Any diet that works, works by having you ingest fewer calories than you burn. If you ingest more than you burn, you gain weight; ingest less, you lose weight. That seems self-evident, but there are so many hucksters out there pushing some miracle ingredient that will make your weight loss effortless.

The challenge is to attain satiety (that is, no major feelings of hunger) while limiting the caloric intake. There are lots of strategies.

One popular approach is the limitation of carbohydrates. The way your body handles carbohydrates will have a great impact on your weight loss goals. There is good evidence that readily assimilated carbs such as sugar and simple starches raises your blood sugar which in turn raises your blood insulin level. You can think of insulin as the 'storage hormone'. All diets based on carb restriction work by not stimulating insulin release. Atkins, Sugar Busters, and to some extent the South Beach diet and others all have you watch the readily assimilable carbs.

One important concept in the past couple of decades is that of the Glycemic Index. That is, how much does a given foodstuff increase your body's insulin response? The best source I've found for that info is Jenny Brand-Miller's book, The New Glucose Revolution. It has spawned a number of related books, such as shopping guides, cookbooks, etc. A lot of that data is found also in David Mendosa's website, mendosa.com. (Look for the GI lists.)

A lot of the recommendations aren't that tough--substituting whole grain or pumpernickel bread for white bread, for instance.

There are many approaches to weight loss, but I have found that following a low-GI approach works best for me. Yeah, you have to give up some stuff like beer and corn chips, but I haven't found it too difficult.

Here is a link that might be useful: GI book

I don't diet. I practice portion control. I also exercise. Free weights because of osteoporosis and I ride a bicycle, garden, and walk. All those combined, with no stretch pants, let me know when I need to increase output and decrease input. :)

Moni

Try adding a little exercise (walking for 30-60 min/day), reducing the size of your portions, cutting way back on anything white (sugar, bread, pasta, rice), limiting your fruit intake, and eating low GI foods. I eat a small handful of nuts with each meal to stave off hunger pangs throughout the day. Even though nuts have lots of calories, I lost 45lbs in one year. Unfortunately this was in response to being diagnosed with diabetes, not to prevent it. So if you can, do it now. Try not to think of it as a diet (temporary) but rather a lifestyle change. It's not as difficult as you might think once you get into the habit of eating less and exercising. Good luck!

As has been suggested above, don't go on a diet. Every time I've gone on a diet I've gained weight because I find I want to eat more rather than less, I'm so obsessed with food. I'm still obsessed with food, but in a good way, rather than a bad way.

I agree with most of what's already been suggested, but I don't agree with cutting out fruit. Fruit juice, maybe, but do eat reasonable portions of fruit each day, and lots and lots of veggies. Portion control is essential, and eat slowly. Really, I mean chew your food and chew, and chew. Then wait a moment before eating the next bite. Allow yourself to enjoy your food and savor the taste.

And, the best for last, I wholeheartedly agree that exercise is absolutely necessary. I can't stress enough how good it is for you, and how it helps to burn calories. I work out around 45 minutes a day, sometimes more, sometimes less, 5 days a week. DH and I go walking/jogging (we walk a bit, jog a bit, walk a bit, jog a bit) and then I do resistance training with weights 2 days a week. I do use exercise videos, and have taped some Cathe Freidrich shows off of Fit TV. I know videos are not for everyone, and they can be boring, but I find them helpful and, and much cheaper than joining a gym. I switch around a lot which videos I do to keep it a little more interesting. Yes, exercise can stimulate the appetite, too, so be aware of that. Drink water to help alleviate hunger pangs when it's not appropriate to eat.

Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Stay away from processed foods. The only aisles I go down in the interior of the store are the frozen veggie aisle and the baking aisle. Okay, I'll buy canned soup and canned veggies, too. That's it. My grocery cart the other day was full of fresh veggies, fruit, milk, plain, non-fat yogurt, canned veggies, and whole wheat pasta and whole grain bread. (Since pasta's the only thing I can get DIL to eat besides peanut butter, and I haven't had time to make any bread lately.) Oh, yes, peanut butter was in my basket, too.

Maybe making a few small changes will help, and you can then make a few more, then a few more, till you don't even realize how much your eating habits have changed.

Good luck! You can do it!

Sally

Boo, don't feel alone. Although my weight has not increased much in the last couple of years I still have that dreaded 20lb to drop. I started getting serious on Sunday.

I've been tracking what I eat on Sparkpeople.com. If you're not familiar with it I find it is a great site where you can track your food intake, calculate the nutritional value of recipes, plan menus, track your excercise, find recipes and much more.

I agree with just about all that has been said in the above posts. It's definitely a lifestyle change whereas the term "diet" sounds more like a temporary thing.

