South Beach Diet & Other Weight Loss

Brigitta Schwulst asked:


There is so much information on the web about dieting and diets and how to loose anything from 4 to 400 pounds in three seconds that I had no idea where to start looking for some easy steps to get me on the road to a healthier weight. That’s why I started doing some research to find out what steps would help me to Diet Eating success.

These are some of the keys I’ve found to diet eating success:

1. Decide why you are dieting

I know it sounds daft, but sometimes I went on diet just because everyone else was. Have you ever gone on diet after a Christmas or some big occasion just because it was a fashion or fad? So it’s important first to really decide – do I actually NEED to diet? Lets face it, everyone needs to lose a pound or two … but do you really have to go on a stringent diet or will cutting down for a week or two sort it out?

The answer to this question also determined whether I am successful or not. If I didn’t really need to or wasn’t 100% sure that I needed to then I shouldn’t because the level of commitment needed on a diet is MAJOR – for me anyway.

2. Choose a goal and a reward.

I am sure some people would love to loose every pound that they’re made of – or at least they act that way, but for me, I only lose weight successfully when I have a specific goal in mind. The goal doesn’t have to be a number – and in fact I found it best to use clothing rather than a number. So pick that pair of jeans you’ve had in your closet for months and set the goal as that – that’s what’s worked best for me, anyhow. Then choose a reward. The goal and the reward can be the same thing – I’ve used a brand new outfit, that I went out and bought to use as both the goal and the reward and let me tell you, when you get into that outfit, it’s the best feeling in the world.

3. Choose a diet.

This step is important because I think in general most of the diets out there work. I’ve lost weight on Atkins, Weighless, Weight Watchers, to name a few. And if you do your research properly, you’ll find one that is close to your current lifestyle and that’s probably the best one to choose. If you’re a big meat eater try Atkins, if you’re a nut nut then go for the low fat diets like the Zone diet, and if you like getting technical and learning about your foods try the South Beach diet or one of those.

I personally love my steak, eggs and chops, so although Weight Watchers worked for me I found Atkins easier in my daily life.

The point is that choosing a diet that is as close to your lifestyle as possible will give you the most chance to succeed.

4. Work out a plan

If you’re like me, I just rush into a diet without much planning. This is one of the biggest reasons for my failure most of the time. When I plan … I get a date to start, get my list of things I can eat, go shopping and stock the fridge with the “good foods” and get rid of the baddies, then when I start the diet, I am ready and I tend to follow through.

I have the will power of a squirrel so if I don’t do those things, the first time I want a chocolate I go into the cupboard and have one, no matter how many times I told myself I wouldn’t … I’d be strong. Its easier for to be weak and wish I had the chocolate but not able to eat it because it isn’t in the house, rather than try to be strong and avoid the baddies in the cupboard.

5. Work out a weekly menu

I find this also helps me diet effectively. This means I don’t really have to think about what food I’m going to eat tonight and thus what I would like …. Which leads me down the road to ruin. If my menu is planned, my shopping done for at least two weeks, then I can avoid all temptation and get on with the job of dieting.

6. Reward

I often forget to give myself that reward at the end …. But I know if this blog was written by a psychologist they’d probably tell you not to forget the reward.

Let me know what works for you. My blog is http://easydieteating.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there.

Brigitta

Stewart C asked:


Consider the following questions in assessing your chosen diet:

Does the diet match your eating habits?

Be realistic when choosing the best diet for you. You know yourself. You know your daily schedule and your daily activities. Make sure that your chosen diet is one that fits your eating habits- in a healthy way. For example, you are a person who wakes up late in the morning since you have a night job. So you cannot expect yourself to follow a diet that prevents you from eating meals beyond six in the evening. Doing so will result to fasting and fasting can lead to many nutritional deficiencies and other health problems.

Can you live with your diet forever?

Before choosing the best diet, you have to take into consideration your determination and your willingness to follow your meal plan. Remember that meal plans should be followed for a long as you want to attain and maintain your ideal figure. Thus, you have to ask yourself if you can really live with that kind of diet forever. Better yet, ask yourself if you are willing to live with that kind of diet for a long time.

You have to remember that the reason why most people do not lose weight (despite the fact that they already tried various diet programs) is because they are not capable of living in accordance with their diet plan. Remember that if you quit a diet plan, you are eventually bound to gain the weight you have removed from your body.

Can you afford the diet you chose?

Let’s be practical. Budget matters in choosing the best diet for you. Your meal plan will entirely be useless if you can’t afford the foods and beverages included in the list.

Before you consider any meal plan, you have to analyze the food combinations, quantities, and the frequencies of taking these meals. Note that some diets require meal replacement drinks or low calorie meals that may be beyond your financial capability.

