I've been experimenting with the diet for a month or more, but I've decided to use it every day. Yesterday went absolutely perfectly (except I only got 4 servings of veggies in).

Today has gone even better. I made my own meal replacement shake/pudding out of 2 cups of my homemade yogurt, a box of sugar free french vanilla pudding, 60g of undenatured whey protein and Splenda/xylitol blend.

It makes 3 servings at about 200 calories and 25g protein and 5g of fat.

Weirdly enough it tastes sort of like cake batter.

Just stumbled across this thread yesterday! I downloaded the book to my Kindle and hope to finish it today, so I can start the diet tomorrow....or maybe wait until Monday! LOL! This diet seems so easy and do-able! I eat a lot of those WW meals anyway and love fruits and veggies. Question: do you eat your veggies and salads with NO seasonings or oils at all? I don't think I can handle that! I might have to make a few modifications here and there. Also, I think I'd incorporate a cheat day once a week...still keep it sensible, but enjoy a meal I really like and a glass of wine or two. I really feel that it would make me stick to the diet better and LONGER. Don't really care if it takes a bit longer to lose the weight...they key is staying on the diet for the majority of the time! Please keep posting! As a newbie, I'm learning lots! Have a great day!

I don't remember the book saying that veggies couldn't be seasoned, just that fat shouldn't be added.

I do occasionally bend the fat rule as long as I'm not bending all the other rules too (if I'm adding a tablespoon of oil to a salad dressing for a large salad or to a large batch of roasted veggies, I don't allow other high-carb freggies, nor an extra shake, nor any of the other extras the authors suggest to use when hungry).

For me that's been enough of a guideline to avoid the fat, because I tell myself "I can use a little oil in my salad or roasted veggies, but if I do, I'll have to stick to the minimum guidelines - no extra shake or fruit if I'm hungry.

To me, keeping the "emergency hunger" options open is more important than adding fat to veggies (but I really like veggies).


However, I'm also very creative in finding and making low-calorie, low-carb, low-fat comdiments (such as making Nuoc Cham, a viatnamese dipping sauce, with splenda instead of sugar - I just use random recipes online).

Rice vinegar is so mild, that dressings made with it, really don't need any oil (in my opinion).

I also don't get too hung up about using foods that fit the guidelines. For example, I've made some homemade dinners that fit the guidelines, and I noticed the other day that many of the canned tuna and sardines in the cupboard fit the guidelines for a "shake" so I'm considering using them as a "shake" when I want a snack (probably won't have them for breakfast, but you never know).

I just came across this thread by accident... I just wanted to say that I did a little experiment with a PSMF for a week to see if I could tolerate it... and I did very well with it...

So I for one would love to see a PSMF thread... and would love to hear other people's experience...

I'm still doing the simple diet. I do use fat free salad dressing on my salads and use seasoning on my veggies... not oil or butter though. I have been getting all my veggies/fruits but still haven't drank all three shakes in one day yet. I really think this is an easy diet and with a cheat meal once a week or every two weeks I think it is doable for the long term. I did have trouble sleeping last night due to being soo soo hungry. I finally had to get up and eat a banana so I could go to sleep. I have finally come to realize that if I need to go over the 5 fruit/veg its okay or to have an extra meal if I need it. Its all about the long term benefits... and if eating an extra banana will keep me on the diet than I need to eat the extra banana or lean cuisine. I'd love to hear everyone elses opinons....

Exactly! Each of us has to do what works for us individually! I'm much more likely to stick with the diet if I can look forward to a cheat day once a week. Otherwise, I'll feel deprived. When I say "cheat" I don't mean eating everything in sight! I just mean having something I really love, but being sensible about it. In fact, it would probably be just a "cheat meal" and not the whole day!

The authors stress this several times in the book, that it's better to eat an extra servingor even two of "on plan" food than to eat off plan. So, if that means extra vegetables or fruit or even shakes, meals and bars its a better alternative than going off plan entirely (though they argue that the bars should be used far less frequently than the other types, because they're more calorie dense and less filling).

Yes, I would like to see an PSMF seperate thread.

Finished the book yesterday! That is one LONG book! He really goes into detail! It was great to have those lists of approved foods! I did my shopping and I'm ready to start TODAY! This is probably a stupid question, but what does PSMF stand for? Thanks!

Almost forgot a question I need to ask! I have some protein powder that meets all the specs...except it has about 10 MORE grams of protein than the max should be. I'd sure like to use this up before I buy more! Do you think that would be a big no-no? There's only 132 calories per serving! I wouldn't think additional protein should be a problem. Thanks!

PSMF stands for Protein Sparing Modified Fast...

If I had protein powder that I didn't want to go to waste here's what I would do... I would use it and just keep the total calorie amount within the range of my plan...

So as an example if a plan includes 5 servings of protein powder in the form of shakes at 100 calories each, thats a total of 500 calories... So take the protein powder you have and measure out the amount that comes out to 500 calories and divide it into 5 servings... You could use a food scale to be really exact if you want...

These diets work because among other things... you are ultimately restricting calorie intake... Good luck....

Made it through my first strict day! I acually started Friday, but then fell off the wagon when we went out to eat! But, stuck with it all day Saturday. I won't kid you...it was tough! I can live with the food, but I'm used to eating all day and as much as I want. This might teach me some portion control! Plus my husband is home all day on the weekends and he can eat anything he wants! LOL! I'm hoping each day will get easier!! I'm really pushing the exercise! Walked 4 miles @ Fri. & Sat.

I just finished the book. I am looking at this a a maintenance after losing 30 pounds on Ideal Protein. (60 pounds previously over a long period of time after I gave up wheat).
The thing I am concerned about is the boxed replacement meals. I looked at some yesterday, they are all pretty high carb. The reason IP worked for me is because I am super carb sensitive so I will have to be very careful about that.

I will look at some more boxed meal today but will likely have to remade my own and carefully measure the portion size.
So if I do that the Simple diet is actually phase 2 of IP with fruit allowed.

Am I interpreting correctly that DR A counts fruits and veggies the same when he says to have at least 5 servings. I have to watch my fruit intake very carefully as they have way more sugar than veggies.

I really like the simplicity of the weight training section I'll get onto that right away.
It is winter here already and with the cold plus my working hours plus long commute it is hard for me to get the exercise time in but see it is impossible to maintain without exercise.Also interesting for me is that Dr A counts coffee as part of the necessary liquid intake. All plans say more water if drinking coffee.
I will need to go back and reread that bit. I can never can get in the water required in any plan because my job involves much driving around between schools and I can't make numerous paniced entrances every day hoping I remember exactly where the closest bathroom is to the door.
Pat

There does seem to be enough interest to maybe start a generic PSMF thread, but someone else may have to do it (or wait until Dec for me to do it).

I'm deep into NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - an honor system challenge to write 50,000 words by Nov 30). To accomplish the task, I'm not going to be here much this month, and am trying to limit my attention to only a couple threads (this one, the NaNoWriMo thread, and an IP thread or two).