Calling all successful losers!

I'm wondering what you did to get the weight off.  Just wanting to know if most successful losers have done an eating "plan/diet" or if some people have winged it?  Did anyone out there just simply try to eat by waiting till hungry and stopping when full.  I am in this for the long haul.  I'm just having difficulty deciding on whether or not to do a certain "plan" or number of calories, etc.  I seem to get all crazy when I do anything specific.  I'm not sure why.  It makes me want everything.  Maybe it's just an excuse.

Lori, my mentor on OH, has lost over 100 pounds on Atkin's.  It's a very effective diet.

Best of luck!!

I have many plans but just can't seem to stick to them alone....*sigh*
What helped me was haveing a support  friends that were committed and know we were going to hear it if we didn't follow through. lol
smiles
Cherri

 

Boy for some strange reason, where it says Original message: it says On December 31, 1969 At 4:00 pm Pacific time, wrote: Does anyone else reading that when they post a reply? Weird. Anyway  Motherof3 if fill just like you confused about being on a plan, i start one and get so confused about am i doing it right or am i eating the right things. I just get so aggravated with diets with plans. I have one plan that i got from a weightloss clinic. It's a list of foods u can choose from to make up a meal. 4 columns u pick 1 thing out of each column and that will be ur meal. It's suppose to be a precondition type of diet to cleanse your body first, but you can stay on it as long as you want to.  I did lose 30 lbs with exercise in 3 mos time. I took this plan to my ob/gyn when i was pregnant with my second child and asked him if i could follow it while i was pregnant and he said he didn't see why not being that i have every thing from the food group in it. You have fruit, veggies, meat and pasta/grains. I followed this one and i only gained 15 lbs the whole time i was pregnant. So I"m gonna get this out and follow it. If anyone is interested i could email them the list. i forgot all about this plan intil today when i was researching about glycemic index diets.

Brandy

I have lost 75 lbs on Medifast, but an feeling my body telling me I need more fiber. I am thinking of moving to something Atkins like. I thought savory carbs were my only problem (chips, 'taters, pasta) but I now see that I also am sugar addicted. My body is prety screwed up from years of trying to find the key.

Yeah, ticker says 85 - it was true about a month ago.

I "winged" it. I've been on every diet imaginable.  I created something that became a way of life, not a diet.
While losing all my excess weight, my food plan consisted of (and still does) 5-6 meals per day; I strive to eat protein at most of them; there are no off limits food although now, many foods to me are not worth the calories so I don't eat them; and I exercise everyday (except when I'm recovering from surgery).  My workouts include various types of cardio - running, walking, elliptical, spinning - and weight training with a personal trainer.  I love being in the gym and working my butt off and building muscle.
When I was overweight, I ate out 5-7 times per week.  I now eat out 1-2 times per week because sometimes you never really know how food is prepared in a restaurant.  I take the time to plan what I'm going to eat and cook, if necessary.  I also order food from a local business that prepares food for bodybuilders.  I measure my food so that I don't underestimate what I eat.  I NEVER binge eat anymore; the urge is not there.  Simply, I'd rather be normal-sized than eat without limits.  Food is not worth it to me anymore.
Best wishes with whatever plan you follow,
Kim

Thank you both for posting.  I am not going to give up this time but I'm just not sure if I can do this without a "plan".  At the same time I'm not sure I can handle a "plan" because I always seem to go crazy when I do one.  I'm really confused.  Right now, I'm just trying not to overeat and also exercising.  I haven't exercised for a few days.  Partly b/c of doing some work on my business that has taken the WHOLE day and b/c I got really sick Thurs. night and felt miserable Fri.. I went to the doc and she said I have bronchitis.  The only way to keep from PAINFULLY coughing as much is to sit still.  Bummer.  But again, I'm not giving up this time.  Not at all.

Anyone else want to share?

Hmmm,  let me think a minute.  If you still have ten to fifteen pounds  to shed, that REFUSE to leave the building no matter how hard you work your A$$, does that make one totally successful?  Maybe I'll put it this way.  I've been successful at losing 129 pounds and managed to keep it off for two years, so that's my success story.

Like most here, I've been on every plan known to mankind.  But the thing about 'plans' is that they are not all one size fits all.  This is my opinion on 'plans'.  When you are young, barring unforeseen health reasons, you can lose on pretty much any program.  But over the years, your body's metabolism can turn on you in a heartbeat and before you know it, what worked for you earlier no longer works no matter how hard you work it.  What helped me the most was finding out that I was insulin resistant.  So I know that low fat was no longer useful for my particular metabolism.  Then I found out that I was VERY sensitive to carbs...eating them made me crave more carbs, which led to eating really bad stuff.  So for me, other than eating nothing, Atkins is the only plan that helped me lose weight.  So yes, I'm on a strict plan, but I've learn to like it cuz it's the right one for me and makes me feel better when I'm working it.  And for me, it makes it easier if you tell me what I can and can't eat and then I'll make up recipes with the ingredients that are allowed.

If you think about it, trying not to overeat is your plan.  To me that is the hardest plan of all because it has no structure and has very little return for your effort in the long run.  I know for me, trying not to overeat is like telling me not to breathe.  I was raised overeating!  That's why I like Atkins, I'm not hungry after the first three days, and with Atkins, if you are hungry, you get to eat.  And on the days that your body is craving more fuel, you get to eat.  Me, I like to eat, and keeping your body fueled with the right food is liberating.  Before you know it, you have enough energy to actually live your life!   Gotta love that!

Hey, while you are forced to sit still, tighten your butt muscles and hold for the count of thirty, then release.  Keep that up and you'll have tight buns just resting on your laurels!  

Mary   

Thanks Mary!  If you don't mind me asking.  How long did it take you to lose that much weight on Atkins?  Did you work up to about 40 -60 carbs (I think that's what I read a long time ago was the mainstay of Atkins)? 

Thanks for all the info guys!