Hundreds of Diet Methods

I think it only makes sense for the first thing I elaborate on to be all the diet plans I've tried listed in my first post. I actually thought of about 5 more after I posted it. I'll definitely include which "method" I'm currently doing and what has worked best for me.

Where do I even begin…

IIFYM-
I am currently still following this plan. It stands for "If It Fits Your Macros". It's only focus is to count your macronutrients each day and stick to a set number. Your macronutrients being PROTEIN, CARBS, and FATS. Many include fiber as well. If you Google "macros calculator", one of the first results will work.  On this site, you can enter your age, activity level, goals,  etc., and it will give you set numbers to follow. All the numbers are logged into My Fitness Pal. My Fitness Pal literally has anything and everything you could think of eating, and even a barcode scanner to recognize your food specifically and quickly.

The beauty of IIFYM? Calories don't matter! The other beauty to it is the lack of restrictions. Technically, you can fill your dedicated numbers of protein, carbs, and fats with anything…as long as you don't go over. This method gets a lot of hate from people claiming that followers fill their macros with twinkies, honey buns, pop tarts, and soda. But, the ones I've learned it from don't do that. It simply allows room for small treats to be worked in each day to help with the tendency to binge or fall off track. And it works. If I want 1 or 2 chocolate peanut butter eggs…I have them. And log them. And that's that. You can get a little crazy and fill it with unhealthy processed foods and won't see near the same results as you would if you filled your macros with lean proteins, fruits, veggies, and nuts. There's so much more I want to talk about with this method, because it saved me from my nasty weekend binges, but this post is just for brief overviews. But know that I have followed this way of eating and viewing food for a couple of years now and it is definitely for those who have the tendency to binge.

Low FODMAP-
One unfortunate side effect to cleaning up your diet and eating a ton of fibrous veggies for many is bloating, constipation, and stomach issues. It's all over the fitness Instagrams. "Why am I so bloated?". "I cleaned up my diet and now I have stomach issues".  I was one of them- especially for the past 6 months- and then I discovered low FODMAP.

Low FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols. A fancy way of listing certain carbohydrates that aren't digested well and throw off your intestinal bacteria causing bloating and all those other fun side effects. You'd be shocked what makes the list of "High FODMAPs" or "Foods to Avoid". Among the list that I ate a ton of was: wheat, dairy, garlic, onion, asparagus, apples, high fructose corn syrup, beans, broccoli, peaches, pears, gluten, and on and on and on. So, I gave this low FODMAP thing a try for about a month and my bloating and intestinal issues completely disappeared. It's mainly a diet that's really easy on your digestive system. It's also really healthy. I still do this to a degree. I've cut out wheat, dairy, high fructose corn syrup, and some soy with great success and a happy belly. If you've cleaned up your diet and have some of these symptoms with no relief- a better look into this list and what you are eating may help.

Low calorie
Pointless. Starving yourself makes you retain food and water, doesn't allow for muscle growth, makes you tired, is counter productive.

Low carb
This is the devil. I did this last year to prepare for a vacation (30g carbs or less per day). I've never been so tired, moody, weak, frail, hungry, angry, and everything else in my life. Plus, it leads to massive binge sessions. Do yourself a favor and run away from low carb diets. "Lower carbs" on the IIFYM calculator is usually no less than 100g. Praise the Lord.

No sugar
This is not maintainable. You will never go forever without anymore sugar. So basically all you're doing is making your cravings go through the roof-which leads to binging, and setting up your body to react HORRIBLY to the next time you do consume sugar. I can maintain no wheat, dairy, or high fructose corn syrup-so I don't worry about my body becoming ultra sensitive to those things. Good luck with no sugar. And I feel sorry for your body when it revolts the next time your cravings get the best of you. :)

No carbs after dark
Dumb. I workout in the evenings, so I have to refuel with carbs. Now, I don't eat 100g carbs at night, but I eat at least 15-20g just for dinner to replenish my muscles and body after my workouts. You'll never recover without them. Plus, your metabolism goes up during your sleep and you can process them just fine. Well, if they're mostly healthy. (Brown rice, eggs, fruits, nuts).

Paleo
I like this diet plan because it's so healthy. But the restrictions make it hard to find balance. For example, eating out with friends and family, or going over to someone's house for dinner. I can always find something to eat anywhere with IIFYM and my personalized version of low FODMAP.

Vegetarian
WHERE'S THE PROTEIN?? You can only get your protein from beans. That's no fun.

Intuitive eating
So, I gave this a shot after feeling like I knew what my body responded to. Having zero guidelines is much more difficult than I thought. I frequently lost track of small treats I had during the day, portion sizes, and never knew if I got in enough protein for the day. I was really lost on this method.

3 or 6 meals a day?
After much research, I don't think it really matters. I definitely do 3 meals a day with snacking in between. So, I guess you could count that as 6 if you wanted to. It doesn't matter, just watch portion sizes and know the hand measurement references for carbs and fats.

No restrictions
Hello 20 lbs.

Blood-type diet
This diet was very interesting. After dealing with bloating last year, someone mentioned this diet to me and it is supposedly customized diets based on your specific blood type. Some can't digest meats, some can, some can't have certain veggies, some can only eat these fruits. I was more intrigued by it than anything and gave it a whirl. Unfortunately, my blood type is rare (AB+) and it said I couldn't process any meat other than Turkey. Wha? I gave up my steak, chicken, bacon, and pork - and traded it for ground turkey. It really wasn't that hard, but I quickly became "sensitive" to any meat resulting in more bloating and stomach pain. I didn't experience anything life changing on this and don't recommend it to anyone. All I learned is how much I truly love bacon.

Vegan
Can't. Eat. Anything. I DID, however, feel FANTASTIC on this diet. It was really hard- probably the hardest I've done. And I only lasted 2 or 3 weeks. I remember how I couldn't eat hardly anything, but I did lose weight really quickly (which isn't always good), and had a ton of energy on it for some reason.

Well, that's all I can really think of for now. I know this is way biased toward IIFYM, but it truly is so maintainable and is a way to live life with balance. If you're interested in your numbers, google that macros calculator and download My Fitness Pal. Your numbers given to you are to reach your goals HEALTHILY. So progress is slow. Slow progress is always maintainable, and is actual fat loss- not just water weight fluctuations. Be patient. And if you see absolutely NO results, fill your macros with healthier foods (lean protein, fruit, veggies, nuts, oats), or lower your carbs a little. Consistency is the #1 way to success on IIFYM.

Hope this gave some insight!