Dieting, starvation...

The only thing I can really think of doing now is...

focusing on toning my body and building muscle as much as possible, while just eating normally—but, you know, following a balanced, healthy diet.

I honestly just can't deal with starving myself anymore; the very word "diet" makes me feel sick to my stomach... I'm so tired of spending the entire day famished only to grab some tiny little snack just to feel like I've eaten something, which leaves everything tasteless and dull... and I'm done with all those intense, crash diets that promise results in days, only for you to end up bingeing on things you don't even like because you're terrified of feeling hungry again...

From here on out, I'm going to concentrate on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, keeping sugar and fats to an absolute minimum, while staying active and drinking plenty of water.......

I just don't have the mental energy for anything else.

So, I'd suggest this to anyone else out there who's completely reached their breaking point, too.

You should really head over to the Recreation and Fitness subforum; people have been going back and forth on that topic quite a bit lately. Fasting isn't all it's cracked up to be, and honestly, you'll find a massive amount of threads laid out with specific instructions on how to do it, when to do it, and what you actually need to eat. At the end of the day, though, just getting off the couch and moving around is what truly matters...

Have you ever messed around with the UN diet? It’s basically just eating hearty stews and soups, but you have to be smart about how you schedule everything. I actually managed to drop 20 pounds myself, and honestly, I'm eyeing a little more weight loss now. The best part was that I never felt like I was starving, and I haven't gained a single ounce back since I finished.

I stuck to that UN diet for fourteen whole days and I didn't lose even an ounce
and please don't try to tell me it isn't fasting, because I was absolutely starving myself for the entire two weeks... I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened if I had actually made it all the way to the water day...

The UN diet is honestly terrible; it just leaves you feeling completely famished and ends up wrecking your entire system. I mean, that fruit-only day they suggest? It’s an absolute disaster.

jadetiger962 said:The UN diet is honestly terrible—it just leaves you starving and wrecks your whole system. And those fruit-only days? Total disaster.

plus it tanks your immune system. You end up catching stuff you weren't even worried about in the first place.

mistyranger51 said:and tanks your immune system. You end up catching illnesses you didn't even see coming.

I actually cleared my own CIN 1 while following the UN diet, and my blood work improved drastically in just a month. My liver enzymes and cholesterol were through the roof, but everything normalized right along with losing four pounds. I never felt hungry, and I didn't do those "fruit-only" days. Instead, I stuck to compotes, baked fruit, ice frappes, dried fruit, and seeds. Honestly, those fruit-heavy days worked wonders for me. And don't get me started on the starch days—lentil, bean, and corn soups are delicious. You really have to learn how to cook and be intentional about it. Most of us are just lazy; we rush through meals because we're starving and just need to shovel something into our stomachs. For a while, I was deep into macrobiotics and realized just how much your approach to food matters. I eventually stepped back from it somewhat because certain ingredients are pricey, and I truly believe people still need meat in their diet. That said, I try to live by Kushijev's message to Americans: cook and eat local, seasonal foods the way our ancestors did. Of course, staying active is just as vital.

Honestly, I’ve fallen into that classic trap where every single time I finished a diet, I ended up heavier than when I started... like, after losing maybe 10 or 15 pounds, I’d end up needing to lose way more just to get back to baseline. It’s because those "prescribed" meal plans usually tell me to eat way more than I actually would on my own—it totally throws my rhythm off. And don't even get me started on that whole "anti-diet" thing—you know, what people around here incorrectly call the UN diet? That thing absolutely killed the joy of eating for me. Just boring, boring, boring... I mean, major props to anyone who actually saw their bloodwork improve or felt better physically because of it—I’m genuinely happy for them—but it just wasn't my luck, and I can't say I'm a fan. Out of all those different "regimes," if you can even call them that, the only one that actually gave me some solid guidelines was South Beach. To me, it feels most like a sustainable lifestyle we should be following regardless of whether we're actively dieting or not... so, like Angela Wright says, just eat what's available at home, stick to seasonal stuff, watch your portions, and just... go from there.

Honestly, I don’t know a single soul who actually got sick from following this diet, nor have I met anyone who just ended up gaining all the weight right back, though I do know plenty of people who successfully slimmed down and gave me the push I needed to finally feel better about myself. I’m a very conscientious person by nature, so I don't go messing around with those nonsense fad diets—except for that two-day stint on nothing but cabbage soup, which, God forbid, I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy... absolute nightmare!
I eat healthy, I stick to nutritious foods, and I don't overindulge, plus I stay active, yet for some reason, the scale just won't budge, which means I need a little dietary help, and this UN plan is genuinely fantastic. As for that fruit one... well, you can just grab some vegetables instead and there's no issue. Personally, I find this much more manageable than trying to go for a run on an empty stomach at the crack of dawn, which would require me to drag myself out of bed at 5:00 AM just to get everything done. Everyone has their own system, so please, just don't come for my diet...

Some people just can't win because they're battling underlying hormonal imbalances, like thyroid issues. Anyone out there struggling to drop weight despite doing everything by the book should probably get their reproductive hormones and thyroid levels checked out.

I feel like I’m seriously lacking a bit of discipline lately—honestly, I kind of need someone to play drill sergeant for me because where on earth did that willpower I had three months ago disappear to? It’s just one of those things, you know, I spend my entire day whipping up different meals for the family, and since I’m the one cooking, I feel like I shouldn't even be tasting anything, which is a struggle. But anyway, I’ve actually managed to stay on track for two days now and things are finally starting to move in the right direction... I just have to push through because summer is coming and it’s going to be absolutely brutal. I’m planning to head out with the kids to go foraging for some wild ramps or something just to get a little bit of iron back into my system.