I was wondering today, while I was digging myself out from all the rubble of the ice storm and lack of communication with the world. (I am amazed at how I cannot live without my internet!)
Why is this plan not more popular? I bought the book and have started reading it, it's the perfect cross between low carb, and low fat. It's south beach with portion control, wine and chocolate....very, very liveable and do-able. I love the structure of it, and the card that came in the book will be valuable (I think I will just take it to the store as my shopping list)
I am loving what I read so far. But when I look on the internet, I really don't find that much info on the plan.
Does anyone know of good sites? Why do YOU think the plan is not more popular?
1) the plate issue. This portion control mechanism is hard for a lot of people to wrap their head around for some reason. They start thinking too rigidly and then spin themselves right off the plan. Some people have stated that they thought that plan wouldn't work unless you got the exact plate percentages that was mentioned in the book and when they had a hard time figureing that out with certain foods, I think they gave up.
2) the food list - the list doesn't list every single possible food out there and when people encounter one that isn't on the list, they tended to panic.. can I eat this, can I eat that?
What I advise people is to understand that plate is just a portion control mechanism. It is not an exact science that for example if you eat 40% of grains for breakfast and 60% protein somedays, the world is not going to end and you can still lose. A lot of this really is common sense and has to be learned rather than memorized. Once you learn the "flavor" of the plan, it isn't all that difficult to determine if something isn on plan or not. Again, it takes learning rather than memorizing something
The only other sites I am aware of are the book site itself, but that does cost $ to join so 3FC is probably your best option.
I think the biggest problems are:
1) The recipes are intimidating for those who are not cooks, they look complicated and time consuming to people who don't spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
2) It's not quite as clear what you need to avoid with this diet as compared to, say, South Beach. For instance, in Wave One you are allowed some whole grain bread and cereal. In Phase One of South Beach you aren't allowed any bread. It's easier to remember a blanket statement like "no bread" than to try to choose only healthy breads.
Since I'm not interested in a "diet" as much as a lifestyle change, Sonoma is a good choice for me. I really want to keep these 10 pounds off once I lose them! I know I can lose them with a diet, but once I go off it, they will come back. That is what I am trying to avoid.
I am really trying to make Sonoma work but I think the reason it isn't more popular is that it is very very hard. It is so different from how I normally eat. I know that I need to make a drastic change in the way I eat if I want to be healthy--yet change is never easy.
I don't want to give up; yet I think I might have to give up because it is just too hard for me. Maybe I need some type of stair step method. When I asked questions on the calorie counter forum they said to start with eating the right amount of calories and then start chipping away, i.e., changing another unhealthy habit.
I don't know what to do. I want to lose weight. I have an all-or-nothing attitude so I think I have to be careful of how difficult a diet is to follow.
Maybe I need to work on what is going on in my head that is holding me back from getting healthy.
If you can make Sonoma work for you GO FOR IT because it is the healthiest diet with the most research baccking up the claims.
Good luck! I will be lurking around this board so PM me and say HI sometimes!
You have to do what works for you and your life. This works for me because its all the food I already eat. I just need fewer carbs and more control, which this gives.
I wish I had an answer for you... I have NO idea why it isn't more popular, it's SO easy to do! Whole grains, nothing "white", you divide your plate, eat veggies and fruits, have wine... it's a great plan.
Unfortunatly for me, the month of Dec had me thrown into holiday eating mode and beginning Jan 2, I will be back on Sonoma until I lose some weight. It's an awesome plan. You just have to learn that the book is not a bible, but rather a guideline.
My main problem w/dieting is, I need constant support... and this board is never active enough. This is the only site on the internet I can find that really supports this plan, and it rarely has a flurry of activity on it. It happens in spurts. I guess I'll just have to be stronger this time, and know I have no choice but to do this on my own.
I think it is also that people are doing the plan without the book and/or knowing what it is called. Because "whole grains", "eat fruits and veggies", "nothing white", and the approximate plate divisions are all things I did as part of healthy lifestyle changes, without the Sonoma or Mediterranean name on it. I just sort of -did- it.
