I'm starting the simple diet today with my husband. For now we have frozen meals, but I am going to start pre-making and freezing some meals so that we can save some money. I like the idea of just having to heat things up though...I hate cooking every night! My biggest problem is that I like snacking, but I'm hoping that by keeping the house full of produce, I will turn to fruits and veggies for my snacking needs

What does this teach you about making good food choices? All that prepackaged food has too much sodium and is very unhealthy. It sounds like the perfect plan for someone to lose and regain weight.

Well, I've got the book and there's a whole section on maintaining after you've lost the weight which doesn't appear to involve frozen foods...mostly a lot of fresh produce. He does say to keep track of the sodium. Personally for me with the shakes and using frozen meals, I'll be getting about 2,000 mg of sodium a day, which is within the recommended range from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. You're also supposed to drink a whole crap load (well, 8 glasses which is standard but thats actually a lot of water to me) of water on this diet which I suppose helps with sodium levels.

I dunno. Mostly for me it's about learning to not eat so many calories. I eat about 4000 - 5000 calories a day in junk easy. Lowering my caloric intake will be good. My doctor is okay with me doing this diet so I don't see how it's all that bad.

Hi, Im new here.Ive done Atkins 3 different ways for 7 weeks now to lose 15lbs I gained over Holidays.I dont like the way it got changed from the original.Too much counting and food obcessing all day.. so can anyone tell me what this Anderson diet involves?I love the idea of shakes and bars and a low carb meal at the evening.. Im not much of a lunch eater anyway, and this way I get as sweet tooth satisfied as well..I did Atkins for 12 yrs and had no problem maintaining, but this Holiday I just lost it.
I cannot afford to get the book right now, can someone give me a guideline?I already have some Atkins bars and shakes...
Thanks!!
MaMiaGirl

The idea is that you eat 2 frozen meals and 3 shakes a day, as well as five servings of fruits and veggies and eight 8oz glasses of a calorie free drink (water, crystal light, diet soda....water is of course the recommended beverage). The shakes are supposed to be 100-200 calories, 10-26 g protein, and less than 6 g fat. Entrees are 140-300 calories, 10-25 g protein, and less than 9 grams fat. You can also eat bars during the day if you need to, but it's not recommended unless you absolutely need them. I dont have the info for bar requirements in front of me.

I would highly recommend getting the book when you can if you are considering this diet. He lists a lot of the shakes and meals that meet the requirements listed and tells you about the exercise you need to do during the diet for it to be effective.

Thank you BananaMontana!
The Atkins shakes I have are 9grms fat,15 grms protein and 160 calories. the bars run approx the same depending on the flavor.Is there any snacks? I geuss that can be the veges..Im not a big fruit eater, so I will just eat more low carb veges.So no added fats then as in Atkins, and I think its just too much for me.I also have Reactive hypoglycemia, (stage 3 to type 2 Diabetes and so far for years now staying there ) As for the frozen meals, I dont see very many low carb ones if any..and that is a issue for my Blood Sugar.I already eat Sugar free as I can. Thank you so much for your info.I would only eat one bar a day for lunch probably, shake for BK(I add Flax meal and fiber 1tbsp each, plus one cup unsweetened Almond Milk) I will have to figure protein/vege for dinner..Anyone use those Miracle noodles?Zero cals Zero carbs? Just curious.

MaMiaGirl

Thanks for your comment. This diet helps people to get their portion sizes in check. Since it requires 5 servings of fruits and veggies, it helps people learn to incorporate that healthy habit into their daily lives. No it's not the most perfect, healthy, organic way of eating; however, if we all could eat perfectly we wouldn't have a weight problem now would we!

Actually since it teaches us to eat 5 small meals a day, get plenty of protein, keep our fat intake lower, eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, drink 8 glasses of water a day, and exercise at least 20 minutes a day it seems like a pretty healthy way to go. (By the way, I've lost about 6 lbs. in a week!!!)

I just read up on Sugar Alcohols, which it seems are in almost all the SF bars.Im very insulin resistant.Im eating a Atkins shake for BK with added Fiber I put in.For lunch a Low carb bar(has maltitol, just cant find any without that, that particular sweetner seems to be the biggest offender)I dont feel hungry between BK and lunch, so I dont need a snack.However, about 2 to 3pm I feel hungry a bit,Dont really know what to have for a snack, any suggestions? also,dinner is my main meal and I dont get the frozens as Im keeping this as low carb as I can, there are NO LOW CARB frozen dinners.Ive checked every label on every brand.Id love it if someone would make some..lol So anyway, I eat a little meat, veges, and a salad with either ranch or Oil/lemon.. then later I might have a SF jello (1/2 cup) how much fat are we suppose to keep at in a day?Plus lots of water and green tea... what about Splenda for sweetner?I have packets and liquid.

