Best Diet Plans of 2008: How the Moderation Diet Worked for Me

On January 1, 2008, I stated my New Year's resolution. I resolved to lose weight and be healthier. Having tried just about every diet out there over the years and failing miserably, I decided that I needed to try a new approach. This year I would NOT diet. I would live my life and not worry over how many calories or how much fat there was in a particular food.

Why Other Diets Failed

I finally accepted that there was no miracle diet plan, pill, or shake. I gave up trying to follow the latest fad diet that was "guaranteed" to help me lose weight, while eating whatever I wanted and not exercising.

Every fad diet I tried resulted in the same thing-an initial weight loss (I always started on a new diet with a gung-ho attitude), followed by a weight gain that usually was greater than the loss (because I would get bored and resentful of the diet restrictions).

Eating in Moderation

Therefore, for my New Year's resolution for 2008, I decided to try something new. I opted for a healthy eating plan that did not require avoiding any food groups. In fact, for the first time in many years, I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted.

I tried to drink 8 eight-ounce glasses of water a day, though I usually only succeeded in drinking six. The only limit I had toward food was portion control. I could have anything I wanted but I could only have one serving on my plate at a time.

What that means is if I wanted a bowl of cereal and the box said that a serving size was ¾ cup of cereal with ½ a cup of milk, then I would have a serving. If, when I finished the bowl of cereal, I wanted more, I could have more.

You may ask how having 2 one-serving bowls of cereal is any better than having one big bowl of cereal. It's simple, having food one serving at a time makes you think between servings. Many times, I have found that I was satisfied with the single serving, whereas, had I piled more food on my plate, I would have eaten more and enjoyed it less.

The Results

Can making these little changes really make a difference? Since January 1, 2008, I have lost over 70 pounds and I have done it without shakes, miracle pills, or cutting out entire food groups.

Maybe this year's resolution will be to exercise (in moderation, of course).