What are some effective diets for losing weight, relatively quickly?

Try increasing your percentage of raw foods and decreasing the percentage of cooked food.

Okay, well I have already hugely increased the amount of fruit that I'm eatting.

I've heard that increasing fruit doesn't necessarily help, because of the sugars in fruit.

Try a juice fast. Mind you it's not permanent weight loss but you will shed weight quickly.http://altmedicine.about.com/od/deto...ce_fasting.htm

I lost 13 pounds the first two weeks (Phase I) on the South Beach Diet several years back. Even though some of that was water weight it also meausres on the scale. To me that was a lot to lose in a short time. Of course I was not a vegetarian then and did eat the required fish and fowl. Phase I is when one loses the most, quickest. Hope that helps.

Salads are great with something like beans for fiber and protein. It will fill you up for a while with few calories.

change your eating patterns to more whole foods. dont listen to the low carb crap (i mean..personally i find i lose quickly eating lots of carbs coz they make me full and happy and keep my brain ticking!! but they might work for others) , don't skimp on fats coz itll lead to bingeing...um....and walk maybe 20 mins a day out in the fresh air. you should be right eat what you want, chocolate etc, in small portions. i lost loads of weight still eating chocolate and whatever else. tiny changes make a huge difference

change your eating patterns to more whole foods. dont listen to the low carb crap (i mean..personally i find i lose quickly eating lots of carbs coz they make me full and happy and keep my brain ticking!! but they might work for others) , don't skimp on fats coz itll lead to bingeing...um....and walk maybe 20 mins a day out in the fresh air. you should be right eat what you want, chocolate etc, in small portions. i lost loads of weight still eating chocolate and whatever else. tiny changes make a huge difference

Nice response..I just shot a 1/2 hour show for CNN Healdine News and this is what I was talking about. just change what you eat a bit...eliminate 'whites' and replace with 'browns - high fiber foods'. These will keep you full longer, help build muscle if you resistacne train adn keep your brain active. If you do not perform any form of reistance training or execise -START TOMORROW!

Resistance training is the best way to help you increase metabolism and burn fat & calories. DO NOT eliminate fats, simply lower them for a few weeks. Have only a few grams per meal. Fats protect your organs & keep you full longer - THEY ARE NEEDED!

If you are reading or thinking about trying a lo-carb or no-carb diet -STOP RIGHT NOW! FORGETBOUTIT! ALL OF MY CLIENTS HAVE LOST WEIGHT AND MAINTAINED THEIR WEIGHT BY HAVING AT LEAST 50 - 60% OF THEIR DIET FROM CARBS - GOOD CARBS.

If you are looking fo a good resistance training dvd for at home, I know someone REALLY COOL that has two of them

imo fruit is the enemy of weightloss



i read a few years ago about a study that showed how fruit consumption works almost like alchohol consumption in the way it shuts off fat burning for hours and hours even if it's just a small amount of fruit.



of course it's related to total caloric intake and activity level



most meat eating body builders avoid fruit like the plague when they are in their cutting phase



i agree with the sentiment that rawer is better, and also stay away from high energy foods like legumes, pasta, breads, cooked carrots, and cooked potatoes..unless you have a really high energy output too much of these types of foods will allow you to get fat as a veg*n



live off of fresh, dark, green veggies and the weight will fly off.

Romac - I have noticed your responses on VB & you give very good advice.

I am really thinking about going raw, but with my business it si very hard to schedule it.

Can you give me what a typical day is for you? Obviously leafy greens are great, but is this what you have for breakfast also?



Any tips would help!

Okay, I'll try to avoid the fruit. Shouldn't be hard. I normally never eat fruit anyway. My energy output is high enough I suppose. I've just spent two sessions today, probably about 30 minutes each, kicking the soccer ball around outside. Haha eww I'm all sweaty.



So anyway, I'll try sticking to green vegetables and stuff... The only problem is that I don't seem to be able to feel full like that, I always feel really hungry.

vegan diet :}~

Obviously I can't speak for everyone's diet, but to me this just seems completely ridiculous. I lost 100 lbs in about 7.5 months by eating lots of fruit, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, beans, etc. Of course, I also ate tons of green leafy vegetables and other supposedly "safe" foods. My point is, if people label types of food "bad" and "good" then they are severely limiting themselves and possibly disseminating false information. Fruit is not the enemy. Carbs are not the enemy. Processsing, on the other hand, may be the enemy. If anyone wants to try what worked for me simply keep a food diary every day recording everything you eat and anything physical you do. I found that even in those weeks where I was really busy and wasn't able to eat as many "quality" foods as I would have liked, my weight loss was still on track with my calorie deficit. Of course, physically I always felt my best when I was able to eat whole foods, but it worked out okay either way. I still have a long ways to go before I reach my goal weight of 110 lbs (5'8" and 138 right now), but I know I can make it following my plan.

gracie:



I don't think you should live off one type of food. how can you possibly get all you nutrients if you not eating grains and legumes?



I eat fruit like crazy and can maintain my weight just fine. My advice would be to increase your raw intake, eat smaller meals more often and exercise.The thing with raw is that it takes more energy to digest raw foods, and the raw foods diet is generally lower in calories, that's why ppl often see a drop in weight.



find out how many calories you normally take in and create a deficit(sp?) thru exercise or cutting calories of 500 cals per day(3500 per week). that should allow you to drop one pound per week.



don't drop your calorie intake to low either.

