Please report in this poll what style has worked best for YOU PERSONALLY in losing weight in the past. Please note that this is an individual poll and once again not a thread for ideological confrontation. The fact that one way works for you does not deny that another way works for someone else. This thread is to see what kind of trend there is in actual self-perceived results for people.

As for me, exercise is necessary but dieting has a much bigger impact by far.

"Steven"

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. At the time I was 135 Kg. After I made every effort to eliminate all sugar and also food with added sugar from my diet, I also ate a lot less.

Lucky for me, I was able to lose 45 Kg and now I don't have to take the medication. In my mind refined sugar is a huge problem for weight control.

Stopped drinking booze 100% , removed beef from my diet, no colas and deduced size of meals at right times too. Walking, team sports and using public transport I lost kilos. Went from 120 kilos to 85 kilos in a very short time and felt much better too.

When I cooked for myself in my home country, learned a whole new way of cooking without sacrificing taste or that "full" feeling. Drastically dropping the meat/fat intake, and racheting up the veggie/fruit intake. Then started walking two miles a day--not even strenuously. Took about 45 minutes (during my lunch hour). It basically was a change in life-style.

Lost 35 lbs. in three months. Kept it off. Now that I'm eating out in Thailand, I've had to increase my exercise to counteract some of my favorite restaurant foods (stir-fried in oil).

Went from 120 kilos to 85 kilos in a very short time and felt much better too.

So great isn't it

I went through a tough time when I got divorced. Depression led to an avoidance of food, and before you know it, I had gone from 215 lbs. to 185 lbs. in 5 weeks. I now weigh 175 lbs, but am not depressed any more. Apparently, I also have gone from 6' in height to 5'11"! I do not know if that had anything to do with the divorce or not.

The upshot is that depression and stress are great for losing weight. They may not be the most highly recommended methods to shed those extra pounds, but they are effective and fast.

I went through a tough time when I got divorced. Depression led to an avoidance of food, and before you know it, I had gone from 215 lbs. to 185 lbs. in 5 weeks. I now weigh 175 lbs, but am not depressed any more. Apparently, I also have gone from 6' in height to 5'11"! I do not know if that had anything to do with the divorce or not.

The upshot is that depression and stress are great for losing weight. They may not be the most highly recommended methods to shed those extra pounds, but they are effective and fast.

It doesn't work on all ppl.It depends on the person and his ability to deal with pain and depression.Some ppl eat more under stress and depression as an act of self punishment (if they are overwieght they would intend to eat more with the prior knowledege that they are harming themselves) and vise versa.

Mine was a combination that brought me from about 83 kilos to 71 kilos in only four months of swimming so many hours per day, strenuously, that I didn't have time to eat. Just drank diet cola.