there is no perfect diet-but tell me what worked for you!
Please gals, tell us what worked for you. Many of us, myself included, are grasping at straws trying to find something that may work. Keeping in mind that what worked for you may not work for us, we'd all like to hear your story of what worked for you.
What worked for me: Low carb, with an emphasis on whole, natural foods like vegetables, eggs, meat, oils, and nuts. I don't eat "low-carb" foods like LC pasta and bread -- the more natural, the better.
For me, it is the perfect diet because I'm never hungry and I can eat as much veggies and meat as I want. It's helping my insulin resistance and I went from 153 to 140 in about 3 months (this is with exercise). My skin cleared up, too.
__________________ PCOS symptoms since age 11 (heavy acne & oily skin, minor weight issues & hirsutism) Irregular AF (38-45 days) after stopping BCP at age 29 Dx PCOS at age 32 Hypoglycemia and IR
TTC #1 since 08/08 08/09 1st Clomid cycle 50mg No O... Provera...
Paleo Diet Yoga, outdoor activity, and weights Acupuncture & TCM Fish Oil, Cal-Mag, & multi-vitamin
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In late October 2005 when I was first diagnosed, I weighted 204lbs, smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and hadn't had a period in two years. Today, I weight 140lbs, have regular cycles and normal labs. I can also squat 210lbs, do pull ups, bang off 35 push ups without a break and run a kilometer in under four minutes (needless to say, I quit smoking and started exercising, too).
It's taken a while to find a way of eating that is perfect for me. I started with the IR diet (multiple small meals, pairing carbs with more protein-rich foods), moved into a bodybuilding diet when I started exercising (Body for Life - six small meals, higher protein, lower fat) and then started eating more for athletic performance when I started doing more endurance running as well as the weight lifting (Dr. John Berardi's Precision Nutrition - five or six small meals, LOTS of veggies, higher protein with moderate carbs and fat).
Since becoming a hardcore CrossFitter, I've been playing around with paleo and went strict paleo in July. The diet is comprised of veggies, meat, fruit and nuts (it's a higher fat, moderate protein and lowish carb). There is a huge emphasis placed on food quality... whole foods that are as close to nature as you can get. I LOVE paleo eating. I feel so awesome eating this way. While it might look limiting at first without dairy or grains, the food tastes unbelievably good. It does help knowing how to cook, though! It also does a fantastic job of powering my athletic performance. I've seen crazy gains since going strict paleo!
Looking back on how I used to live, I have no idea how I actually functioned as a human being. I was tired all of the time and just felt like crap - zero energy, emotionally pretty down all of the time, constipated (TMI?), stressed out. Blah! I am so glad I said "screw it" and decided to live a better life.
__________________ Went from illness to wellness to fitness!
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Last edited by TheBumbler; 10-13-2009 at 03:43 PM.
I've lost 20 pounds so far. I actually believe the first 20 was way easier than what I'm working on now, which is the next 20 because everything initially is kind of a shock to the system. Basically, my body was like, whoa, you're restricting my calories? And working me out? Allritey then, let's shed some pounds, lol. Now, my body is used to it, so it's like, hey, same old story, better mix it up if you want some weight loss.
Anyway, I started at just under 200 pounds, 5'6, apple shape. I decided to really focus on my calories in vs calories out and while this might seem difficult to do, there are so many tools out there.
1. Calorie counting websites (dailyplate, calorieking, caloriecount)
You can look up every single item you eat and track it. Furthermore, you can identify how many cals it takes to maintain your weight and how many to lose 1, 2, 3, etc pounds per week.
2. I created a deficit by staying within my cal goals per websites above and by integrating exercise. But the major focus was diet, not exercise. I could miss exercise and still lose weight because I was eating below my caloric needs to maintain 200lbs, get it? However, exercise was great because I felt stronger, more positive, and even trained and completed a 5k. Also, exercising allows you to eat more. I know that might not make sense now, but once you get into calorie counting, it will click.
3. I joined a gym I would actually attend. I never wanted to go to the gym at the uni I worked at bc it was full of college aged kids, chatting away, or hogging the weights. I found one that worked for me (women only) and it's made all the difference.
4. I integrated fun exercises like DDR or pilates/lifting and zumba classes.
5. I didn't deny myself treats. I just ate far less because I needed to stay in my calorie goals. I also didn't need to eat so much because I would be full of healthy, fibrous or protein rich foods that sort of eliminated the crummy food craving.
