Let's start with the salad. It does not need cheese nor to be overloaded with bleu cheese dressing. One or two tablespoons of dressing served on the side is plenty to enjoy a salad. Instead of topping with cheese, try adding more varieties of veggies to your salad such as cucumbers, radishes, carrots, pea pods, jicama, bell peppers, mushrooms and so on. These will add flavor, texture and crunch to the salad. For some protein put a sliced hard boiled egg or some lean meat such as grilled chicken in the salad.

Yes, those diets work, but as with any diet, you have to stick with them, watch your portion sizes and don't cheat. Exercise should be a part of your plan as well.

I follow a low carb diet. A typical breakfast is a mushroom, onion, spinach and bacon or ham omelet with a small serving of low carb fruit such as berries or melon on the side. I don't eat lunch but will often have a small mid-afternoon snack such as a handful of raw almonds, peanut butter and celery, yogurt or carrots and cucumber with a small amount of ranch dressing. Dinner is grilled or roasted meat such as chicken, beef, fish or pork and a big serving of veggies with a salad. I will then have a small dessert of sliced strawberries and two tablespoons of whipped cream. I occasionally have a small serving of bread or potatoes, but I consider that more of a treat than anything else.

It's not necessary to go low carb to be successful. You just have to commit to watching your portions, eating healthy foods and cutting way back on sugary foods, sodas, chips, etc.

Good luck to you!

Your topic title made me laugh as it brought back an old memory. My mom came home from the family doctors office one day and she was livid. He was fussing at her about being overweight and she asked what would be the best diet. He said, "You don't need a special diet. Just shut your mouth more frequently." She obviously didn't see any humor in that remark. :-)

Oh Tulsa...that's funny!!! But I can just imagine how annoyed your Mom must have been. Her Dr certainly wasn't very tactful.

Personally...if I were to offer any diet advice it would not be what you eat so much as how much you eat. I, too, love to cook and bake. As a matter of fact...Saturday is my baking day and I just finished making loaves of pumpkin spice bread with fruit & nuts...and gingerbread. I love both and I have a slice with breakfast every morning...along with fruit and coffee. Some mornings I vary that by adding cottage cheese...which I'm fond of but not everyone feels the same way. And some days...I enjoy eggs in one form or another with toast.

I eat pretty much anything I desire. But...I eat small portions. I eat an early evening meal...between 4:00 - 5:00 PM. And...I sleep between 7 - 8 hours a night. Believe it or not...these habits make a difference to body weight.

Something else I've recently discovered. I seem to have an allergy to both Sucralose and Aspartame...and have eliminated them from my diet completely. I thought I might gain weight by returning to natural sugar. Surprisingly...it's been just the opposite. Once these sugar substitutes were out of my body completely...I noticed that I'd lost between 5 - 8 lbs. And I've kept it off without any attention to what I'm eating. I was shocked at the number of food items...labeled "Light" that have Sucralose in them. I love apple juice and the light variety is loaded with Sucralose. That was the end of that! I buy regular apple juice these days.

Essentially...I am a follower of Dawn's advice..."commit to watching your portions, eating healthy foods". I've never been what I call a junk food eater and I've never found sugary beverages enticing so I'm a bit ahead of the game in that department

Good luck, JeCrigler.

I also like Weight Watchers and am a lifetime member. To be honest, I don't even know their new system, and what the points are.

Every few years, they roll out a new plan and change but things are worth.

My take away is to watch my portions. Is it one BS of peanut butter or two? And, do you really even need a whole TBS of peanut butter? I like coffee creamer and cream in my coffee and tea. I measure out the TBS. I have never weighed my food, but I always use my measuring cups.

As socks mentioned in her post, you are not limited to certain foods, nor do you have to combine them in a certain way or eat them at a certain time.

The main reason WW works for me is the meetings. I only have to check in once a month, and it really keeps me focused and honest.

Since you are a good cook, you need to research alternatives. There is always an "eat this instead of that" scenario.

I agree with others that portion control is the main thing. I've gone low carb and tried other diets but nothing works as much as just counting calories. It's the same basic approach as Weight Watchers except they use points.

Try MyFitnessPal and just log everything. Keep to under your calculated calories and you will lose weight. It's a bit of a chore to set it up but if you eat similar meals you can just automatically add them to your day. Good luck!

