Diet Suggestions

[kristi]

Hey Girls!

This is my first post even though I have been visiting the forum for at least a couple of months.

My question is probably pretty elementary. What kind of diet is better: high protein/low carb, a 40/40/20 split, or some other diet?

I had a baby about 3 1/2 months ago and I have 8 more pounds to go before I am back to my prepregnancy weight, actually I would like to lose a total of 18 pounds. Why not be in better shape than when I became pregnant? I also have secret goal - to be in great shape by Christmas. A friend of mine is getting married around that time and when I last sent her a picture of me holding my son she told me that I "looked like I have aged a bit".

So far I have lost 12 pounds through "dieting" and exercising 6 days a week. I use the word dieting loosely because I could not tell you what kind of diet I have been using. My main goal was to stay away from fast food and to reduce fat from my diet. I can't help but wander if I could be hindering my progress by not eating the right amount of protein and carbs.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[KayM]

Really to be honest, I think the best diet is one that you can stick to and that gets results.

For me, the best diet is one in which I control calories (keeping a journal of everything I eat), and I try to eat reasonably healthy, but there are no "forbidden" foods. As long as I can fit it into my caloric intake, I can have it. It is just too hard for me to try a diet where I deprive myself of the occasional treat.

There are lots of controversial opinions about various diets (low carb, grapefruit, etc.) but the main thing to remember is that all you need to do is decrease your overall caloric intake enough that you lose some weight. Others on this board can tell you how to figure out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. If you also want to be healthy, you should make sure you get enough protein, fiber, vitamins, etc.

Hope this helps, good luck with it!