best diet for dummies?

Posts: 1,061
3/14/13 12:57 P

I would definitely stick with sparkpeople. I hate diets that restrict certain things. Feels like a punishment to me. Try to make at least 80% of your diet healthy and splurge on the other 20% all while watching your calorie allotment and you should be fine.

My top 3 filling foods are:
Beans
Eggs
Chicken breasts

Posts: 5,161
3/14/13 12:38 P

First of all, I can't recommend enough the book
It allowed me to finally stop the yo-yo dieting I'd done for decades & helped me complete my weight loss of 75#.
I'd start a diet, then go off; start another. Following the book--which I read through twice: first just to get the gist of it & secondly, to actually follow it--made me realize several things. This is NOT a diet that I'm going to go off eventually; it's a way to get healthy & live a healthy & fit life. So instead of being a fanatic with food & exercising like crazy, I started fresh, using the Nutrition Tracker--initially so I could see how many ridiculous calories I actually consumed & doing 10 minutes of exercise, which seemed ridiculous, since some days I sometimes exercised for several hours. But the key was consistency, which I'd NEVER had in my life! So being in my 50's when I began, until my surgery last summer, I had over a 2-year streak of exercising EVERY SINGLE DAY, 7 days a week & on holidays, even if it was just 10 minutes, altho' I can probably count on one hand doing only 10 minutes each year. I never could have imagined starting my Thanksgivings with a 5K turkey trot! Talk about a change!
When using the tracker, it already has meals planned for you, altho' you can make changes as long as they are equal (change brussels sprouts for yellow squash, for instance--not for a candy bar). As for me, except for fish, I eat vegetarian, so I enter almost all of my own foods, altho' I use many, many of Spark Recipes www.sparkrecipes.com/ for fish ideas, vegetarian, side dishes & even desserts.
So join teams, share blogs, interact with others, read people's stories, take it easy on yourself & you'll do fine.
www.sparkrecipes.com/

Edited by: GINGERVISTA at: 3/14/2013 (12:41)

current weight: 128.0

205 185 165 145

125

SparkPoints: (23,084)
Fitness Minutes: (11,667)
Posts: 996
3/14/13 12:22 P

At this point I would say maintaining an interest in sparkpeople.Get your education and support as well as food tracking and exercise ideas!!! I can not see myself stopping this!!!

Pounds lost: 12.5

0 4.25 8.5 12.75

17

SparkPoints: (6)
Fitness Minutes: (0)
Posts: 2
3/14/13 12:19 P

thank you, I am looking through the site now!

Posts: 371
3/14/13 12:17 P

Calorie counting is the only thing that has really worked for me and Spark can certainly help you do that. If you have put all your information on your Spark page the site will give you a calorie range to adhere to and all you have to do is stay within that range. You can eat anything you want as long as you include it in your tracker. Be mindful, however that doesn't mean you can all your calories in sweets and and Junk food and other things that should be eaten in moderation. I'm talking about a well balanced diet with all the food groups so you get protein, grains, fruits and vegetables, good fats and "occasional" treats. The Spark site will guide you. It will also give you a daily meal plan to follow if you prefer or you can substitute your own food. You also will get limitless support from the community when you have questions.

current weight: 144.6

164 156.75 149.5 142.25

135

SparkPoints: (6)
Fitness Minutes: (0)
Posts: 2
3/14/13 12:12 P

I need to lose about 90 lbs. I am 55 years old and have asmtha. I need motivation with filling foods to keep me from wanting to eat constantly. what are your recommendations for which diet to follow? I like just about all foods but fish and seafood, can't stand them. I need something easy to start with please. I had gastric bypass about 10 years ago which has failed. I stay hungry alot, not sure if its stress, boredom or hungry and eating the wrong choices. Please help me pick an easy diet, weight watchers, atkins, calorie counting?