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/

As I get older I find I don't need as many calories as I did when I was younger. So I try to use more calories by staying active. That has not been a problem for me since I run regularly and work out, either weight training or Pilates clates class. Main thing is to find some time to move for 30 minutes several days a week. Walk around the block, or something.

Drink water, it helps flush those fat cells you will be shedding as you lose weight, plus it helps you feel full if you drink a glass with a snack. And keeping yourself hydrated makes your skin look better. Lay off any sugary drinks, especially low calorie sodas and fruit drinks or sports drinks.

No processed foods or meats and cheeses. Well, maybe some bacon. I love bacon too and I can understand a slice of bacon now and then. Go natural with cheese. And whole wheat or whole grains if you must have bread or rice. And yes, there are many simple ways to prepare tasty fresh veggies without adding too many extra calories.

Treat yourself now and then to a popsicle, or like Dawn said, some strawberries or your favorite fruit with a little whipped cream or walnuts on top. I sometimes have a small square of dark chocolate.

Good luck! Being a good cook, I'm sure you'll be able to modify many recipes to suit a low calorie lifestyle.

If you're planning on continuing to cook the way you do presently, no diet will work as you will gain it all back when you quit the program. Yes, dieting is easier if the food is prepared for you, but are you going to eat that the rest of your life? And what is the rest of the family going to be eating.

If you truly want to lose wait, you will have to drastically change how your ENTIRE FAMILY eats and how you cook. One of my daughter's friends has done this and it's been great as the 4 out of the 5 family members were very overweight. They all look SO much better and are now far healthier.

I lost 70 pounds through diet and exercise. Over time, I've gained back about 25, partly due to my inability to exercise as vigorously (to burn calories) due to my chronic respiratory problems, and partly due to my metabolism going into starvation mode. At almost 74, I cannot survive on 800-900 calories a day, which is the only way I'd lose that weight.

But I have continued my healthy eating and have not gained anymore back, until I have had to go on 40mg of prednisone daily, two different times in the last 4 months. I've gotten half of that off and am still working very hard at it.

Dieting is not just about losing weight, it's about changing the way one lives that put that weight on in the first place. Inactivity, portions that are too large, high calorie foods, lots of snacks? The list goes on and on and you know what's on that list. Only you know if you and your family are willing to do that.

I've done the South Beach diet and it works if you follow it and watch portions. I think my snacking schedule does me in and being around people who complain when I don't buy junk food. Dh will go stock up when I cut back.

I liked SB because it gives recipes and you figure out what works. Some of the SB meals can be expensive, but there are more frugal ways to participate. For instance, it may be less expensive to buy a dozen eggs and throw away the yolks than to buy the packaged egg whites. If a meal calls for asparagus or other expensive veggie, just substitute another green veggie like broccoli or bell peppers. You can do less expensive cuts of meat.

The SB diet keeps you feeling full. You don't have to eat tasteless food.

You still get a little cheese with SB, but they limit the portion and keep it flavorful. You can have a little parmesan and mozzarella if you get the low fat kind. I think you can buy other low fat kinds too. I use my favorite dressings instead of their recommendation, but I limit the amount. Cottage cheese actually tastes good in place of dressing on a lot of things.

I'm a lifetime member with weight watchers. This current go round with them, they actually paid me to lose weight. The program is very easy to follow and very flexible. So if you have concerns about diabetes, or lactose or gluten or whatever, you can still follow the program and take into consideration your concerns. I go weekly and really enjoy my meetings...we have a great leader and a great group of people in the meeting.

I would not do a program that provided the food as the food isn't that good or good for you as it's all preprocessed, frozen and typically includes a lot of salt and nowhere near enough vegetables. Moreover, you're not learning out to feed yourself in a healthy way so it will last only so long as you're eating their foods. Better to eat real food you prepare yourself so you can stay on track for a lifetime, not just for weight loss.

I did Weight Watchers. Back when they did the points system, not sure how they do it now. Once you get down to 21 points a day, you basically starve but the weight stays off. They go for a low fat high carb way of eating which keeps you hungry and craving more sweets. If you ever walk into a meeting, you'll see a wall full of carb rich "snacks" that are laden with chemicals for sale.

