Katie,
My point is don't be discouraged, try both types of diets if you find the first one doesn't work for you go to another type ie: calories vs/carbs.
Good point. I have several diet books now, so if one doesn't work, I'll try another one. Hopefully this one will work for me, or at least help me get my carb cravings under control. If I can get the cravings under control, I can cut calories with no problem. Thanks for the best wishes.
Emma,
I've found for the long haul that being sensible, not depriving yourself too much, and exercise are what have worked. Exercise seems to be the key in so many studies, and I know it is for me.
And if I want dessert, I keep it small and eat it with dinner.
Good points too. Unfortunately exercise is out until my foot heals. Not feeling deprived is so important. This diet stresses that you can have anything you want for a reward at dinner. You must eat a salad first, and then you must balance the rest of your meal in roughly equal thirds. Protein, good carbs, and reward carbs.
Last night I had a small dish of Dreyers Light chocolate ice cream with Hershey's syrup. Along with the dollop of mashed potatoes and gravy, that was one third of my meal. Pork chops were the another third, and green beans the other third.
Oh, and I had to eat it all within one hour or forfeit the food. The diet book claims that this helps keep my body from over producing insulin. They say that for carb addicts, keeping the insulin at normal levels keeps the carb cravings at bay.
Dr. Watson,
Thank you. That is a good website. This was a good quote:
Using sugar substitutes may also perpetuate our need for sweet foods. How many times have you had pie or cake with your diet soft drink? That is not the way to lose weight.
I think the doctors of this diet are claiming something similar. They aren't saying that the artificial sweeteners actually produce any fat. I think they mean that the sweeteners trigger the carb cravings in some people that lead to binging. The body starts over producing insulin, which leads to cravings for more carbs in some people (but not all people. There is a test in their book; I was borderline moderate to severe.)
I am going to drink up the Diet Coke with dinner, I think, since that is my reward meal and it is okay to produce insulin then, just not during the rest of the day. I will play it by ear while I get used to the diet, and if I find it to be a problem, I will curtail the sweeteners at dinner too.
Tammy
