With all due respect to your doctor and your friends, they are all buying
into old, unproven myths about low-carb diets. Recent science, particularly
by Harvard and Duke Universities, show that this diet is a very healthy
option. I speak as someone who's been on it for more than three years and,
arthritis aside, has no health problems whatsoever, an incredible
cholesterol profile, good blood pressure, a vastly improved thyroid, etc.,
etc., etc.

The reason SOME people "fall prey" is because standard diets don't work for
them. Low-fat diets following the typical food pyramid model did not allow
me to lose weight. Many, many people in North America have gone so far
overboard with the carbs over the past few decades that it has created a
situation of insulin problems -- and I was one of them. Until THAT problem
was addressed, no diet allowed me to lose weight... and believe me, I tried.
The low-carb way of eating allows you to repair a problematic insulin
response system, and therefore reduces the amount of fat your body can/will
store, and furthermore sheds the excess weight when the insulin system is
functioning well.

Tracy

My nutritionist pushes protein. She said if I eat nothing else at a
meal, make sure I eat the protein.

I take Viactive calcium as a supplement. They are chewable and taste
just like candy... chocolate, caramel, etc. Of course, I haven't had
any real chocolate for almost a year so they could be fooling me with
the fake chocolate taste. <g> I take one in the morning and one in the
evening.

Same with multi-vitamins. I take two per day, morning and evening. I
take the sugar free, chewable Bugs Bunny vitamins. My nutritionist
said that unless you need one of the vitamins with some extra
supplement (like extra iron in Centrum Silver) that the Bugs Bunny
vitamins are just as good as the more expensive ones. Basically, a
vitamin is a vitamin is a vitamin. If they have the same ingredients,
then they are considered equal... except some vitamin companies charge
a lot more because they use grown up sounding names for their product.

I also take B-12, fast absorbing iron, and powdered protein. And, of
course, I am required to drink at least 64 ounces of water each day
(the 8 glasses of water theory for keeping the body in ketosis).

I am eating probably less than 600 calories per day with most of that
coming from protein. I eat mostly eggs and canned meats like tuna,
chicken, and turkey. For amounts, I can't finish two scrambled eggs
and I only eat two times per day. If I am eating tuna, I mix it with
Miracle Whip Light and mustard. I can eat about two to three bites and
I'm full.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you are going to eat less or
eliminate certain food or food groups from your normal diet, you need
to pay attention to supplements and vitamins. Low protein can result
in anemia, hair loss, etc. I'm not allowed to eat red meat until month
five, so I am eating the white meats. I can have real chicken, but the
canned stuff is easier since I can only eat a couple bites at a time.
Plus, it is more moist so goes through my stomach easier than a
grilled chicken breast would go through.

The four rules of the program I am on are to eat protein first at
every meal, drink the required amount of water each day, exercise, and
don't snack between meals. The things I am working on the hardest are
portion control (eyes truly are bigger than my stomach at this point),
eating slowly, and chewing my food completely. These are important not
just as a better way to eat our food but, for me, it is important
because food could get stuck in the new stomach if I eat too much, too
fast, or try too big of a bite of a solid type food.

I'm not an expert at any of this stuff, but I did have the gastric
bypass surgery in May and have been working with doctors and a
nutritionist since then who specialize in assisting morbidly obese
patients to lose weight. So, take what I say for what it is worth and
check with your own doctors before starting any weight loss or
exercise program <--- standard disclaimer.

Also, I have dieted my whole life doing the yo-yo thing. The most I
ever lost at one time before was 150 pounds. I gained back 250 pounds.
No diet is worth doing if when you quit the diet you gain it all
back... plus more in most cases. It has been suggested in research
that yo-yo dieting is harder on the body than just staying at your
current weight.

I hope those of you on the South Beach diet can incorporate some of
the diet methods they endorse into your regular eating pattern once
you end the diet. That is why I chose the gastric bypass surgery. I
can't stay on a diet my whole life but that is what is required for me
personally if I am ever to lose and keep off the weight. The surgery
put me on a forced lifestyle change.

So far, I am very happy. I've lost over 180 pounds with over 60 of
that being just since May 17th when I had my surgery. I lost the first
120 in nine to ten months by going on a liquid diet called Medifast
(can be bought online). However, I started that "diet" knowing I would
be getting the surgery later on and wouldn't yo-yo back.