If you want to lose weight, try a low carb, mediocre protein higher *healthy* fat way of eating. I have done ketogenics and dropped 50 pounds. And guess what? IT WAS FREE! I haven't been strict with it since my husbands emergency surgery last year in October and put back on 10-15 pounds depending on the day of the week. I still try to limit my carb intake though.

Just eat *real* food. If there is a list on ingredients on your food, it's not real food. If it's processed, it's not real food. Try to stick with the outside of the store. All fresh meat, fruits and vegetables. If you have to eat bread, make it WHOLE grain. If you have to eat rice, don't go for Uncle Bens or Minute Rice. Yuck! Avoid foods with flour of any kind if possible, including bread and pasta.

Some people will chime in and say, "everything in moderation". Well, if that worked we wouldn't have fat people. That's like telling a crack head "just have a little". Sugar is like crack: highly addictive. If you can limit your sugar/starch intake by replacing it with protein and healthy higher fat meals, you'll crave less food. You'll eat less food and the weight will come off.

I do agree that low carb/high fat is probably the healthiest way to eat. Eliminating starches and sugars is optimal. However, many people can't, or don't want, to maintain a low-carb lifestyle for the rest of their life. That's where learning portion control for all foods is important.

For successful weight loss, it needs to be a lifestyle change, not a diet. Or you're at high risk to gain it all back once you resume "normal" eating habits. If someone can maintain low carb, then that's great for them. I know I couldn't - I like to indulge too much so I focus on portion control.

Whatever you choose - make sure it works for you and you can stick with it for the long term. Make sure it's easy to incorporate into your life and that it isn't onerous to do so. If what you're now eating is healthy, just cut down on the portions or cut out the snacks. Regardless of what method you choose - counting calories, counting carbs etc - educate yourself about that method.

I lost 42 pounds in 2009 by counting calories. I still count calories and I still have kept it off. What I learned was that 1 pound = 3500 calories so if I want to lose 1 pound a week I have to lose 3500 calories a week or 500 calories a day. It's easy to find 500 calories a day that you don't need when you're eating too much anyway.

Good luck with whatever method you choose but do remember that it is a journey and it needs to be a lifelong one.

I lost 40 pounds not by counting calories, but by giving up potato chips, and by making my own food for lunch at work 9 out of 10 days. Prior to that, I was bringing in my own lunch one or 2 days out of 10, only.

It was amazing how much hidden sugars and starches are in cafeteria food! Even the so-called "heart healthy" stuff. Making my own meals meant I knew exactly what I was eating. And they also tasted better.

Portion control is important, but you need it to be sustainable. Don't go over board on eliminating calories. I did this without resorting to "light" substitutes, with their hidden sugars and excipients added to make them palatable. I eat and thrive on the nutritional value of egg yolks. I did cut back on cheeses.

Essentially my program was and is somewhat Paleo. Without giving up legumes. Eat real food! My personal results were that weight loss, and a vastly improved blood profile - triglycerides dropped, hdl/ldl ratio improvement. Which is probably more important than the weight. And, I was less hungry. A win, even 5 years later.

A note - I have never been a sweet tooth, which may have helped. But I'm even less of one these days, so it is possible to get one's tastes to adapt to some extent.

JeCrigler knows the source of her problem. I know people who have bought into those mail order delivery diets and eat a week's worth of food in one day.

I have never tried a commercial diet plan, but I know many, many people who have and not one person has stuck with it or maintained any weight loss they may have been able to achieve. Whatever you do, it really needs to be a new way of eating for life, otherwise you will likely gain the weight back. Earlier this year I started eating low carb and higher fat, along with intermittent fasting and have found weight loss to be pretty easy. I lost the 15 extra pounds I've been carrying since I broke my ankle a few years ago, and I can't believe how much better I feel. I think it's more the fasting than the food I'm eating that helps me feel better. I don't count calories and I eat until I'm full. I don't eat a ton of meat, and I very rarely eat sugar, artificial sweetener and other junk. Once you kick the junk, you really don't crave it any more, but it can take a few weeks to reach that point. If you are interested in looking up more info, google Dr. Jason Fung. Also a woman named DyAnn Parham has some good YouTube videos on the subject.

