Ok, looking for the dumbest, silliest, craziest weight loss program you ever tried?

Mine was the Arnold Schwarzenegger diet. I saw it in a newspaper one day. Here was the diet -- (at the time Arnold was the President's Exercise Guru) -- Everytime there was a food decision to make, such as carrots or doughnuts, you just thought "What would Arnold do?". Of course, Arnold would have the carrots. I thought this was silly, but started trying it. Sure enough, a week later, down 5 pounds, then 10 the next week. My wife was pretending I was Arnold as well, but that is another story. Finally, after about three weeks, I said to the Arnold question -- "Well, screw Arnold"!! And that was that.

I guess I still have not figured out this quote thing works.

What I was trying to say was that I thought Babb's commment was funny because I got busted by a neighbor the other day when she came to my door while I was Sweatin' to the Oldies myself. I have never followed Richard Simmon's diet plan, but I do get my DVDs out and try to keep up.

Does anyone remember the Meal Replacement product that was like a large wafer sandwich cookie?

They came in a box and were individually wrapped in packs of 2...

What was the name?? I can't remember.

In case anyone was wondering, I finally remembered the name of these: "Figurines".

Aw, this really takes me back. My first big diet was following the instructions in The Sweet Dreams Body Book. I was 12, which is about how old you have to be to follow nutrition advice from a publisher of teen romance books.

My next-silliest was Deal-A-Meal. I think Richard Simmons is delightful, and the concept was brilliant, but I couldn't follow that diet to save my life.

I think the first one I did was the Scarsdale Diet. I also did the Cabbage Soup diet.

I did Weight Watchers for the first time way back in the days when you had to eat liver each week for the Iron and mayo was not allowed so they suggested you mix tuna and mustard. I hate both tuna and mustard.

I took the diet pills you could buy in the drug store.

I had good success on Atkins - I lost 145 lbs - but then it got to where I was only eating one meal a day and I stopped doing it. I did keep off 100 pounds of that though and it's been 15 years now.

Jenny Craig Center asked me to leave when I kept arguing with them about having to buy their Vitamins. I wanted to know what was in them that made them better than what I could get at the drug store. I kept insisting there must be something in there they didn't want me to know about.

When I first met my husband he thought we should try a diet together. He said all we eat for 1 week is Apple's. WOW. Yup...we weren't living together at the time. I totally cheated. But I did learn there are many many different types of Apple's and they all taste differently.

I did hcg injections and ate 500 calories a day via a very teeny food list. Lost tons. Didn't last. Gained it all back plus 30. Dumb dumb dumb.

Quick Weight Loss Center which eventually became LA Weight Loss. I lost about 35 pounds and plateaued. They couldn't help me past the stall. The pudding, soups and shakes were nasty. It was low carb without the education plus add in the money making products. That was $900 down the drain.

Atkins worked the best. I also had the best blood work results when I was on that diet.

I tried vegetarian, not vegan. I like meat too much. I ate too many carbs since Protein is more filling for longer. I was constantly hungry so I would eat Pasta and other crap. It isn't meat, it is low fat all good right?

Herbalife was expensive and I was so tired I think I made it two weeks. I am surprised nobody else mentioned them.

I did Medifast and had great results, but the food was nasty and after 4 months, and the transition, the weight just came back on slowly. I did Advocare and Herbalife, Protein shakes, some Nutrisystem type plans....Phentermine, Topomax, and Qsymia.... Everything worked, until it didn't. None of it was a long term solution. I have to have a long term solution. A tool that stays with me.

All of them!

HCG diet was definitely the worst! I lost nearly all of my hair before I stopped the injections!

The best and worst was the thermogenic diet which included the drug Ephedra. I lost tons of weight during a 13 month time span and felt great. The diet came to an end when the drug was discontinued due to possible cardiovascular damage.

About 6 months after I quit, I got rhematic fever with heart damage. The doctors have no clue what brought it on. However, I couldn't help but wonder if the Ephedra was the culprit. Years later I developed cardiomyopathy, which has brought on many health issues throughout the years. Of course, there is no way to know for sure if the drug is what contributed to my heart problems. Honestly, I think it was one of many contributing factors.

The cabbage soup diet. Really? Stupidity at it's best!!!

@@NikkiDoc I did the Quick Weightloss Centers too! As well as LA Weightloss!! I thought I was the only one!! HAHAHA! I did lose 60 pounds in 3 months with Quick Weightloss Center. I remember having to get up at 4am, drive 40 miles to weigh in, drive all the way home another 40 miles to get my shower and get ready for work, drive to work (30 miles). Work, drive home. go to bed, get up and do it all over again. I had to meet my counselor 3 times a week!!!

This is a great thread to read through. I never could stick with any fad diets too much. Although I did do the Curves diet and Weight Watchers off and on. Both were actually halfway decent and really just about teaching you to eat healthier. The Curves diet was too complicated for me though so I kept having to start over. Not very good!

I am surprised no one has mentioned Slim Fast or the Special K diet. Has anyone tried those? They still have commercials that advertise the Special K diet. My dad used to do Slim Fast all the time! I am not sure how much success he had with that. Nothing noticeable.

Our family also did the Hershey Medical diet which upon googling just now I discovered was not really from Hershey Medical Center, lol. You basically ate an exact diet (really simple foods) for 3 days and then for 4 days eat "responsibly." Whatever that means. Then repeat. I find it funny that you have to eat vanilla ice cream every day on the diet, lol.

I found it online here, and most of it is exactly as I remember, but I definitely don't remember hot dogs!: http://www.heartnsoul.com/cardiac_diet_2.htm I think it actually worked but I certainly didn't stay on it long! Mom and dad were more diligent about it.

Edited July 1, 201511 yr by heynowkc

Yeah I did hcg. You lose fast but it's very hard to stay on lo,g term so you gain it all back