I broke the seal on two excercise DVD's that I bought last year and I am going to make a serious effort to do at least 30 minutes from at least one of them every day.

Good luck to us both! Keep me posted on how you do, and if you need to commiserate, pop me an e-mail!

Linda

I try (mostly) to stick to the theory that "if it wasn't a food 100 years ago, don't eat it".

Whole foods provide the nutrition and satisfaction to be succesful.

Obviously, there are a few exceptions, but for the most part it works pretty well.

Any easy place to start is using a smaller plate and make sure it's filled with half veggies. The other half split between a whole grain and a lean protein.

Stock the house with "freebies". Healthy snacks like veggies and fruit and prep a bunch ahead so when you really need something quick, it's ready.

Explore some new grains, herbs, etc. that you don't normally use. It gives you something to focus on besides what you CAN'T have. I try to use fat free or low fat items that are readily available (milk, sour cream, yogurt, cheeses). Yes, this is one of my "exceptions" to the 100-year rule.

Good luck and be sure to check out the (neglected) weight loss thread on the Conversations side.

Deanna

But getting back to your original question about good non-fattening recipes:

Chicken Simmered in White Wine

This is my adaptation of a recipe from Julia Child's excellent book The Way to Cook. It's very simple, easy, delicious and actually quite healthy. I use boneless-skinless chicken thighs instead of a cut up chicken. That's quicker and lower in fat so you don't have to degrease the liquid later. Julia uses a whole cut up chicken, and then just before serving, takes the skin off the chicken pieces and degreases the broth. Once you get the chicken simmering, you can make some rice or noodles if desired; the broth is delicious and you won't want to waste it. Note on wine: any drinkable dry white wine is fine. I once made this with a cheap Washington state Riesling in a screw-top bottle and it was excellent. If you start with a 750 ml bottle and use 1 1/2 cups for the recipe, you can put the remainder of the bottle in the freezer; by the time the chicken is cooked, the wine will be chilled and you'll have enough for 2 people to each have a glass.

2 leeks
2 medium carrots, peeled
4 or 6 stalks of celery, trimmed
Salt & pepper
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
2 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 or 2 cups chicken broth (the reduced salt version is preferable)

Cut up the carrots and celery into 1 1/2 to 2 inch julienne. Trim the leeks by cutting off and discarding the white bulge near the roots, and then cutting off and discarding the coarse green leaves above; that will leave you a cylinder of tender white-greenish-yellow material about 3 to 5 inches long. That's the only part of the leek you'll use. Discard the outer layer or two if tough or discolored. Cut the cylinder lengthwise, then turn the flat cut surface to the cutting board; cut each half-cylinder lengthwise 3 or 4 times, then cut crosswise into 1 1/2 to 2 inch strips. (You may need to rinse the leek pieces; they occasionally have sand in them. )

In a mixing bowl, mix the vegetables with the tarragon, bay leaf and a little salt & pepper. Put about a third of this mixture in the bottom of a pot. (An enameled cast iron dutch oven would be perfect, but a small soup pot would work fine as well.) Lightly season the chicken parts with salt and pepper and place them in the pot on top of the vegetables. Place the remaining two thirds of the vegetables on top of the chicken parts. Pour the wine over the vegetables, and then add enough chicken stock to just cover the chicken parts. It's okay if a few vegetable slivers are sticking out of the broth. On high heat bring the pot up to a simmer then cut the heat back to just a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Cut off the heat and allow the chicken to soak in the broth for another 15 minutes. Serve the chicken and vegetables; the broth can be served over rice or noodles or by itself.

I would highly recommend tracking your calories for one week, just to see how much you normally are eating. When I made up my mind to lose weight last year I did this, and wow - was it ever eye-opening. All of the sudden, the difference between one tablespoon of butter or two, made a big deal.

There are many calorie counting tools online that can help you determine how many calories you typically burn, and how many calories you *should* be taking in.

The best thing about counting calories is that you can control if you want to splurge on something, without the guilt. Or you may find that you didn't eat all your calories on one day and you can treat yourself with something at the end of the day!

I also found that by reducing the amount of refined sugars and flours I ate, the less I craved them.

Drink lots of water. Try to be active several times a week. And just watch what you eat. I truly believe there is no magic diet that works better for weight loss than any other. It's calories in and calories out.

I lost 30 lbs in about 6 months by exercising 3x/week and reducing my calorie intake by about 400 calories/day. I've kept it off for an additional 6 months now. I'm going to try to lose another 10 this spring.

The best "diet" I ever went on is when I really, truly thought about everything that I ate. Every time I ate I asked myself if I REALLY needed what I was about to put into my mouth.

I have always been a pretty healthy eater, but I do tend to snack a lot. Was I hungry? Was I going to eat a meal soon? Did I really need/deserve this treat?