Generally speaking, I don't believe diets work. Oh sure, one can lose weight on them but also put the weight back on and more when they stop dieting. To me it is more of a lifestyle - eat whatever but in moderation, choose healthy alternatives, avoid or limit useless calories such as soda, stay active. There is no need to feel deprived which can lead to overindulging.

"Nothing very healthy. But after you eat my cooking your fat & happy."

"Actually I use far too much cheese, milk, flour & butter in my
cooking. That’s how I was taught & got used to growing up."

I would not be happy if I was fat. Since you are a good cook, my suggestion is learn how to prepare the meals without too much cheese, butter etc. and use healthy alternatives when possible.

Yes, portion control, healthier food & discipline. Wasn’t sure if the famous advertised on TV diets were easier since they give you the portion and the healthier foods to eat.

I replied to this thread yesterday. This morning I have an email from Nutrisystem. Coincidence?

as a kid-tween in early 60's, remember my "beautiful" aunt being very conscious of her weight... and did NOT have anything to worry about. she was a Jackie Kennedy clone... hair styles, clothes, etc.

she "knew" everything, iykwim?? there was margarine on her table... supposedly better for you and considered a "diet" thing??

cottage cheese... another "diet" item? just WHEN did everyday dairy items become available in low fat/lite versions.

I have very little will power when it comes to yummy food. So I like the "5-2" fasting plans. For 2 days a week, I limit myself to 500 calories. The other 5 days are free days -- no counting calories, no limiting food groups. I can summon up the discipline for a "2-day" by saying "Tomorrow, I can eat anything!" The first couple of "2-days" were challenging because I had always thought I'd get hangry (hungry+angry) without sufficient food. Turns out, keeping hydrated has much more impact on my mental state than food does.

Once down to your desired weight, you can back off on the plan by either fasting just one day a week, or allowing 700 calories instead of 500.

I cook the same way you do, JeCrigler. I have been on every diet you can think of and some you have probably not heard of.....like the Shangrila (probably misspelled) diet. That one you drink a little oil before meals or through the day, I can't remember.

When I started dieting, I weighed 103 lb. I had been thru a lot of stress and I just stopped eating. You get an unrealistic view of yourself when you are that thin. I started dieting and I started gaining weight. I stayed around 130 and joined weight watchers. I was 129 that day, and I thought the other WW ladies were going to stone me. That was the end of that. Anyway, I won't go into detail on all of the diets but at my heaviest I weighed 211 and wore size 18. I lost some....stayed around 180. I stopped dieting. I quit sugar free everything. I eat anything I want. I just don't eat all of it. I weigh 150 and wear a 12. I would like to lose a little more but if I don't, I am okay. My bp is 111/68. Pulse is 66.

Dieting makes me obsess about food. It didn't work for me.

A calorie is a calorie no matter which food group it comes from. If you eat 1200 calories a day or more, depending on your body's needs, you will lose weight. You must be mindful of every calorie that goes into your mouth. You will automatically eat less of high calorie fat and carbs because they have more calories. This truly is the only way to lose weight and eat healthy. You can eat anything you want but it will have to measured and accounted for. Exercise is always good for anyone. I never saw any reasons to buy expensive pre-made meals.

Any weight loss diet will work, if you follow it and have some form physical activity in your life. But unless you change your lifestyle with respect to how and what you eat after the weight loss diet has done its work, you will just gain the weight back. Losing weight and keeping the weight off typically involves a lifestyle change...........eating healthier, avoiding junk and fast foods, reducing portion size and exercising or moving enough to burn up a few calories. Just a daily 30 minute walk will help.

You do not need to deprive yourself or forego or deny any treats. Just factor in that glass of wine or piece of chocolate into the overall picture and calorie count and don't overdo. That is one of Weight Watchers big attractions........you do not need to eliminate anything from your diet completely, just reduce or moderate the intake.

Actually, newer thinking refutes "a calorie is a calorie." There are tons of articles out there about this. This is one that lays out some of the info that supports the fact that a calorie is NOT a calorie. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-lustig-md/sugar-toxic_b_2759564.html

Most of my overweight is the result of my bad eating habits- drinking Coca Cola , several servings a day, and stopping for fast foods at Big-Name burger joints.