6. I bought a heart rate monitor. This, along with the calorie counting website, has been my biggest weight loss saviors. No longer did I have to estimate how many cals I burned on my runs or classes, it was all there on my watch. Why leave out such a huge part of the equation (calories out)? I wish I had known about it sooner, but better late than never.
Good luck everyone, let me know if you have questions
I lost lost 44lbs! Weight watchers got me started with group support, learning healthier eating and learning to count calories using the easier point system My budget got a little tighter so I quit going to the meeting but I'm still tracking my calories on my own at home. As my calories go down with the weight loss the healthier my eating becomes. Start small with little goals is my advice It's all about what works for you
i swear by weight watchers. i can eat anything that i want as long as i stay within my points value each day and can even roll my points over if i need to ovber a week for a big blow out on food and still lose weight. i have been following the plan second time around for a week and have already lost 5lbs of weight without having to excercise. ( i hate excercise and cannot motivate myself to do it.) the first time i did weight watchers i lost a stone in 5 weeks still eating the things i enjoyed.
As soon as I was diagnosed I went to a dietician. She put me on a diabetic diet. Basically minimal sugar, whole grains and nothing white (white rice, white bread and potatos). I kept track of everything I put in my mouth for a month. I learned what I can and can't eat by staying withing the recomended carbs, fat, protien and calories for my weight. With that and Metformin I've lost 17lbs since July.
- No wheat & minimal amount of other white carbs. White carbs make me bloated and very tired.
- No sugar. I've always been normal weight, eaten quite healthily and exercised. But only cutting out sugar made my cellulite go away.
- No milk & minimal amount of other dairy. This has made a huge improvement to my acne.
I've found what works best for me is something that is sustainable in the long term and not the quickfix/food group elimination type diets.
I've lost around 40 pounds by mostly eating my favourite foods but in healthier ways. Eg. I'm a huge junk food lover so i'll try make home made burgers with wholemeal buns and oven baked wedges or ill make healthier pita pizzas with low fat cheese etc. I also cut out adding sugar to my coffee/tea and dont drink any sugary drinks. I basically drink tea/coffee/grean tea or water.
Also a huge aspect of my weight loss has been tracking my calories on calorieking. Before hand I thought I was eating healthy but I was seriously underestimating the amount of calories I actually consumed. I think it really helps you to make better food choices, because you know exactly what you are consuming. And I also found that I can eat some of my favourite foods in moderation and work them into my daily calorie allowance.
This combined with a bit of exercise most days has been the best way for me because I dont feel totally deprived and I feel like I can eat like this for the rest of my life and be satisfied. Exercise is pretty important too, I notice my weight flies off when I add exercise, even if its just a little bit.
So in a nutshell, keep track of your calories/exercise even if its just a little at first/substitute naughty high cal foods for healthier lower cal options.
The South Beach Diet is working for me so far. It's really not a diet at all in my opinion, just a good way to develop healthy eating habits. Since it was created for patients with diabetes and/or heart disease it's sort of low carb/low sugar. There are great recipes in there that I absolutely adore and my boyfriend eats everything I do and swears that the food can't possibly be good for us because it tastes so good. If you're not much into recipes or following the diet so strictly, I'd recommend using the food lists within the book when grocery shopping, it's been a big help for me. Just check out my pics below.
I started my diet at 200lbs and lost a total of 29lbs in a month in a half.I am on the yeast free diet. I found out about the yeast free diet on this website. I forgot who posted it, but she lost 50lbs and counting. I follow the yeastinfectionadvisors.com diet plan. I no longer have to take metformin. I stopped taking it before I started the diet because of side effects and it wasn't helping. I did not purchase anything from the website, I just go to my local health soter. Evefrything I purchase I make sure it does not contain yeast or can cause yeast to multiply. I haven't worked out yet, but plan too. My energy level has went up and no longer need to take a thousand naps a day. I do wake up more energized as well. I love the yeast free diet.
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TTC: 2 years saw palmetto vitamin e prenatal vitamin fish oil gynema glucomannan herbal liver complex vitex NAC probiotics To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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I have been following Medi Weight loss centers' program since May 1st this year. It is a physician supervised diet plan that is calorie and carb-controlled, and emphasizes regular exercise in addition to diet. I have lost over 87 pounds in less than 7 months. I do 2 yoga classes per week, walk/run 2-3 other days per week. I started out wearing a size 24W and 2x shirt, now I am wearing a size L and 14 (regular). I'm 5'9".
I have about 18 more pounds to lose to get to my goal, which will put me in the "normal" weight category for BMI. My focus is on activities I can maintain long term. This has been a huge lifestyle change and I cannot say enough about it!
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there is no perfect diet-but tell me what worked for you! 
