Not really.

Cook meals in advance. Bake a bunch of chicken/fish and reheat it later.

In.

317

Try to stay away as much as possible, but if you can't help it, I believe chik-fil-a 's regular grilled chicken sandwich was the best of the bad options.

Also, I've actually heard decent things about a few things from panda express and Chipotle actually uses good ingredients if you can control yourself when telling them what to put in a bowl.

Sorry but thats just not a worthy reason. You adept and make changes. I was working 60 hard hours a week. No wife to cook for me. Tired as hell when I got off work etc. Just like everyone does. It's not unusual.

I used a homemade low fat/high fiber diet to lose my 84 lbs. I made the concoction on the weekends and froze it. Thawed it our during the week as needed.

Developed some quick and easy fresh meals (2 mintues or less) "meals" that kept me on track.

Kept healthy snacks on hand at all times.

It takes some planning but its doable.

215. was 240 at the beginning of 2011 looking to hit 170 by next year

This is the best free all in one site that tells you the nutritional information for restaurants:
http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.html

I did decent the first part of 2010 - Pussed out for 2011 - and now I want to get back on track

I'll be back with details but count me in for 2012

That's a pretty good site. I had one I used a couple years ago for when a bunch of my friends were going out to eat and I didn't want to use it as my cheat meal.

Header updated to post #53

I'm in this year. 6'2" and 272. I'm sure I'm at 98% body fat, so I need to get in better shape as well as lose the weight. The ultimate goal is to get to around 190.

Same here. 2011 was not good. Going to Los Angeles for opening day of the Dodger season in April. Like to be looking and feeling good. That gives me something to shoot for. The treadmill is my friend. Fortunatly I have one in my home. Getting on it this morning.

Count me in. 5'10" 222. Like to get to 175ish eventually.

So, for those of you who have successfully lost weight by changing your diet, what have been the most critical changes?

I've been exercising on average of 45 minutes a day since Dec 1. Now, I need to start eating better. I need some help.

Well, No Carb diet is usually going to get you to lose the most weight.

Other than that, just a caloric defecit while staying away from soda and junk food.

No alcohal is what works best for me. Once I get down I will drink wine, but getting there goes a lot faster without it. First it is calories, but worse is that it zaps your will power. I end up eating a much bigger meal.

I've been doing weight training 5 days a week with my neighbors for the last 3 months or so and plan to continue on with that and then keep improving my diet.

It hasn't really impacted me as far as losing weight because I have been definately gaining muscle, but I think I am to the point now that the initial muscle gains are going to start to level off after the initial quick gains of lifting routinely for the first time ever, so I think if I can keep with it the next three months should really be the start of melting off some flubber.

The last month or two or two have been a higher rep workout, which I think they got from the body for life system, but I think the plan is to start alternating a week of low rep higher weights with the higher rep as well just to keep things fresh.

One thing that I was encouraged by was the holiday eating. I did not keep my eating in check at all and let it be my last hurrah before buckling down for some more strict dieting with my workout buddies. The encouraging part of it was that even with at least 10 gluttonous meals since Thanksgiving holiday time I haven't gained any weight, I assume because of my increased metaoblism, and if anything have lost about a pound in that timeframe.

My reported weight of 244 is my absolute bottom wieght right now, which is stark naked in the morning after using the restroom and eating and drinking nothing. So I know each time I can get the scale to tell me something lower than that weight is a good sign.

I've been using myfitnesspal.com to track my calories....anyone else use it at all? If so, I'd be open to adding you as a friend there to call me out if I stop showing up there for too long or let my intake go to shit.