MaMiaGirl

SW 145
CW 145
GW 130

ps just did Atkins for 7 weeks and lost 2lbs then got the 2lbs back,NEVER went off menu!So frustrating, so Im looking for a jump start and I like the Anderson idea.. super easy.I really dont want to think that much, measruing figuring etc.. I KNOW WHAT MADE ME GAIN! HOLIDAY GOODIES!!!

Hi Essbee,

I started the Dr. A. Simple Diet on 2/6 and I'm down 11.5 pounds.

This is the easiest program I have ever done. I love it! I have no cravings, no hunger and no feelings of being deprived, so no feelings of wanting to cheat and I have more energy than I've had in years.

My eating plan is like this:
6:00 am. Drink shake on way to work. (Sometimes with 1 serv of fruit)
9:00 am. Snack (fruit or shake if hungry)
12:00 Frozen meal and 1 - 2 cup salad (I use real ranch dressing, not the low/no fat stuff, can't stand it)
3:00 Snack (usually a shake so I can make it till 7 for dinner)
7:00 Frozen meal and some extra veggies and fruit for dessert.
Bed time: If still hungry then I will drink another shake (usully not hungry).

You want to make sure your shakes are 100 - 200 calories, 10 to 26 grams of protein and less than 6 grams of fat. I love the Special K brand; I mix all kinds of fruit in them to give them a different taste and to get 1 serving of my fruit in.

The best tip I can give you for late night snacks is grab an extra shake. The shakes really fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied. Some nights I have one just before I go to bed and I sleep like a baby and still lose weight! Don't worry about the extra calories, according to Dr. A.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Why is it that when you mention a frozen meal diet, the first thing people say is "OMG the SODIUM!" That's unhealthy, you shouldn't eat those!

Yet, prior to me doing this diet, people would tell me about their diets, they would never mention restricting sodium, they mention CARBS, FAT, SUGARS AND PROTEIN. But never anything about sodium. Strange.

If you are so worried about your sodium intake then go see your doctor and find out what your recommended daily alllowance is. I did and this is what she said:

If you are not on a sodium restricted diet from your doctor then, The Dietary Guidelines from the U. S. Food & Drug Administration advise that the minimum sodium requirement is about 1,500 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day. The maximum recommended level of sodium intake is 2,300 mg per day.

On average, American men consume between 3,100 and 4,700 mg of sodium per day, while women consume between 2,300 and 3,100 mg (due to their lower calorie intake, not because of restricting sodium).

So my 3 shakes with 230 mg each and my 2 frozen meals of under 800mg each (most are in the 400-600 range) are no big deal. I'm in range and I'm actually getting less sodium then I did when I wasn't dieting.

Check with your doctor and enjoy the convenience of the LC, HC and WW frozen meals.

Imac12 ive looked and looked and I cannot find any LowCarb frozen meals..where do you find yours.Also what is the fat intake for the day on this plan?I just ordered the book, but Im getting a jump start.I have no problem sticking to a plan.What are in the shakes you use?I have to use Sugar free for my Blood Sugar problem,other than that the sodium doesnt matter..Can you give me a run down of what to have for a days worth of meals, snacks?I can adjust for the sugar if there is any, on my own.
Thanks!!!

MaMiaGirl

SW145
CW145
GW130

Way to go Imac12! Out of curiosity, how much are you exercising? I just joined a gym and have been working out the past two nights as well. So far (in 2 days on the diet and 1 day exercising), I'm down 3 pounds. I know a lot is water weight, but I'm hoping this is the beginning of a new trend.

Also Imac, are you getting the full 5 servings of fruits and veggies? I'm kind of pushing myself to, but today I'm finding that I'm not as hungry and here it is almost 9 PM and I've only had 4. I'm trying my best to keep to the 5 meal replacements/5 servings of fruits and veggies.

I'm also going to second (or third if I overlooked) the remark about this diet getting you to eat more fruits and veggies. Gotta admit, I never was big on fruits and veggies. Veggies were always too bland and fruit too sweet...or some other excuse! I've really been working at acquiring a tasted for them though and I think I'm on the right track!