How quickly will you lose your excess weight?

Each diet will provide a different time frame in losing weight. Some diet plans can help you lose weight in as quickly as a month while others will take a couple of months. Consider how quickly your diet can help you. The best diet plan allows you to reduce weight in a safe weight loss range. Keep in mind that the safe weight loss range is about two pounds every week. To lose this much, you will have to cut off as much as 7,000 calories in a week.

Does it require you to undergo gradual changes?

Some diet plans will require you to make drastic changes in your life style. In this case, you will have to assess your willingness to follow the plan. Are you really willing to undergo the required changes? You have to note that it will be more advisable to follow diet plans which require you to take small and gradual changes. If the changes are slow and steady, you will find it easier to follow the plan. Moreover, your body will also be able to adapt to the changes and complications and health problems will be more unlikely to occur. The best diet is one that slowly alters your eating habits and preferences.

Debbie Fontana asked:


Going on a new diet usually ranks about as high as going to the dentist.

You know you need to do it. But you procrastinate because your past experiences have been so unpleasant. Even torturous.

But there’s one big difference between going to a dentist and going on a diet. The results from the dentist usually last.

So why don’t the results of a diet usually last?

Because you have to eat several times every day. So if the only way to keep the weight off is a diet that seems as torturous as a trip to the dentist, is it any surprise most of us fail repeatedly?

I believe you’ll have a greater chance for long-term success if you enjoy your weight loss program.

So here are my top 10 tips for choosing a successful diet plan:

1. You Have to Be Able to Live With Your Diet And Have a Life With It.

This is absolutely the most important tip.

If your diet seems like torture, if the food gives you no pleasure, if you’re making yourself and everyone around you miserable, then you’ll have trouble losing all the weight you want and keeping it off.

You have to make long-term changes in your eating habits to succeed with weight loss. So whatever you do to lose weight initially should be similar to how you keep it off.

That means you have to eat foods you enjoy. You have to be able to socialize at food-based events. You have to be able to enjoy life.

2. You Should Lose No More Than 2 Pounds a Week.

Sometimes, you may lose a little more at the beginning. But week-to-week, 2 pounds is enough. Anything more is unhealthy.

3. Your Diet Shouldn’t Be Extreme in Any Way.

Unless your doctor advises you otherwise, it’s unhealthy to eliminate entire food groups. A balanced diet provides vitamins and minerals to keep you strong.

So skip the diets with low-carb, all grapefruit, or whatever the latest fad is. Extreme diets usually don’t work. At least not for very long.

4. You Should Have Minimal or No Hunger.

If you’re losing only 1 or 2 pounds a week, you shouldn’t experience tremendous hunger. Not if you plan your meals and snacks correctly.

5. You Should Have Lots of Food Choices.

There’s no reason to restrict the kinds of food you eat week to week. I’ve never understood plans that say in Week 1, you can only eat these 10 foods. In Week 2, you can add another 5 foods. But if you gain weight, go back to Week 1.

If your diet doesn’t work with every food from Day One, it’s probably not going to work. Period.

6. You Should Be Able to Enjoy the Holidays.

If your diet doesn’t build in holiday eating, you’re going to do it anyway. You’ll just ruin your diet.

That’s why so many people start diets in January - after the holidays. Trouble is, the holidays always roll around later in the year. So you need to have a way to handle them.

7. Your Diet Has to Allow for Moments of Weakness.

Perfect diets are for perfect people. But there are no perfect people. So a perfect diet is destined to fail.

8. You Shouldn’t Have to Exercise with the Diet To Lose Weight.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t exercise. We all know exercise is healthy and it makes you feel good.

But the benefits of exercise should be a bonus. Not a necessary part of a diet plan.

After all, what if you become unable to exercise for some reason?

Or suppose you stop losing weight on your diet plan and you haven’t reached a reasonable target weight. If the only way to start losing again is to exercise more, then the diet’s not working.

9. You Should Get All the Information You Need When You Start the Diet.

If someone sells you a diet and you have to go back week after week to get more information, they’re just trying to make money off of you. There’s no reason why Week 1 should be substantially different from Week 9.

And when you pay your money, you should know what the entire diet system is about. How else can you evaluate if it’s going to work for you?

10. You Should Control the Diet.

The diet shouldn’t control you. By this, I mean that your diet should meet your needs and wants.

Strict rules just increase your chance of failure.

For example, if you like to snack in the evening, but your diet eliminates eating after 7PM, how are you most likely to fail on your diet?

That’s right. By snacking in the evening.

But everyone has different needs and wants. So you have to be able to customize a diet to meet yours. Then you’re more likely to succeed.

And of course, before starting any weight loss program, you should see your doctor to make sure your diet is right for you.