Diet, Diet, Diet..

Throughout the last month I have learned one thing, Diet is KEY to losing pounds and improving your performance in everything you do. I have been on every diet known to man, and have seen success with some, and not so much with others.
A few years ago, I had ballooned to 263Lbs right before I got married. I had never been that heavy, but going out for chips and drinks really sneaks up on you, and sneaks up quickly. When you think about it, a basket of chips, salsa and a Margarita is around 1000 calories.. And that is only the first basket of chips. After a meal, appetizer, and few other cocktails you are easily clearing 3-4K calories. Keep in mind, 3600 calories equals a pound.. So, how long does it take to burn 3600 calories versus eat them?
Anyhow, the point I am trying to make is that not only is it easy to eat TONS of calories, and hard to lose, but the quality of food you eat makes a world of difference.
So...What have I been doing at my end to test my recent discovery. I have put my body to the test in the last month since camp ended to see if I could truly see a difference in performance and weight. Like everyone else, I break down on the weekends and eat all the worse food I can possibly eat, drink one too many cocktails and worse of all, eat late at night.
For a few years I have been stuck at lets say 200Lbs. I have not been able to break into the 90's.. Outside of weight I have been training myself for my upcoming Triathalon, and I need to fuel my body with the best foods to perform at a higher level, increase my energy, and feel better. Clean living..
The first thing I have been doing, which I dont recommend is I have been weighing myself a few times per day. When I wake up, after the restroom, as soon as I get home, after I eat, before I go to bed and sometimes in the middle of the night. Why?? I wanted to see how much my body fluctuates with water weight, and how much difference food makes. I have noticed that I am normally about 2Lbs lighter in the morning than I am at night. I normally gain about 3-4lbs of water after a meal, and when I cheat and eat bad, I gain about 7lbs. This has helped me with making sure I dont eat foods that dont help me with my performance and weight. Outside of keeping the weight off, I have noticed that by eating certain foods, I perform better in the weight room and when I am running.
When running and working out, High Fiber and low fat foods have really helped, I dont feel as heavy as I normally would. Veggies, and lean protein makes me feel full, but not heavy, versus eating starchy food, and high in Fat. However, food like Pizza (in moderation) has indeed improved my performance especially when doing long cardio sessions. I truly see the difference in carbing up with the right foods.
I have not been following a specific diet, but have been trying to implement "The Zone" principles. I dont find the zone to be too terribly tough, and it is pretty easy. The concept is an easy one. 40%Carb, 30%Protien, and 30% Fat. You try and eat lean meats, and low-Glycemic index carbs. The fats are natural fats like Avocado, Olive Oil, peanuts, etc.
In following this principle I also noticed that I was not eating enough and the right foods for both losing weight and increasing my performance. now that I am eating better, lets say 80% of the time, I am really feeling the effects. My pants are loser and my performance has increased as I get ready for my first TRI..
I hope to lose another 10-12Lbs in the next month, and hope to keep the weight off with my new found principles.
ONWARD.