Anyway, I guess my point in responding here is to remind people to
watch their nutrition and take supplements if necessary and to be
careful when you stop your diet so you don't gain it all back. Take
the best common sense advice from the different diets and incorporate
them into your regular lifestyle... and don't call it a diet.

Just my personal opinion after struggling with weight since childhood.
I've been on dozens of different diets, tried exercise, hypnotism,
drugs, and other weight loss gimmicks. In the end, only common sense
in our eating habits and using up the calories we take in will result
in weight loss. I have an eating disorder so was unable to rely on
common sense. Therefore, I had the surgery. Hopefully, you all can
change your lifestyles and make it work for you personally. Good luck
with the weight loss and may you lose a lot and keep it off forever.

BTW, I did at one point think about going on Jarrod's Subway diet. I
think I could live on Subway sandwiches. <g>

--
Kiyoshi - The reverse side also has a reverse side.

"I have also learned from experience that the
greater part of our happiness or misery depends
upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, 1731-1802

 My diet is based on the Weight Watchers which includes everything in
moderation.  Also, initially, I ate strawberries 2-3 times a day and for
some odd reason, that helped me lose as well.  Remember to drink water,
water, water!!!  This is how the body eliminates the fat and toxins.  You
spend a lot of time in the bathroom but.....

 Good luck everybody.

 Nettie

 > Nettie:  I am so glad to hear that someone is eating properly and
loosing
 > weight.  I am so sick of hearing about no carb diets....Now my doctor
tells me
 > that this diet is dangerous at best long term and could be very harmful
to
 > women in particular froma calcium stanpoint.  I have severla friends who
are
 > nutitionists and they have always preached that the way to diet is to
LIMIT
 > PORTIONS and eat ALL of the food groups with an eye to low fat and
healthy
 > choices.  This DOES WORK!!!!! and you are proof of that.  I cannot for
the life
 > of me figure out why Americans fall so prey to the trendy diets that
come out.
 > I think they are looking for some unique, quick fix and instant
gratification.
 > Thanks for your post!  It reinforces my ideas about eating.

Told my doctor, I was about to start the South Beach Diet. He told me, to go
for it.  Apparently the weight I am carrying is more dangerous to my health,
than the diet.
Char

"Remember, I'm pulling for ya'. We're all in this together." Red Green

Ah, he just hit the wrong button in me. I mostly didn't get past the
first line about 'it is just a matter of what you put in your mouth'. If
one more man ever says that to me in person, he better be protecting his
manhood.
Duckie

I know that his post obviously hit a sore spot with some people, and I do
understand that. And I do agree that there are a LOT of issues related to
weight with the drugs most of us here take and what not.

At the same time, the things that the follow-up posts said aren't really
true. People who follow low-carb diets are much more enlightened that it's
being suggested! And there is a LOT to eat. If there was nothing to eat on
this type of diet, how did the human species survive before processed foods
came along?!

Weight control is such a deeply personal and often painful issue, and I
understand why he struck the wrong chord with some people, but if you ever
are curious about the science of this type of diet, there are so many great
books out there that really do explain it. Until I read up on it, I didn't
get it at all; but the science is truly compelling and makes all the sense
in the world.

Tracy

In fact, I've often wondered why US McDonald's have been so short-sighted in
their attempts to attract more adult customers.  I was actually going to
write them at one point about their franchises in Italy, who are much wiser,
but they said on their website (at that time) that they wouldn't read
unsolicited letters from customers, or something to that effect.

In Italy, McDonald's usually had an assortment of about 7 salads or other
tasty vegetables.  For a reasonable price, you could get your choice of 3 of
these salads (reasonably sized servings) and a tasty roll (Italy does do
bread well!).  Being that this was Italy, you could also get a nice glass of
wine affordably.  But the salad deal was the key for us.  We prefered to eat
stuff we picked up in street produce markets or in the deli sections of
stores, but sometimes we were stuck without those options.  Much to our
surprise, McDonald's was actually a reasonable option for us at those times.

(BTW, if you ever go to Italy for a longer trip, arriving mid-April means
you'll soon hit 2 huge national holidays - April 25 and May 1.  That was when
we really got stuck on food options!)