Hi everyone,

This is my 3rd time losing 80+ pounds. I know how to lose it, but keeping it off is the tough part!!!

Is there a favorite diet plan people use here? In the past I used "LA Weight Loss", and it worked fantastic, but they are closed now!
I was able to buy a re-typed copy of the whole LA plan on EBay for $9., and I started a week ago. I lost 8 so far on it, but have quite a ways to go.

In my early 30's I lost over 100 lbs on LA WL, but now I am in my late 40's so lets see if it still works as well with age. I really hope so! I will keep you updated. I don't have the courage to upload my before pics, but I will after the weight is off.

I'm looking forward to the reading here for inspiration.

Mariam

Welcome to the site Mariam!

The problem with programs like LA WL is that once you go off you gain everything back. These types of programs are quick fixes but not a life long way to keep weight off. I can't speak for everyone here but what I have found works best is not a "diet" but a life style change. What are you eating? How big are your portions? portions are what will getcha, even if you are eating pretty healthy if you are eating to much is still going to hinder way loss and promote weight gain. What I do is eat a veggie salad everyday (roman lettuce, cukes, broccoli, peppers, onions, carrots, radishes, etc. with fat free cottage cheese and low calorie dressing), keep away from ALL white flour, keep low fat intake, watch the carbs and sugar, and portion size. I am also a vegetarian so I don't eat any kind of meat. Another secret is protein! Without protein you won't keep full, if you start to feel hungry and few nuts will do the trick.

What I would recommend is finding recipes for healthy meals and sticking to preplanned meals so you stay within your calorie range.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by 18086

Welcome to the site Mariam!

The problem with programs like LA WL is that once you go off you gain everything back. These types of programs are quick fixes but not a life long way to keep weight off. I can't speak for everyone here but what I have found works best is not a "diet" but a life style change. What are you eating? How big are your portions? portions are what will getcha, even if you are eating pretty healthy if you are eating to much is still going to hinder way loss and promote weight gain. What I do is eat a veggie salad everyday (roman lettuce, cukes, broccoli, peppers, onions, carrots, radishes, etc. with fat free cottage cheese and low calorie dressing), keep away from ALL white flour, keep low fat intake, watch the carbs and sugar, and portion size. I am also a vegetarian so I don't eat any kind of meat. Another secret is protein! Without protein you won't keep full, if you start to feel hungry and few nuts will do the trick.

What I would recommend is finding recipes for healthy meals and sticking to preplanned meals so you stay within your calorie range.

Good luck!

That is so true Tobey! I have learned to invent new recipes myself too. For example.. I make a great fat-free balsamic glazed chicken using a little Truvia to sweeten the balsamic vinager.
The thing is, years ago after 9 months on LA Weight Loss, I lost over 100 lbs, but I felt like a new person, and was too arrogant to do the maintenance part of the program.

I want to get a copy of that cooking slim cookbook from that Lifetime show too. Almost all recipes fit into the LA Weight Loss Plan. But the main thing with LA is you are in a certain calorie range depending on how many pounds you still need to lose, as you lose, you change color plans......but the allocations of 4 vegetables to 2 1/2 proteins and 3 starches and 3 fruits is what gets you to reach long term goals.

If you are just calorie-counting, you could be messing up a good metabolism, by eating too much of one type of food, and too little food overall, without realizing it. On LA, when you balance everything properly, you end up with more food allowed than you would normally eat. So there is never any hunger as you lose. I don't believe in their nutrition bars though......I but Luna bars instead. LA's bars are so plastic that they don't need a date on the box----really! But selling the bars is how they paid their rent.

I was on LAWL diet before one summer and lost about 25 pounds with it. It was a nice quick fix; I lost at least a pound each week. I even cheated the plan a bit lol. I needed the support from the counselors at that time, I know I couldn't have done it on my own. However, they didn't care if I exercised at all and I probably even lost some muscle mass.

I was very happy with it at the time but looking back I'm not so sure. I'm glad you're not wasting your money on their crappy bars. Luna bars are awesome, they give you great nutrition. I do think the LA diet teaches you how to properly divide your meals for a good balance of different types of food. But I feel like a LOT of the weight I lost was water weight.

I did eventually gain the weight back, but I had strayed VERY far from any kind of healthy diet. I think the thing with that diet is that you need to commit to stick to their "maintain" plan for pretty much your whole life. That's how they get you with the money. The want their diet to be effective, but they also want you to keep coming back...

I count calories, I signed up with sparkpeople.com (it is free) and they gave me a calorie range to follow. Then I just eat what I want, when I want it, honestly. But I try to eat healthy foods like fruits and veggies, lean meats ect. 1200 calories of junk food is not as good as 1200 calories of healthy food. I have been aiming for unprocessed foods too, less sodium.
I also exercise. I buy dvds so I have a variety of different things to try. I have Cardio Max, kickboxing dvds, dance dvds and even Pilates and yoga. I also walk outside sometimes...I also go to Curves and I am doing strength training too.
When you lost weight previously, did you exercise? Strength train? I would suggest it. See when you lose weight but are sedentary you lose muscle along with fat. By exercising and strength training you protect muscle and might even build more muscle and counter that muscle loss. The muscle will help keep your metabolism up when you reach your goal...

Originally Posted by 17681

I count calories, I signed up with sparkpeople.com (it is free) and they gave me a calorie range to follow. Then I just eat what I want, when I want it, honestly. But I try to eat healthy foods like fruits and veggies, lean meats ect. 1200 calories of junk food is not as good as 1200 calories of healthy food. I have been aiming for unprocessed foods too, less sodium.
I also exercise. I buy dvds so I have a variety of different things to try. I have Cardio Max, kickboxing dvds, dance dvds and even Pilates and yoga. I also walk outside sometimes...I also go to Curves and I am doing strength training too.
When you lost weight previously, did you exercise? Strength train? I would suggest it. See when you lose weight but are sedentary you lose muscle along with fat. By exercising and strength training you protect muscle and might even build more muscle and counter that muscle loss. The muscle will help keep your metabolism up when you reach your goal...

I totally agree! Exercise and weight training is so important, and a great stress reliever! Some women worry they'll get too bulky from working out but chances are you really won't unless you're working out intensely almost every day with heavy weights.

Hm, I'm not really on a "diet." I think someone else mentioned here that diets don't work - you need a lifestyle change. I have basically been making an effort to eat as little meat as possible, coupled with eating more vegetables and fruit, and also eating little to no junk food, fast food, etc.

Originally Posted by 33021

Hm, I'm not really on a "diet." I think someone else mentioned here that diets don't work - you need a lifestyle change. I have basically been making an effort to eat as little meat as possible, coupled with eating more vegetables and fruit, and also eating little to no junk food, fast food, etc.

Nicole, eating less or no meat is ok. However I'd make sure that I was getting enough protein. You can eat no meat and get enough protein. If you drink milk, it has protein. Beans and some other veggies have protein too, as do nuts but they add up to lots of calories...
Good luck!

Originally Posted by 17681

Nicole, eating less or no meat is ok. However I'd make sure that I was getting enough protein. You can eat no meat and get enough protein. If you drink milk, it has protein. Beans and some other veggies have protein too, as do nuts but they add up to lots of calories...
Good luck!

I do make sure to watch my protein intake, as I have had a bad experience once before with cutting it off completely. Thank you for the suggestion!