

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Tags: atkins diet, AtkinsDiet, Dieting, Diets, south beach diet, SouthBeachDiet

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jim 7-31-2008 @ 10:07AM

Anyone try the http://www.grapefruit-diet.org/ ? It is said that you can lose approximately 10 pounds in 12 days without controlling the appetite.

Mike 11-08-2006 @ 11:20PM

Counting, counting, and more counting. That's how I initially lost about 40 pounds. If I ate it, I wrote it down. Limiting calories worked for a while, but really it started to drive me crazy. I couldn't enjoy myself. I knocked of another 20+ by eating 6 small meals idea, switching to whole grains, eliminating sugar, cutting down on the bad fat and upping the good fat, and water. To sum that all up, I eat very balanced and stay away from processed food.

Mind you I wouldn't have lost all that weight if I wasn't working out 4-5 days a week. But exercise is only half the battle. Now I'm a slim, 140, 5'9" guy who is much happier with myself.

monica 11-09-2006 @ 12:18AM

I used to weigh 327lbs back in 1999. I lost 200lbs and have managed to keep it off ever since. How did I do it? Sensible eating and exercise. No weird food combining... no elliminating certain food groups. It all came down to moderate eating and exercise! I did cut down on my consumption of simple carbohydrates though, swapping them for whole grains and complex carbohydrates.

I think the "diet" that comes closest to my way of eating now is the "French Women Don't Get Fat" plan. Basically it's about eating whatever you want (cheese, bread and butter, chocolate, etc.) but balancing it out and keeping the portions regulated. I may eat cheesy lasagna for lunch, but then I make sure my supper is on the lighter side and make sure I am having my 5-10 servings of fruit and veg each day.

Another thing that is important is to SLOW DOWN. Not just with food, but with everything in life. Cutting back on the stress levels and taking some "me" time out of each day has made a huge difference. I make sure I get adaquate sleep each night and spend at least 30 minutes right before I go to sleep "winding down", whether it be with reading or taking a bath. :)

There is no cure-all and "right or wrong" way to lose weight. People are different. However, I do think that for the majority of people, eating sensibly and moderately and exercising is and always will be, the most effective method for long term success.

Christine Davidson 11-09-2006 @ 9:16AM

For me the only diet / lifestyle that has been effective in helping me achieve my goals is Caloric Restriction with Optimal Nutrition, CRON. This diet is currently the only empirically validated means of significantly extending healthy lifespan. I entered into the diet for the health benefits and soon feel in love with the lifestyle. Following CRON requires that you measure and enter everything you eat into nutritional software in order to ensure you are getting all your RDA's. This process meant I had to do a lot of reading on nutrition and conduct some trial and error experimentation but the whole process has completely demystified food allowing me to make well informed choices about everything I put into my body. I feel amazing when I am carefully following CRON and feel terrible as soon as I slip from it so the diet, although difficult in the beginning, has become self reinforcing over time. I read April's CR diary (www.mprize.org/blogs/) every day in order to keep inspired and up to date with all the latest research on CRON and life extension. The future is bright and beautiful when you are making the conscious choice to walk into it with your most healthy foot forward.

San 11-09-2006 @ 11:51AM

I always tell people that i ride the sinusoid wave! I put on weight like crazy due to lack of control (riding the UP wave!) and then at some point in time, it freaks me out (reality hits!)...and then i start exercising and lose all the weight. The good part is, i know i can lose weight really quick...which ends up making me lazy, and gets me to eat more especially because i know i can lose it all!

Here's what i do to lose it...(the best is 10kgs in 2 months!)
1. sleep timings has to be perfect, and serene 7-8 hrs, at the right times!
2. eating times to be perfect too...i usually resort to non-oil rotis and some dals. Stick to three evenly spaced meals (the same meal and quantity 3 times!). The quantity should be such that, you feel hungry just one hour before your previous meal, so hungry that you can eat your colleague sitting next to you!
3. 30 minutes jogging workout...helps me keep my muscles intact while i'm losing weight.

Somehow, this has worked for me time and again. The only reason it has failed a couple times is, i lose my focus and start eating like a starved pig once again...and my spree goes down the crapper!

Wow! i've written quite a bit :D
Cheers,
San

Howie Jacobson, PhD 11-09-2006 @ 3:40PM

Caloric Restriction is great, as is any system of losing weight when you are morbidly obese. For me, entering detailed nutritional information is not a long-term recipe for success. No other animal on the planet needs to do that to stay lean and healthy, so why should humans?

If you eat lots of green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, beans, legumes, and fruit, you're automatically eating CRON, no counting required. If you start every meal with a half pound of greens, you've just filled yourself up at a cost of 50 calories. After that, your only instructions are to avoid processed foods and dairy, and limit meat to condiment-sized portions, and you can retire your spreadsheets and spend your time commenting on other people's blogs instead.