I agree, fruit is not the enemy. Too much is. Everything in moderation.



As Romac mentioned, depending on your activity level and how many calories you're taking in total, having lots of fruit might not affect how you lose weight. If you're having a balanced amount, it won't hurt. But if you increase the fruit from before, it most likely won't cause you to lose weight.



I try to keep a food diary, but I usually end up stopping after a few days. I'm not sure why, but I just hate doing it. Even if I've had a day that I'm pleased with, I don't want to write it all down, or type it all down. I need someone to follow me around and write down what I eat.

I would definitely stay away from dried fruits. I think it depends on what else you eat with the fruit. At one time I went on a diet of just raw fruits and veggies with almost no fat and I lost weight like crazy, but i was eating an unhealthy amount of fruit. I can also lose weight on a higher fat lower sugar diet. I think fat and sugar combined is the killer. A little fruit is okay, just don't overdo it.

this same debate comes up on the bodybuilding boards



all i can tell you is what i believe to be true and what i've observed from meat eating bodybuilders durring their cutting cycles.



and i did qualify it by stating that it's of course dependant on your total caloric needs/energy level.



and the comment about needing legumes and grains to achieve our nutrient requirements is pretty uninformed



everything we need can easily be found in vegetables...including protein



barrylove - sorry i didn't check this thread for a few days...i'm not raw, nor am i focussed on losing weight at this time, but if you're interested in that sort of thing check this guy out: http://www.charliesgym.info/wst_page2.html






now his last statement needs to be qualified since it's taken out of context "My opinion is that if you get enough calories, you get enough protein - it's automatic." is only true if your subsisting on a raw vegetable diet.



you'll notice this guy eats an insane amount of fruit, but you also have to understand that this guy expends an insane amount of energy daily, and that he's also completely cut out grains and legumes...add either of those to his diet and he'd probably start gaining fat as this guy has his intake requirements down to a fine science.

20 bananas a day?



hmmm. the problem with that type of diet is that you get enough nutrients simply because you are eating 4000 cals a day but what if can't eat that much? I eat about 2000 + and I wouldn't be able to get all my nutrients.



again, everyone is different, and i don't think what works for one will work for another.

yeah that's due to his insane energy requirements



depending on their goals bodybuilders may intake 8000 calories per day!



and depending on the muscle mass they are maintaining, bodybuilders can require 4000 just to maintain their weight!



that's the main reason he's got all those bananas in there imo



you could almost take that guy's diet and just subtract the bananas (and maybe adjust a few other quantities) to get a great diet for a normal person

there's no way you can get all the nutrients you need on his diet without the bananas. i fitday'd it and at my calorie requirements I would be defiecient- 3%protein and not enough calcium or D or A vitamins.





IMO, it's not really a great diet for everyone.

What is working for me is eating a 1500 calorie diet containing lots of fiber rich foods and getting enough exercise to burn off 500-700 calories a day. So far I have lost 1.5 lbs. in three days, and I am going to do this for a month and then up my exercise and my calories. I'm somewhat hungry during the day, but I reason it will be worth it to get into regular sized jeans again.

I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but...5'8 and 110 lbs.? Are you auditioning to be a Victoria's Secret model in the near future? I would look like a beanpole and 110 and I am 5'3- I know we all have different frames and muscle to fat ratios, but this seems like a pretty low goal for someone your height. You should be about good where you are- just speaking out of concern, not judgement. Take care of yourself.

I'm confused about this. We don't need legumes and grains?

I have to agree with rainbowmoon here...

I mean, 5'8" and 110, does seem a bit worrying:\\

When I was 110 (at 5'5'') my dr. freaked out and recommended me to go to some ED outpatient program.

Please please pleaaase take good care of yourself, and don't push yourself too hard. Since aiming for such a low weight can get pretty dangerous (physically as well as mentally).

Oh my...110 at 5'8. My mom (a chemo patient) was just getting yelled at for weighing 108lbs! She is just 5'0. A short little shrimp and 108 is too little for her.



If you are 5'8 and weigh 130 then you are perfectly thin.!!!



Mindy

I went to a personal trainer yesterday and at 5'7, we determined that I am 112lbs...lean body mass. Meaning just my skin, bones and internal organs weight 112lbs. So yea, 110 isn't realistic unless you're dead.

apparently not...read back/up for the link i provided to the raw vegan bodybuilder and a sample daily diet of his



if he can maintain his outstanding physique without them, i sure as hell can maintain my slack-ass without them...although i don't because of their extreme deliciousness, and because i'm not trying to lose weight

Thank you, I didn't see the link earlier.



So, he gets his B-12 from eating vegetables, which he grows with something he calls humanure. I'm not sure about that, but that's his business.



I've been under the impression that there are nutrients in grains and legumes that aren't typically in fruits, vegetables and nuts. He doesn't mention anything about thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, folate, phosphorus, or magnesium (also a few others, like iron, but I know there are sources for that in nuts and fruit). I'm going to play around with fitday.com and see if he gets all of those nutrients from what he posted.