MaMiaGirl - I'm not sure what you mean with a run down of meals/snacks for the day, but I'll give you mine for yesterday (because it was little more organized than today's).

0630 - SlimFast Cappuccino shake and a peach
0900 - Equate (WalMart brand) Strawberries and Cream shake and some carrots and celery
1130 - Lean Cuisine Santa Fe-Style Rice and Beans (dipping celery in it maybe half a serving here)
1530 - Equate Creamy Milk Chocolate shake and blueberries
2030 - Smart Ones Canadian Style Bacon English Muffin Sandwich and a Dole frozen strawberry cup

Basically what I pack for work on a daily basis is 1 baggie of carrots and celery (hopefully close to 2 servings) and a baggie of one serving of fruit along with 2 shakes. I try to snack with a shake and a fruit or veggie. In addition, I try to have a piece of fruit with breakfast and fruit or veggie with dinner. Today, I unfortunately wasn't very hungry and was busier at work this afternoon, so I skipped my afternoon snack and instead had a shake with my dinner.

Out of curiosity, I input everything I ate yesterday and the calorie total was approximately 1306. For me, this is great. I worked out for close to 2 hours yesterday, so I'm sure I burned a little of it. What this diet helps me with personally is that while I don't mind calorie counting, I am literally afraid to eat too many. The three weeks before this week I was eating 800-900 and that's far too few. This way I'm getting just enough AND I'm eating fruits and veggies. Win-win in my opinion!

hey Thanks EssbeeI just ordered the book, but just trying to get a kick start..

I have to do this Sugar free because I have a blood sugar problem..plus no breads or such for me.. that spikes my BS also.. so I will have to do this Low carb.. What is the fats for the day?I may have to make my meals as such since I cannot find ANY low carb diet meals...but thats not a big deal.I may not eat all the fruit and veges either as Im pretty ok inbetween meals during the day, its betweem 2 and 6pm that I get pretty hungry..(I eat at 6pm)
Thank you very much, I get the idea..How much do you want to lose?

MaMiaGirl

I gotcha! Looking at that one day that I logged everything (in My Fitness Pal app for android), it says 27g of fat. I'm sure you could probably do less if you're aiming for it. The requirements for the meals are less than 9g for each one. For the shakes it's less than 6g of fat for each. I just scanned the grid in for the nutrition requirements. I hope it helps. I know a visual does sometimes. I should actually save it to my phone too in case I need it while I'm out! Another thing I forgot was that you can have soup instead of the shakes too for a little variety! Actually, because I have less than 25 posts, it's not going to let me post the image.

Personally, I tend to forget if I'm hungry if I'm busy and while it's not necessarily a bad thing, I think with this diet you're really supposed to have the full 5 meal replacements. If you think about it, because of how low the calorie intake is with it, you kind of need them. Speaking of...I'm almost ready for breakfast! Hah. My ultimate goal is 87 pounds now to get to 140 (though I'd like to be less, but I think I'd be satisfied with that), but my main goal is to enlist in the Air Force and for my height, I have to be 155 so from what the scale says this morning, I have to drop 72. My problem is patience. I'm an impatient person to begin with, but the cut off age is 27 for enlistment and I'll be 26 in September. Needless to say, I gotta get to losing!

http*://i41.tinypic.com/xoh6wo.jpg (copy/paste the link without the asterisk and you'll see the nutrition grid)

Essbee!WOW what a goal!You are young, so those LBS should drop like flies if you stick to plan..
For me, I dont think I can eat 5 meals a day, Im just too busy, but I will snack on some veges in between "meals".
What do you want to train for in the AF?

I looked at the link, thats great..so it looks like about 900 cals a day, but give or take a few is fine.Not all calories are created equal anyway.The fruits I will do will be low glycemic, Blue Berries, Strawberrys,, that works and are easy to carry and pop in my mouth..lol I may pick up some of those pickled veges that come in the jar.. cauliflower, carrots, celery,peppers,onion, and some other stuff, lol that makes my mouth pucker thinking about them..

Still working in those frozen meals.last nite I had Miracle noodles(the whole pack has ZERO nothing in it, its all fiber) with green beans, and a steak(about 10oz..Ive got to keep low carb..no real pasta for me, breads, sugars etc..

But I lost 1/2lb from yesterday already, sooo Im going for it!!!

Thanks again Essbee!!!


MaMiaGirl