If you've ever been on a diet, what did it consist of, how consistent were you with staying on track, and how much weight did you lose?

Not much at all and it doesn't matter because I gained it all back anyway. The ads on TV are right, diets don't work, in order FOR them to work, you would have to stay on them for the rest of your life and who wants that?

You can't spell diet without D-I-E. True, some people are at risk for doing just that if they don't lose weight but I think the word nowadays is synonymous with “weight loss plan” that you probably can’t follow for the rest of your life. Just eat healthy and get some moderate exercise.

I have, but I don't believe in diets anymore....if you wanna weigh less, eat less of what you usually do and be active during the day. You'll lose weight the same way.

I've never really been on a diet. If they worked, we wouldn't have as many overweight and obese people. ITA with Mark - a combination of healthy eating and exercise is the best way to keep the weight off.

I've tried the Atkins diet before....of course it meant no carbs and I didn't like it at all. All it did was make me constipated. Needless to say, I didn't last on that long. And I only lost 4 lbs.

When I was 15 I put myself on a diet. I always counted calories (no more than 2,000 a day) instead of carbs and exercised several times a week, maybe 5 times a week or so and I lost about 20 lbs.

After years of not being on a diet, I started again about 5 weeks ago - I'm exercising 4-6 times a week or so, limiting myself to 1,500 calories per day and no more than 5 or 6 sodas per week. I've actually been consistent, except for last week when I slipped up a little bit, but that's bound to happen. At this point, it looks more realistic that I'll be maintaining my weight instead of losing it, which is okay by me - I just don't want that depressing feeling of stepping on the scale and gaining anything. The soda is the hardest part - I've been so used to downing one or two or three per day that all this crappy water I've been drinking is a boring substitute!

I have been but only increased working out combined with watching calories. Of course, that is not counting high school. I ate way too little then on purpose. That wasn't a diet, just being way too unhealthy to stay thin.

I'm naturally thin.

In high school, it was never an issue for me as I was super active - dancing, swimming, running 4-6 times a week. I also ate a pretty healthy diet.

I actually do need to get back on track. I've let myself slip the last month or so. Work situation changed and it wasn't good - let myself get into unhealthy eating habits, but enough wallowing - things are changing and I need to get back to being healthy.

The Diet Song
Shel Silverstein

Well breakfast black coffee one slice of dry toast no butter no jelly no jam
Lunch just some lettuce two celery stalks no booze no potatoes no ham
Dinner one chicken wing broiled not fried no gravy no biscuits no pie
And this dietin' dietin' dietin' dietin' sure is a rough way to die

So pass me a carrot stick peel me a prune a glass of skim milk and that's all
Turn off the TV for the Big Mac commercial it's drivin' me straight up the wall
And I'm think' of french fries sausage and waffles spaghetti and cookies and cake
And each night I'm dreamin' of chocolate ice cream and I'm starvin' to death when I wake, all for your sake

You're fixin' the kids all those creamed mashed potatoes
But it's bouillon and water for me and you got a lock on the refrigerator
Lord knows where you're hidin' the key
And while I am starvin' for food late at night I'm starvin' for lovin' from you
But you say that when I can see my own dick you'll be glad to look at it too

So supper two pieces of cauliflower raw some beefsteak the size of a nail
One sliced tomato a small dab of slaw
Lord, I swear I ate better in jail
Stop eatin' that pizza right under my nose girl that's the least you can do
And put down that candy bar while I am singin' I'm starvin' my ass off for you

And when I am dead with the insurance paid you'll look down at me and you'll grin
You'll say well the boy tried and he suffered and died
But don't he look good when he's thin

Another thing to remember about restricting your caloric intake too much on a “diet” is that it fools your body into slowing your metabolism which is the opposite of what you want. Our bodies still function much as they did about 10,000 years ago when it was to our benefit to be able to store fat because our ancestors never knew when their next meal was. Our bodies still don’t know the difference between trying to lose extra fat and starving to death.

I lose weight when I don't try. When I diet, I always fail.

I don't worry to much about calorie intake - it's more making sure I'm eating balanced meals and that I'm excercising. I had a friend tring the Dr. Bernstein diet and she's on a diet of 1000 calaories or less - something like that. She's not excercising at all and is loosing weight but when you're starving yourself, that's bound to happen.