I have been feeling a little annoyed with the newest marketing hook for food establishments to try and sell more junk by touting that it is "____ diet approved", "low carb menu", etc.

I decided to do a (very) little bit of research and couldn't resist buying the book "The South Beach Diet". I have to admit, I really bought it more because the recipes sounded yummy and there are weekly meal plans, satisfying the lazy part of me.

I have been cooking out of it for about 1 1/2 weeks....and I really like it, the food is great and my mirror seems more friendly already

So for the sake of discussion....let's talk diets!

I tried a strict Atkins diet for a month and gained 10 lbs. Nothing works for everyone, in spite of all the hype.

The only sure thing is moderate caloric restriction and increased, regular exercise.

Exactly.

Burning (through diet/exercise) more calories than you consume in a day is the only sure way to lose weight. Carbs, fats, etc. are still important for other health considerations such as cholesterol and blood pressure, but calories are the key.

I have been on Atkins or really just minimal carb for about 9 months. I lost 25 lbs. and have reached my goal, and have been able to maintain it. The thing about the diet, is instead of the chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing, you're just really eating the chicken and maybe a low carb vegetable. So by doing that you are not only cutting out the carbs, you are cutting out alot of calories.

Another thing I've noticed is, when you are hungry you can go to the fridge and you can't find anything to eat because everything has loads of carbs! So you just eat less. And your stomach shrinks and you have less food cravings. Before the diet I was drinking a half gallon of cranberry type juice a day, now I just drink sparkling water. One glass of juice is 35 carbs!

I am not preaching this diet for everyone, I just think that in my particular case, I am adversely affected by a large intake of carbs.

Now I can eat whatever I want on weekends, including pizza, spaghetti, etc. and if I gain a pound, I lose it again in a day or two when I go back to no carbs. Oh, and I am pretty sedentary, I do not have an exercise program.

Give it a go Webmaster! You may be surprised!

IMHO, most people should focus on health, not diet.

Research has repeatedly found links between the vitamins/minerals in fruits, veggies & whole grains and reduced rates of cancer, heart disease, etc.

Science has also linked exercise to reduced rates of disease and illness.

In my opinion, the best "diet" is a healthy lifestyle. It's worked for me.

Yeah, but for people who haven't lived that "healthy" life style they need to diet to loose weight.

I've seen those poor half starved(and thats what it is ya know) Atkins dieters! They look sick.It's like they're not getting any thing healthy in their food or something! I go by everything in moderation.Walk people! It's free.It's easy (ya been doin it a long time now),and you also get some fresh air and sunshine(most days).
I do have to watch the saturated fats because heart attacks are very prevelent in the family and salt is a no-no because it makes you hold water(everybody).
Don't deny yourself or you'll end up bingeing(eventually).
And don't get me started on the whole vegan thing!! I'm at the top of the food chain so I'm eatin everything under me!

"Healthy" living DOES lead to weight loss... eat right and exercise, and the weight will come off.

Exercise is the only REAL way to lose weight and keep it off.

Exercise until you drop over, but if you take in more calories than you burn, you'll still gain weight.

That's true.

But research has found over and over again that the #1 common thread for people who lose weight AND keep it off is exercise.

So that's why it's important to eat right AND exercise.

Healthy living. It's leads to permanent weight loss.

I also believe in the 80-20 rule: 80% of the time, try and eat healthy. 20% of the time, eat whatever you want.

We all need to enjoy life, too, you know?

The only reason exercise works is because you are too tired to eat afterwards...

Okay, my $0.02.

Try the "Half" diet.

Load up your plate like you normally do. Then cut all the portions in half. Save half for another day, and eat the other half. You've immediately cut your daily intake of calories, fats, carbs, etc., by half. Want a mid-day snack? Cut that candy bar in half. Mid-morning donut? Cut it in half.

I was once told in a "healthy eating" seminar that it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it's had enough food. In other words, if you eat until you're full, then you've over eaten by 20 minutes.

And, like others here who have expressed how important exercise is, definitely exercise. Walk briskly at least 20/min a day. The ideal walking regimine is 10,000 steps. Get a pedometer (device that counts how many steps you've taken and then calculates milage). Any exercise is better than no exercise.

The weather will be breaking soon, spring will be upon us. I expect to see our forum members exercising!

I'm on a strict weight-lifting regimen which requires
me to perform multiple 12-ounce curls everyday
after work, and twice that many on the weekends.
I'm so exhausted from this that I find myself too
tired to eat, and thus my weight remains stable.

And to allay anyone's fears about drinking and driving,
all of this is done from the comfort of my LaZboy.

Most of my friends are on the exact same weight-lifting program!!

the5car!

Do you realize the benefits that could be gained by using the tall-boy 16-oz weights? Merely increasing the weight by 25% could result in increased stamina.

But, a word to the wise. Make sure you alternate right and left hands to maximize the workout.

Must be a very popular exercise my hubby's on the same one!!

I walked 5 days a week till I blew out my knee. Now I'm starting back below zero till I get the o k from the doctor and the P T. It's frustrating cuz I miss my walks. They get to be addictive after a while! I used to walk in all kinds of weather. But this past Autumn the construction traffic on our road got to be so dangerous for a walker that I had to use the mall over here which wasn't too bad but I missed the birds and the fresh air.Hopefully when the days stay light longer I can stroll in the evenings after the workers have gone home.

I've considered moving up to the 16-ounce
weight category, but at the present time, my
budget won't permit it. And I do find myself
favoring my right arm more than my left,
although I do use my lefthand index finger
to open the pop-top cans.

The real workout comes when the 12-packs
are hand-carried from the shelves to the
checkout counter, and from there to the car
and then into the house...you really have to
make sure you park close to the door as to
not overexert yourself !!!

My dream is to one day own a keg cooler.
That will allow me to hoist an infinite variety
of weights, as well as provide an aerobic
benefit since it will require frequent trips to
the bathroom.

Dragonlady: When I injured my leg, I switched from running to swimming for a while. I found swimming to be addictive, too!! I don't know if you live close to a Y, but it's a possibility if you miss getting your exercise.

I was once (LONG time ago) a bodybuilder. Healthy one, NOT a steroid freak. Obviously never really competed either since there weren't many if any "natural" competitions back then.

Learned all kinds of things about diet, exercise, weight gain loss etc. I've counted more calories and macronutrients and their ratios than anyone should ever have to! All kinds of fads have come and gone, but there's that one basic that never changes - lasting weight loss requires managing diet and physical activity.

Another thing that most people DON'T think of is the effect of the rate of calorie restriction you impose. Lasting weight loss won't come if you drop your caloric intake by more than about 500 calories a day for the average male adult. You can try all sorts of short-cuts, but the healthiest and most long-lasting weight loss comes at a rate of no more than about 9-10 lbs a month and as a result of only MODERATE caloric defecit. (Of course not including the 5-10 pound water weight loss and GI emptying that most folks experience in the first week or two.) Atkins works for most folks, but often you've got to keep up the wacky diet to keep the weight loss.

I could make it a LOT more complicated than that, and we could debate the finer points until the cows come home. I used to do that at one time, but it gets to be wayyyy too much. But the basics above are essentials that most everyone agrees with.