It takes a surprising amount of discipline. You aren't really depriving yourself but you are very mindful of what you are eating. But it does work.

You can also learn an amazing ammount from joining something like Weight Watchers. Their diet is very sensible and healthy and it can really help to have a club to visit every week or you can do it on-line.

Thanks for the advise everyone. I've been on diets (every diet!) since I was 16. Last year DH and I joined the Community Center and went for a grand total of 1 week! What a waste and I have no one to blame but myself. I think the Fit Channel will be one of my best friends until I get things under control and warm weather returns.

I have Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs going through my head, "Was she a big, fat girl? Around a size 14?" when agent Starling was questioning him. Creepy incentive for losing weight!

Right now alcohol is out of the house and the vast majority of the sweets are out of the house. I'll keep you post on my progress. In the meantime, keep the advice and recipes coming!

Becky

Good luck Becky,it's an ongoing battle here too. One of my quick throw together meals is 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces, sauteed gently with a bit of olive oil and fresh lemon in a non stick pan. In a separate skillet I sweat fresh sliced mushrooms (trader joe's bag), then add fresh spinach (more than a few handfuls, but frozen chopped will work just fine), some diced preserved lemon (about 1/2 lemon for two servings) and more fresh lemon juice. I add a bit of freshly cooked rice (or you could add another grain) for texture-- Barely 1 cup-- then mix with the chicken and serve. It's an easy dinner and while I'm allergic to garlic, onions or shallots, I think one of those could add an even better flavor. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day!

I started using this site to track my food and activity. It's easy to use and gives me an analysis of my nutrition (or lack thereof) for each day. I find that it keeps me more aware and honest about what I am eating. It has lots of built-in brands and restaurant items, too.

And it's free. I like free.

Here is a link that might be useful: Food/weight/activity tracking.

Tracking calories and nutrition for a couple of weeks really helped me understand what my weaknesses were and where I could improve. My two biggest hurdles are exercise and getting enough water. My tap water, even when filtered, tastes awful!! I'm not sure how you will do it, but find a way to exercise, that's the key! Cardio burns the most calories the quickest, so best for weight loss. Check out the thread we started on healthy weights in "Conversations." It sure is easy to drink a lot of calories without realizing it, so that's an easy way to cut down.
Vegetable/fiber rich soups and salads are a good way to fill up without adding a lot of calories, so try to eat salad and soup every day, either for lunch or dinner.
You're not alone!!

I agree, my old doctor told me "eat less, move more". The equation was very simple, the implementation less so. (grin) And I need to lose that 12 pounds I put back on too...

Some people don't care for Cooking Light, I happen to like some of their recipes a lot. This is one of my favorites:

APPLE CIDER BRINED PORK ROAST

3 cups apple cider
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
¼ cup salt
1 tbls black peppercorns
1 tbls coriander seeds
1 2 lb. Pork loin, trimmed
2 cups cider
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh sage
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat, cool, and pour into a Ziploc bag or container big enough to hold the pork loin. Add pork, seal and let marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350, bring 2 cups cider to a boil over medium high heat. Boil until cider is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Remove pork from bag or container and discard brine. Place pork on broiler pan or baking dish and lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and bake about 1 hour, until pork is done, basting twice with the reduced cider in the last 20 minutes of baking. Remove from oven, baste with remaining cider reduction. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8

200 calories per 4 oz. Serving, 6 grams fat

Annie

A good friend told me, "One of the hardest things to do, is not eat." How true.
All good tips from the above posters. I think the first big step is to really decide to do it. I like Weight Watchers because now as a life time member, I am accountable once a month.
Track what you are eating. You will be surprised at how much mindless eating we do! If you have small children, or any children for that matter, it is the worst! So easy to eat what they leave over.
Start looking at ingredients. There are so many substitures. If you must eat bread, eat light whole wheat. Low fat ice cream and yogurt. Try to stay away from the articially sweetened foods.
Cook plainer. Do you really neeed the recipes with the sauces and gravies all the time?
Healthy snacks. Fruit, veggies and more fruit! Check the portions sizes.
Drink water. Try to reduce juices and sodas.
Eating out. Plan ahead. Look at the menu online. This will not be your last meal. You can make good choices and still enjoy being out with family and friends.
Feel proud. You are taking control this time and you will succeed.
You are not alone. You might think that someone is happy with their weight because they are thinner than you. But, this is a personal journey for everyone and you will be surprised at how many kindred there are out there.
Good luck!

I think my problem is I love food. ALL food. I love a Dorito as much as that first picked cherry tomato out of the garden. And I eat them ALL! LOL!

So I'm making myself accountable. WebMD has a calorie and activity tracker that I'm using. It's free and easy to use.

