I read an aritcle about the Simple Diet plan by Dr. Anderson. It seems simple without any measuring. I started it today, and the only problem is eating all the food you can. I'm still short one veggie/fruit and some water.

It's a high protein diet but you get carbs from the frozen meals. I like it cause it's simple!! Will post any results

Welcome to 3FC

I noticed this book on Amazon. From the little information I browsed, it sounds like you consume meal replacements and fresh fruits and vegetables, is that right? Does the plan recommend certain brands of products?

No special brands, Suzanne, but there are suggestions of what meals and shakes fit the criteria from a wide variety. This makes it easy to find what you need for stage one, which is pretty much as you describe it. The hardest part for me is keeping enough fruits and veggies on hand so that I get all the daily servings in.

It's essentially a people's version of the HMR Healthy Solutions plan.

I'm glad to find some people actively on this!

I started in March and lost 23 pounds so far, but that was after 2 months of sporadic following (June and some of July) due to family being in town, camping, etc. At any rate, I've been back on track and lost another 1 pound. It is easy for the most part, sometimes though because I do cook for my family, it can be hard to smell something and not have it--but I try to get something similar (i.e., when they have tuna fish casserole I get the Smart Ones Tuna Fish Casserole or if they have lasagna, I get one).

How is everyone doing?

Thanks Sorown. I've been doing it since March, but did not follow it 100% for most of June and July, didn't gain but didn't lose. I'm back to the plan and losing

I don't find it particularly high protein, I noticed people saying that above not this recent post. Based on my info this week from Lose It, I'm about 50-70% carbs, 10-20% protein, and 10-20% fat depending on the day. I don't think there are high protein frozen entrees LOL.

Will you pl elaborate the diet pl?

I've got only a second so I'll be brief.

Minimum of FIVE servings of fruits and veggies. Generally fresh fruit or veggies is 1 cup and cooked is 1/2 cup. No sauces. No dressings.

I think he said 64 ounces of water.

He okays diet soda.

Two frozen entrees a day of 140 to 300 calories, 10-25 grams of protein and 0-9 grams of fat.

Three shakes a day (he feels the satiety factor from shakes is more so than bars, but you can SUBSTITUTE bars or soup). Calories 100-200, protein 10-26 grams, and fat 0-6 grams.

Bars are to be used in an emergency only, i.e., no shake, but they are 100-200 calories, 6-20 grams of protein and 0-5 grams of fat.

Soups can also be substituted for shakes AND/OR depending on hunger added to veggies. They are 100-200 calories, 10-20 grams of protein (a high protein soup like this is VERY hard to find, there are about four I've found), and 0-6 grams of fat. I have not used a soup yet (started in March) so I cannot recall offhand the ones I stocked up with.

I have lactose intolerance and I know for me and my hormone issues soy is bad, so I've been using powdered Muscle Milk shakes and GNC's egg protein ones, but those are $$$ for me. Most shakes at grocery stores work.

Generally have a shake for breakfast. Two servings of veggies and an entree at lunch. Fruit and a shake for a snack. Two servings of veggies (sometimes 3) and an entree for dinner. I have a third shake at night.

You can add Metamucil or something if you are constipated, but usually with the veggies most people are not.

After losing I believe 40% of your weight you start to introduce regular meals, but I'm not there yet and can reread that section when I get there.

Hope this helps.

Thank you. But does your shake include protein?

He recommends 10-26 grams. I get 16 to 25 depending on which shake I use.

I just finished reading the book, and the diet is so simple, I think a lot of people are going to feel the book isn't necessary. However, I think that this isn't a diet to condense to it's simplest form, if you have no background in nutrtion. It would be easy to assume that one could eat the same two dinners, same three shakes, and same 5 servings of veggies, but the book stresses over and over again the need for "volume and variety." And the authors do not endorse any particular shakes, bars, soups, or dinners, they do devote considerable space to listing examples of foods that fit the criteria.

Also, exercise also isn't considered optional in the plan (which I didn't realize until reading the book). The plan includes working up to 2000 calories burned in exercise each week.

Another requirement is to log your foods (a chart example is given). The chart is simple (you complete with check marks noting how many shakes, bars, dinners, fruits and veggies... and whether you stayed on plan and an estimation of how many calories you burned exercising that day).


Another vital component to the plan is being accountable to someone other than yourself (a doctor, family member, weight loss club...). I think this is also a component that's easily overlooked, but the authors explain why exercise and accountability are key elements to success.

There's also transitioning phase(s) and instructions. As you get closer to goal, you use fewer meal replacements and more home-cooking.

I'm far away enough from goal that I didn't concentrate on the later phase(s) of the plan. I read the book very quickly and focused mainly on the beginning phase (enough to get me started), however I will be buying my own copy of the book).

The authors don't really talk about a carbohydrate target, and more and more low-carb shakes, bars, and frozen meals are becoming available, so I disagree that the plan can't be done low, or at least lowish carb. Certainly Zone level of carbs are possible (40% calories from carbs, 30% from fat, and 30% protein).

While the plan is incredibly simple, I think there is some danger of oversimplifying the diet without the book. Some oversimplification may not provide a hazzard, but missing out on the exercise, accountability, and volume/variety messages, I think misses out on the core of the plan... what makes it sensible and sustainable.

I totally agree. It's very simple, but there is a lot to it...and I disagree with him and the use of diet soda. I just don't see any redeeming quality of that.

I also have read the entire book, but really will reread the transitioning as I get closer to goal as well.

I've done a lot of personal research on the diet soda and artificial sweeteners and the research both pro and con, and have talked to various doctors I've seen about it too, and I'm perfectly comfortable with using diet sodas and artificial sweeteners.

The most critical thing a doctor has ever said to me about diet sodas was "don't sip on soda all day, as that will erode tooth enamel," and my current dentist told me "just use a straw and don't let the soda sit in your mouth."

The "redeeming" quality for me is allowing me to indulge my sweet tooth with minimal risk (many "healthy" foods have as many or more risks than artificial sweeteners. And the "natural" sweeteners like stevia may have their own problems, as the little research that has been done on stevia has found links to reproductive system/sex organ birth defects in the offspring of rodents fed stevia during pregnancy).

Since I'm on birth control and not planning on having children, I'm not too worried about stevia use myself, but the safety standards for artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and others are higher than for herbal supplements like stevia.

To market an artificial sweetener or food additive, it must be proven safe, but there are no safety standards for herbal products.... to get an herbal product off the market it must be proven unsafe (almost to the point of fatally unsafe).

The environmental risks of ordinary household products, chemicals, and even modern furniture and building materials are much greater (and with a much stronger research backing) than artifical sweeteners, and yet (virtually no one) is clearing their house of cleaning products, polyester materials, home insulation, air fresheners, cosmetics....

There's a greater perceived risk for ingested (swallowed) products than for products that come in contact with the skin or that are breathed in, probably because it's what we feel we have most control over.

I've gone a year without caffeine and artificial sweetners, and my doctor said that if I reintroduced them I would notice right away if I had a problem with either (I didn't). However, the same cannot be said of cosmetics, air fresheners, fragrances, and household chemicals.

Because of a COPD diagnosis, I stopped using household products that most people don't give a second thought to, and my health improvements were dramatic. Yet when I tell folks to worry about their cleaners, fragrances, and cosmetics before worrying about food additives, they look at me like I'm crazy.