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"What diet is the best" is not only a question I hear all the time, but I had the same exact question. We probably ask this question because we have tried so many diets that promised weight loss but we earned it all back and then some.
After trying and failing so many times, we think that we were meant to be over weight or we are failures at dieting. Yet, we continue to the next big thing and believe this will be the one that will give me my health, body, and self esteem back, only to be disappointed again.
Without getting too deep with my circumstances or experiences with diets, I would say my problems started in my twenties. Many times, I would only be able to find time to eat once. Since it was at night, I was starving, so I ate a big meal. There were other times where I could grab a bite to eat from a vending machine and other times from fast food restaurants. I did not have a noticeable gain gain and I felt fine.
Towards my thirties, I realized I had a weight problem. I had gained weight and was unable to lose the weight. I still had a lot of my bad eating habits but I had the time to eat three meals a day. I was now more conscious about what I was eating and I signed up at a gym. After struggling through counting calories, counting fat, different diet plans, and exercising, I did manage to lose most of the weight.
After having my second child, I earned over 50 pounds. For a while, I went back to my bad eating habits and then I started going back to the counting calories, different diet plans, and the whole losing weight routine. I tried diets and diet products that claimed to rev up my metabolism due from what I read, my metabolism must be slow. I tried different exercise videos almost everyday, for a month, and I did not even lose a pound.
I thought I needed help from the medical community because I could not do this on my own. I was introduced to a diet plan under medical supervision. It included the use of Phentermine and Pondimin. Believe it or not, my blood pressure and cholesterol was normal. I just had excess weight that would not come off. In about 6 months, I was able to lose 40 pounds. Fortunately or unfortunately, although you want to look at it, the prescriptions were dropped off the market for health reasons. Pondimin was shown to cause heart problems in some patients. I did get my heart checked and I am happy to report no heart damage.
Well, after that medical scare, my weight went right back up so fast, I did not even enjoy my weight loss. I was on another quest for a weight loss solution. I tried no carb, low carb, low fat, good fat, celebrity diets, pre-packaged foods and the list goes on. I also tried all the new gadgets for abs, for thighs, for the whole body, and even more exercise videos. I obviously did not want to take diet pills anymore, but I tried some so called natural diet pills. It was probably psychological, but I did not feel good taking the pills, so I stopped taking them.
Near my mid-thirties, I was diagnosed with a thyroid condition called multinodular goiter. This also caused me to become hypothyroid with a very slow metabolism. Of course, I blame that on all the diets I was on. It could have been the bad eating habits, the ingredients in any of the pills or shakes, the prescription pills. I was told that usually people with my condition do not get enough iodine in their diet. I, on the other hand, was the opposite. My thyroid feels to be sensitive to iodine so I need to try to cut iodine out of my diet.
I did a lot of research and started to consume what was good for my thyroid and avoid things that were bad. I found out that I should be eating at least five small meals a day. I was prescribed a thyroid medication to help keep me out of a hypothyroid state. I was doing a yoga routine that asserts the thyroid function. After that, I was feeling better and losing weight.
I read a lot of labels but I am not looking for how much calories, fat, or carbohydrates are in the item but if there is iodine in it. This has been a wake up call and learning experience for me. I was not able to follow a diet plan that was not suited for me. I had to find out what was causing my weight problem. Once I found out what was going on with my body, I was able to find the best way to better health.
I am constantly thinking about what is healthy and best for my health. There are so many natural foods that are very good for you. After what I have learned, I check the ingredients in everything. There are some things that people should not consume. Also, if you have tried everything without success, sometimes you should see a doctor and find out if there is something else that could have hindered your weight loss. You might even ask to have your thyroid examined.
I am not focused on the thought of what diet is the best. I think about better health and not just weight loss. I have learned better ways of eating and exercising. I look to more natural foods for better health. I enjoy teas, water, and juices like acai or blueberry. I also include probiotics in my diet. I can still enjoy things like chocolate and other desserts. I feel there is no need to deprive yourself from things you enjoy but just do it in moderation, unless the doctor tells you not to consume something that could be detrimental to your health.
I am in my early forties and I feel better, stronger, healthier, and losing weight naturally. I am still under a thyroid doctors care and my next goal is to have a healthy thyroid and be able to stop taking thyroid medication. The weight loss has been slow but consistent. I lost about 35 pounds from consuming what was best for my thyroid, eating 5 or 6 small meals a day, and yoga. And since I have more energy, I enjoy the occasional kick boxing exercises.