i'm a member on a number of forums and i talk to a lot of ppl around town (they've started asking me how i'm doing it).
right up there with religion and politics, "diet" has got to be a guaranteed match in the gas can. i can't believe how many ppl get their knickers in a knot over "low carb!!!" "low fat!!!" etc etc etc.
this is what i've started saying: the issue of diet is like a bowl of chili.
under ideal circumstances and from the point of chilidom, you have yer veggies, yer legumes, and yer meat all combining to form a nice bowl of hot and happy.
from the PoV of a vegetarian, however, not so much. so you remove the meat, and you still have a pretty decent bowl of chili: it's not ideal as chili goes; it's really not ideal as meatatarians go; but it's ideal for the vegetarian.
from the PoV of a meatatarian, you can remove the beans and leave the meat - it's not sufficient to lay on the altar of the chili gods and it's a nightmare for the vegetarian, but it's ideal for the meat-muncher and it's still a decent bowl of chili.
it hasn't turned into lasagna or beef stew or seafood chowder is what i mean.
diet is chili - meat, beans, or both, pick the one that works for you and keep your spoon out of other ppl's bowls.