They all work.....keeping it off is another thing. Weight Watchers is probably the best because it teaches you how to manage your food properly. A good balanced diet with portion control (which is basically WW) is all you need.

Diets work best when you time them well. Your brain and liver work together to regulate your weight. The most effective "diet" I know is the leptin diet. Try either book, the leptin diet by Byron Richards or his more detailed book Mastering leptin. When leptin is not being understood by the brain, no diet is going to help.

Ann louise gittleman's books including fat flush plan give you more eat this instead advice but everyone could use some liver support when they are losing weight.

Lastly, diet foods with artificial this and that cause weight gain. That's been proven for a while now so just eat real food without chemicals your hard workin liver has to filter out. The less chemicals your liver has to deal with, the more it can focus on weight loss. Everyone trying to lose weight should see their livers as the magical solution that they are.

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Tips from the books

Don't eat right before bed. You need to be repairing and losing weight, not digesting.

Eat lots of fiber. Your body attaches fats to fiber when it wants to let it go. This is also how your body lets go of toxins. You NEED that fiber at dinner.

Sleep at least 7 hours. Most weight loss happens after the repair cycle while you sleep. Your body will always repair first so don't shot yourself your weight loss hours.

Give your liver a few hours rest between meals ( no snacks! )

Eat as pure as you can without added chemicals, artificial lab created whatevers.

Be positive, don't put yourself down. Weight loss is a gradual journey. Doing it too rapidly is hard on your body.

Move around every day. Jump on a trampoline or jump rope to circulate your lymphatic system. Your lymph doesn't have a heart to keep it moving and you need to when you're losing weight.

If you're gonna have a treat, eat it with a meal. Makes life so much easier for your liver.

Turns out, the old 3 meals a day was the right way to go. Start off with a good protein at breakfast and a palm sized portion of carbs plus as many fruits and veggies as you want. You get enough sleep, didn't eat right before bed so you have a good breakfast. That's half the battle already won!

Actually, salads don't need cheese and baked potatoes don't need loads of butter and sour cream.

I'm a lifetime WW member and will be at goal for 5 years as of next month. And I don't starve myself either. I do watch what I eat and have found foods that fill me up that are healthy and not high calorie. I also indulge sometimes in higher calorie foods- it's all about balance. I'm also active and average over 13,000 steps a day. But it's mainly what I eat that keeps me from gaining the 60+ pounds I lost back.

I've seen co workers on weightwatchers. They lost a lot of weight but after the program, they gained it all back and are now double the size they were. All diets are fads and short lived. You can't stay on them long term, they just don't work. I like the "eat a large breakfast, medium dinner and smaller supper. and walk,

"All diets are fads and short lived. "

Nonsense!! A proper diet is a lifestyle, not a fad, and you never go off it. Weight loss diets are by definition intended to be short term........you don't want to be continually losing weight your entire lifetime. It is just a matter of developing a lifestyle diet plan.......a daily way of eating.........that fits with your life that you can follow easily and happily ever after and maintain your preferred or ideal weight.

What you want to avoid is the yo-yo diet.........6 months or more on a weight loss diet followed by resuming your previous unhealthy and weight gaining eating practices. And in 6 month when you've gained all the weight loss back again, returning to the weight loss diet.

A weight loss diet - Weight Watcher, Southbeach, Pritikin, Nutrisystems, etc.- can help you get the weight off but unless you readjust your lifestyle diet.....what you eat on a daily basis after the weight loss diet........you will just gain the weight back again.

The new version of weight watchers (smart points) goes to a minimum of 30 points a day, I believe 36 a day for maintenance. Points are higher for saturated fat and carbs, lower for protein. Their one rule is that you need to eat your points every day. Many have found if they eat fewer points, they don't lose or don't lose so quickly. This is certainly a program for a lifetime, not a diet to lose weight. But the key is to go for the meetings and weigh-ins as the accountability is a huge motivator to keeping the weight off.

Three small meals a day. Light on starches, heavy on vegetables. No snacking. Walk three to five miles per day.

ETA And the weight falls off and stays off if you stay on this course with just adding a few splurges once you are happy with your size.

Have you considered seeing a dietician?