weight loss diets

[bebe luna]

Just curious... I know pregnancy (and life in general) can add a few or more lbs. What weight loss methods/ diets/lifestyle changes have you found successful- both in losing the weight and keeping it off? Please include any supplements you may have taken and excersise plans. I am not trying to lose weight but I know some who are and I'm interested in the variety of answers a poll can get. Thanks.

[Hayday]

Weight loss

I am certainly not a believer in weight-loss diets but because of health issues, I recently had to cut out all sugar and refined carbs. This has resulted in me losing 10 pounds in weight (over several months). I have also been amazed at the amount of foods that contain sugar/honey/maple syrup etc.

[ColesMom]

This isn't really a "weight loss diet", more of a lifestyle - eating basically no fat and no animal products. This in conjunction with moderate exercise daily for 40 minutes or more = dropping unnecessary weight, but that's not the purpose - the purpose is to live more healthfully, which I guess does include not being overweight.

It's all set out in books by Dr. McDougal - one that IS focussed on weight loss is :McDougal's Plan for Maximum Weight Loss.

[Snickerdoodle]

The jury is still out on the keeping it off part, but I followed a "Dr. Phil" approach. I identified 10 things that caused me to keep on weight (that 2pm Snickers, for instance) and then identified 10 things that I would do to eat better (i.e. replace that Snickers with an apple). So far I've lost 11lbs in 5 months, and I feel much better about how I'm treating my body.

[sagewinna]

Originally posted by ColesMom
This isn't really a "weight loss diet", more of a lifestyle - eating basically no fat and no animal products. This in conjunction with moderate exercise daily for 40 minutes or more = dropping unnecessary weight, but that's not the purpose - the purpose is to live more healthfully, which I guess does include not being overweight.

It's all set out in books by Dr. McDougal - one that IS focussed on weight loss is :McDougal's Plan for Maximum Weight Loss.

I second this. When I switched to this way of eating I went from a size 20 to a size 14, while eating all I want, whenever I want.

[Millie Ivy]

I, too, follow a "lifestyle" rather than a diet. Read the Eat Right for Your Blood Type book by Dr. D'Adamo. I was a vegitarian for years and it wasn't good for me. I really feel better when eating lean meats and cutting out refined sugar and wheat. I am still overweight from the pregnancy but when nursing, you need to take weight loss slowly!!!

[bebe luna]

I don't mean to criticize, but "eating virtually no fat" really isn't all that healthy. We need a good amount of healthy fats- avocados, nuts, olive oil, flax seeds, fish, etc. I do think there's something to say about the posative benefits of avoiding unhealthy fats, and animal derived fats from meats and dairy.
For myself I used cardio and weight training to lose the pregnancy lbs, and keep at it to keep fat at bay and stay healthy. As well as 5 meals a day- all high in protein, whole grains as much as possible, lots of vegis, and a moderate amount of healthy fats... and plenty of water. I limit my sweets and fruit. I find that if I keep sweets to a minimal, my weight stays close to where I like it.
Other things I limit that seem to effect my body fat- bread and cheese.
I've seen so many friends do unhealthy diets- "the Atkins diet"(uper low carb, high animal protein), some 1000-1200 calory diets in conjunction w/ lots of exercise, 6 month juice fasts, raw foods, fat burner stimulants, etc.

[bebe luna]

2 more good dietary methods/books-
The Body Type Diet (not the blood type )- can't remember the Drs name who wrote the book, but it's an interesting theory and the diets are healthy- and effective.
Also the Ayurvedic body type/dosha diet.

[sagewinna]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by bebe luna
[B]I don't mean to criticize, but "eating virtually no fat" really isn't all that healthy.

I would have to disagree. I am at the healthiest point I have ever reached! I am rarely ill, even when others around me are. My skin glows, my hair is healthy, my nails grow like crazy... and I feel wonderful! I get about 15% of my calories from fat. Dean Ornish and Dr. Macdougall have books that call for the same kind of diet, though Ornish does have some low fat/ fat free dairy. You can reverse heart disease, help your aching joints, keep your blood sugar under control and dramatically lower your blood pressure, among other things, by eating very little fat and eating a lot of whole grains, beans, and veggies!

[bebe luna]

I guess I wouldn't consider 15% virtually no fat.
I think 15-25% is a very healthy number. Also, each body is different, and has different needs. I was just emphasizing how fats are important and have many health benefits- for our brain and nerve functions, our immunity, longevity, skin, hair, nails, moods, hormones,etc.
I also eat a generally low fat diet, with a big focus on whole grains and vegis...but I try to get some "good" fat in every day.

I recently read a book that backs up this theory- it's about the Okinawa people (Okinawa is an island near Japan). The Okinawa are the healthiest, longest living people... there's been studies going on for them for quite some time... they seem to have the largest centurian population, as well as a very, very low incidence of disease. Their diet consists of a high percentage of whole grains and vegetables, with 2-4 servings of fruit per day, 2-4 servings of flavanoid foods (such as soy, flax, tea, legumes, cranberries, onions,applesauce), 2-4 servings calcium foods (broccoli, soy, dairy, spinach, kale), 1-3 servings omega-3 foods (flax, salmon, tuna, mackeral, nuts, olive oil, avocados), 1-2 Tbsp. vegetable oil daily, and optional- 0-7 servings weekly of poultry, meat, eggs and optional 1-3 servings weekly of sweets. It's definately not a fat-free diet, and I'm not sure if I'd call it low-fat, probably more like moderate fat... but it seems to work- they have an entire population to prove it!

[ColesMom]

Ahh - I mispoke - not "basically no fat" but very low fat. I usually just try to avoid fat as much as possible - I still get quite a bit, but not through obvious sources like fried foods and cheese and lots of oil. Anyway - I have been doing this since 1994 and it has been wonderful for me.