Eliminate all alcohol. Get 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 days per week. Limit bad carbs and sugar.

Seems easy - but why is it so hard.

I've been following the MIND diet since Dec. 26 and I've lost 9lbs. as of today. This is by far the easiest eating plan I have ever tried. I am not hungry and I do not crave anything. I've given up sugar, white flour, and potatoes. I have cheated a couple of times and felt like crap afterward. I have a lot more weight to lose, but I feel like this is a healthy, sustainable way to do it.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mind-diet#section2

Skipping breakfast, having a very small lunch, and eating a large dinner. No snacking in between, except for very low-cal things like raw veggies or coffee or tea.

Might not work for other people, but this is the way that works for me.

I have a (newish) rule that I can't have ANY sweets (no fruit or artificial sweeteners either) while I'm at the office. I started a challenge with a few of my co-workers, and so far I've lost a few pounds and stopped the blood sugar yo-yo during the day.

Before I would take a piece of candy here and there, bring cookies in my lunch and then I'd be down at the vending machine at 3pm getting M&Ms. Not anymore.

I'm a product of the "star chart" generation - so in the beginning my co-workers and I would get an adorable Japanese food magnet at the end of every day we we successfully avoided sugar. We had a prize for the person with the most magnets at the end of the month, then start fresh the next month.

Anonymous wrote:Eliminate carbs.

Intermittent fasting.

I think this is the fastest way to lose weight without risking putting it right back on. I find IF totally sustainable as long as I eat low carb (not no carb, but relatively high protein/fat and lower carb/no added sugar).

Eliminate carbs.

Intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting - eating all your meals within an 8 hour time period during the day. So if 9am breakfast, do dinner at 5pm then don't eat anything afterward. It's hard because of work and kid schedules, but can work pretty well along with healthy food choices. It also automatically cut out alcohol and mindless evening snacking for me so it was helpful.

Eating clean helps me drop fast. Im normal BMI. 5'8 139 after gaining 6 pounds during the holidays. Trying to get back to 133.

I do well with some sort of shake/fast into a whole 30. Then I stay paleo/whole 30 and keep it off.

Eating less.

Yes, it sounds ridiculous. And in the past I've been successful with MyFitnessPal etc. But as PP says, just be conscious of what you're eating. If you're out don't eat bread. If you're at home, don't have that extra piece of cheese as you're making kids' lunches.

I've tried a lot of things and frankly this works the best.

Eliminate all alcohol and sugar. No snacks and small portions.

My 16 year old started Weight Watchers and has been losing 2 pounds a week. She has more than 12 pounds to lose but she is pretty motivated now. The only downside for a teenager is that she can't get the app (we were honest and registered in person with a doctor's note, etc.). So, dh signed up to get the app and it has been a real pain in the neck as she has to track everything outside of the app. But since she is losing, she doesn't mind. Assuming you are over 18, you can get app and it will be easy to track your points.

Try diet bet for motivation

If you want a whole plan, I'd do Whole 30.

Though I think the best way to do it is to just be mindful of what you're putting in your mouth. It's slower that way though. I lost 5 lbs pretty quickly, then kinda have been going up and down a pound of 2 while not being mindful enough. Now I'm back to being mindful and hoping I'll drop another few pounds with only the small effort of NOT putting food in my mouth all the damn time.

I need to get a sloppy 12 pounds off of me. I’m usually pretty diligent with my whole plan, but
Thanksgiving lead to parties lead to Christmas and so on and so on. I am fine with putting a little weight on for the fun of the holidays, but would like to make quick work of getting it back off.

I’m wondering what people would recommend for this sort of thing. Would going low-carb help? I plan to transition back to things with good carbs. I need some motivation.