Maybe there are lots of folks following these approximate recommendations without knowing it? Maybe in the "Whole Foods" boards? Certainly support is all over this place, regardless of whether there are a ton of people on THIS particular forum.
Ask general questions in "Weight Loss Support". You can ask recipe/cooking idea questions in the "Whole Foods Lifestyle" forum. There is advice to be had all over if you look!
I found the basic ideas pretty straightforward. Like Linda said, I think you work it and get the "flavor" or feel of it and you eventually realize that close counts. It's one of the reasons I was attracted to it--I drive myself crazy trying to count calories or follow a set meal plan. We're all so different in our diet personalities. Some people do terrific counting calories and following a meal plan.
On the other hand, I am having trouble with execution--willpower is in short supply, especially after dinner. I save my snack for after dinner. But bad habit rears its head. I associate after dinner with couch and reading...and eating. So I'm struggling with that. Plus the exercise part.
I did join the Sonoma online plan free for 10 days. I wasn't too impressed with it. I'm glad 3fatchicks has this forum. With New Years resolutions, I imagine it'll get busier.
I'm committed to getting this weight off. This forum and Gina's challenge are a real help.
South Beach has Prevention/Rodale behind it, promoting it in their magazines etc. I've noticed now that Prevention has a "new" diet plan to tout, so it may soon replace South Beach as Numero Uno.
I've researched a lot of diet plans, and Sonoma/Mediterranean is by far one of the healthiest.
I think it is a combination of people wanting exact descriptions of what to eat like Linda said and that it requires cooking. There is no way around it-you can't go to the grocery store and buy frozen dinners that are already perfect for your diet like you can with WW or South Beach. For people who aren't willing to do some cooking this simply won't work.
Well, if you compare the food list between this and the south beach diet, they are almost the same. With the exception of the grains in wave one. I think alot of these diets are all the same in the end, with an exception of a few like weight watchers and calorie counting. So I imagine at some point one could go into the store, get a south beach meal and be just fine. I am not a fine of processed food by any measure, but in a pinch for some people that may work.
Frankly, I don't know how the low carb diet folks do it, I love bread way too much!
and personally, I love to cook; it's something of a hobby for me, so Sonoma fits the bill really well. There are a lot of recipes in the South Beach book that work well for Sonoma too.
When I began researching the Sonoma Diet about a year ago, I couldn't find anything either, but I did buy the book and the cookbook. I also downloaded the book to my MP3 player. Once I finished reading the book, I felt pretty comfortable about being able to do the lifestyle change. It was pretty sufficient in the way of info and recipes. The meal plans are invaluable, I think. I have been following it to the letter. I feel so much better only after 7 days and have lost 6.5 pounds. My blood sugar goes down every day and I am looking forward to getting off the insulin. I encourage you to give this a try. I am a lifetime dieter, so I'm familiar with most plans. This is a great one! What are the drawbacks? The fresh, whole foods are unfortunately more expensive. Also, while I love to cook, the prep work is a little more than I am used to. I will adjust. I feel like I have found something that makes sense finally. Good luck to you.
I think this is a great plan! But I agree the cooking is too much. I have been using South Beach recipes and altering them. Also, for me it's more about keeping weight off, so I am doing this as more of a lifestyle change than a diet...I'm not doing the Waves but following the principles of the diet. The hardest for me is the portions. They don't always fit in with what I'm making. And I don't limit my veggies....I just take less meat and grains.
I think the reason this "diet" isnt more popular is no one knows about it
I had never heard of "Sonoma diet" before until about a month ago
(on another forum)
I have done Atkins ,WW, SB, Sugar busters, Deal-a-meal, Cabbage soup, Mayo clinic (grapefruit), Burmingham Hospital diet, Rice diet report, gosh I dont think there's a diet I havent done!!!
so far Sonoma is the easiest and best weigh loss plan I've tried.
RNW
Why is this plan not more popular...
I understand
