Next in my search, I tried out some online meal plans. You know these sites--some are related to workout programs. They basically ask you how much you want to lose, calculate how many calories you should be eating a day, and give you menus and recipes--a complete meal plan to follow.

This was fun and I did it for a while. But it can be costly, involves a lot of cooking, and I never seem to last more than two weeks before I go through a slump and don't feel like cooking, or I just want to go back to some of my own family favorites or easy meals. If you're disciplined this could work well; if you're inconsistent like me, then it might be better to borrow some of their ideas, but have your own recipes planned in for your tired days.

Also, keeping a food journal and counting calories takes time, energy & effort. It could be difficult to do this for more than two weeks at a time.

So I never did it long enough to lose any significant weight. Or I'd lose it, only to gain it back again.