I'm staying away from the Doritos and rum & cokes and trying not to snack and trying not to eat sweets. If I need a snack its not the Doritos I'm reaching for. My idea is to have a perpetual container of trail mix with me. If I'm hungry (really hungry - not bored, upset, anxious) I can have it. The container has dried fruits and nuts in it. I change up the dried fruits and nuts that go in it so I don't get bored. I know, not the most calorie friendly food, but it is healthy. It's more a psychological thing. I'm usually satisfied in knowing that I can have it. So I don't over-eat. Baby carrots & celery sticks along with some yogurt dip are also great.

I'm trying to plan menus instead of waiting until I hungry to figure out what I'm eating. I think that helps too.

7 pounds gone since January 1. I think it'll take me until the beginning of August to lose all the weight (Yeah, it's a little more than 20 pounds!)That's a reasonable pace for me to lose the weight and keep it off.

I'll keep you posted on the progress!

I had really good luck with a Hypnosis CD, "I can make you thin," by Paul McKenna. He's a British hypnotist who has written many books, on stopping smoking, fear of flying, etc. I know many will laugh at this idea, but I have zero self discipline. Snacking was my downfall. The CD (comes as a book and CD set) addresses the reasons behind cravings. I find I just don't want the stuff very much anymore. Or am satisfied with one piece of chocolate, instead of 4. One spoonful of ice cream, instead of a dish. I started about a year ago, and lost 25 pounds in about 6 months. I started it up again in early November, worried about gaining weight over the holidays. So, I lost 3 pounds over the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. I listen once a day, in bed with headphones. I usually fall asleep during it, and wake up only to switch it off. Hypnosis helped my mother to quit smoking years ago, so I believe if it is done correctly it works.

I'm not saying you don't need to diet and adopt a healthier lifestyle: just that the CD might make it easier and less of an ordeal. I didn't actually diet because I knew snacking was my problem. My meals were healthy, with reasonable portions. It was the 3 pm cookies, the 11 pm potato chips (etc.) that were doing me in.

I told everyone I know. Those who have actually tried it, consistently have had success. Half my yoga class is using it. I'm not selling it, etc., usual disclaimer.

I wish you luck, Booberry. There is lots of advice and tips already in this thread.

In the beginning of 2009, DH and I decided to attack the extra pounds that had been creeping up on us over the years.

We went into it with the idea that we weren't going to diet or count calories but basically change the way we ate for life. That meant three meals a day plus an evening teatime with the day's treat at about 8 P.M., not wasting calories on foods or drinks where there was a better alternative, and no snack foods brought into the house. The first couple of months, we also had Fat Friday, when we could eat anything we wanted or deferred eating until then. We tried to make healthier choices when we went out to eat and used the common sense accumulated over the years. We also didn't weigh ourselves until a month after we started.

Without going into all the details, after a while it became easier and easier to find the happy medium between feeling deprived and feeling satisfied. Our tastebuds and minds seemed to have gotten retrained to a different idea of what constitutes "good food".

My cooking style evolved and changed. Instead of trying to lighten up fattening recipes, I'd make something different with the ingredients or use different ingredients altogether. I have found some delicious, healthy recipes on the CF and made and enjoyed them but passed by others with lots of butter/cream/cheese I would have tried in the past. I still enjoy baking but either keep two nights' worth for teatime and give the rest away or bake for church, our neighborhood co-op or other organizations to satisfy that urge. We practice portion control both in purchasing food and preparing it. If I posted a photo of a plate of food on the What's for Dinner thread, that's the quantity we ate - nothing left in the pan unless I made a double amount of rice or something for a second meal.

The main thing I've learned is that you have to find a weight loss plan that fits your lifestyle, your tastes and most importantly, your mindset because IMO, the brain has as much to do with dining as your mouth.

We ended up losing a combined total of about 75 pounds (a drop of three pants sizes for me) in six months and I am happy to say that we have kept the weight off since then.

We're now both in the middle of our doctors' weight charts and to go for a checkup and not be nervous about getting on the scale gives us more satisfaction than the two years' worth of pizzas we didn't eat. DH walks in a park near our house as soon as he gets up and I do about 15 - 20 minutes of exercise (cardio and stretching) along with a DVD five days a week but we don't belong to a gym. We didn't start that until about three months into the diet changes.

The hardest part was deciding what to add back into our diet after we reached our goal weight but we eventually figured it out. No, make that the second hardest part. The hardest part was for us to stop talking about and researching ways to lose weight and actually start doing it.

Boo CONGRATULATIONS! Seven pounds in three weeks is phenomenal! I am only down about 3lb in that same time frame.

It makes a ton of difference to track the nutritional value of the foods I eat. A real eye-opener!

Linda