Diet Dilemmas. (What Diets Have You Tried, and What Did You Think of Them?)

Hey Everyone,

I am interested in hearing about what kinds of diets other people have tried, whether it was an "official" type of diet (like Paelo, keto, Atkins, vegetarian, etc.) or just something you tried on your own (cutting out certain foods, only eating at certain times, intermittent fasting, etc.)

I am currently researching the Keto Diet, and one thing that frustrates me is that the people pushing them never seem to address the issue of cost. Two of the staples I've seen in this diet are MCT Oil, which seems to get added to everything, and almond flour, which is what advocates often seem to use in place of regular flour.

The problem is, from what I've seen, MCT oil is about $23 for a 30 ounce bottle, and almond flour at the local store where I shop was $12 for a one-pound bag! Practically speaking, there is just no way that I could afford a diet like that, nor do I want to have to eat meat all the time (I have nothing against it, but I'm losing my taste for it as I get older.)

I have also learned over time that various diets are not suited to the way my body runs, so I am still trying to find something that works for me.

* What diets have you tried, and what were the pros and cons?

* Were you able to meet your reasons for going on them? (Weight loss, lower cholesterol, healthier blood pressure, etc.)

* How easy or difficult were they to maintain, and why? Were they realistic in terms of the cost and maintenance?

* What advice or warnings would you give to someone trying these diets?

I'm really looking forward to hearing what your experiences have been like, whether good or bad.

I haven't tried any particular diet .When I want to lose weight i use smaller portions of what i usually eat and drinks lots of water which is key to losing weight.
I find diets hard to maintain and expensive at the same time .
The main struggle in keeping a diet is your mind ,that's where the problem starts and the real problem is.

I dieted myself to 200lbs. Now at 150lbs I eat clean, I’m plant based focused and I workout 3 times a week . I call it the no diet diet. Smart healthy decision I can live with for a lifetime! 😁

I'm no expert on dieting as I never really thought I needed to do that. I ate whatever and stayed reasonably thin. But now that I'm getting older I am less active and more prone to put on weight. I am trying the Dr Gundry diet. It emphasises eliminating lectins found in grain based products like bread, oatmeal, corn and rice; reducing protein intake; eating lots of greens; drinking water, tea, coffee and moderate amounts of red wine. He also advocates greatly reducing red meat and eating moderate portions of fish and shellfish. He has a book out, "The Plant Paradox", which explains the technical details of why this works. And it does seem to work when you stick to it. If all you did was to stop eating bread and grain products I think you would soon see a difference.

I lost 20 pound last year and found it really easy, I’ve put 5 pound back on
but that’s down to various things, mainly lack of sleep, leading to lack
of concentration, wanting to eat more for energy - long story.

Anyway I did it by buying a fit bit and combining exercise, with a calorie counting app
called Myfitness Pal.

I could eat whatever I wanted (nothing was off the menu) as long as I had a
deficit of 500 calories a day. So the more walking and exercise I fitted in, the
more I could eat but still maintain a 500 calorie deficit. The app was easy to
use it relied on scanning bar codes and weighing things but once I got the
hang of that it was really easy.

I discovered I could eat more than I realised too and I’ve actually not eaten
enough on previous diets! That’s why they failed.

Once things settle down I want to lose another 20 pound.

I also benefitted as the exercises helped to strengthen my back, which I had
problems with in 2016.

This is the app you download to your phone and it’s free.
https://www.myfitnesspal.com

This is the fit bit I bought which you can link to the above app, it also has its
own app to download. It tracks steps, mileage walked run, or cycled and
other exercises generally. It also measures sleep patterns which I’ve found handy
and it seems really accurate,

Oh and the fit bit app gives you periodic trophies.
Like this one telling me I have walked across Italy
in mileage!

I am definitely looking for a "slap" emoji right now...

I want to thank everyone for their awesome feedback, and hope you will keep it coming!

Miri, very helpful about the Fitness Pal app... I really like the idea of something telling me I've walked enough to cover an entire country!

Check out Trim Healthy Mama. Its changed my life. The sisters who created the plan love the Lord and are encouraging, wise, and fun!
Its a low glycemic way of eating. (Not diet ).
I've been a THM for just over 2 years. It's totally sustainable and I feel amazing!!

Oh and a note about MCT oil! Coconut oil is also a medium chain triglyceride oil, so it can be used instead of MCT.
And it's WAY more cost efficient!

Buy a grinder for wheat (around $50) and grind your own almond flour.......as for diets go...burn more calories than you take in, drink lots of water and absolutely quit drinking any type of soda while cutting out most breads....

Almond flour is reasonably priced at Costco. I get a large bag for $15. It last a long time as well.
But buying your own grinder is a good idea of you'll be using alot of it.