I read and post in the Medifast forum and in the IP forum and in the other threads and forums that are or can be done as PSMF's (protein sparing modified fasts), but because I'm not following Medifast, I'm wondering whether I really belong here.

But I'm not sure where I belong if I don't belong here. I'm following The Simple Diet (from the book written by James Anderson and Nancy Gustovson), and while we have a thread, it's not a very active one.

I'm not sure if it's because the Simple Det PSMF is so simple that there's not much to talk about, or whether it's because there aren't enough of us yet to support an active thread.

Also, I am making some minor modifications to the plan (in that I'm not just using ready-to-eat meals, I'm also making my own to fit the nutrition specs and I'm also not worrying about using the bars as a last resort, or about using more than 7 per week. I do make sure that the bars fit the nutritional profiles for the shakes though (that is that they have at least 10g of protein, not just at least 6g per the book).

Even talking about this minor modifications makes me wonder "is this right for The Simple Diet" thread, or would it belong elsewhere, and wouldn't it be cool if there was a thread for people following ANY PSMF.

There are so many plans that would meet the definition of PSMF, such as Medifast, most folks on Atkins induction or most other ketogenic diets, Ideal Protein, some Metabolic Research Center plans, HMR (Health Management Resources), The Simple Diet, Optifast, SlimFast, probably Nutrisystem, Rapid Fat Loss, The Dukan Diet...

Right now, I read and post in several of the PSMF threads, as they're as close to what I am doing as I can get, and I wonder how many folks are like me - doing something similar but not exactly like IP, The Simple Diet, HMR, Medifast, Optifast, Slimfast, or some other plan that fits the PSMF label... Or how many folks following the listed folks would be willing to post in a generic PSMF to share the wisdom and experience they've gained from their PSMF plans.

What do you think? Would a generic PSMF thread be something anyone here would be interested in, or would you rather only or primarily post in the Medifast forum?

What do you think of posts from people who are doing something like Medifast, but not exactly. Do our posts belong in this forum, or does it belong elsewhere.

I think (or maybe I'm just hoping) that there are more folks like me than I am seeing, and I'm just wondering if a generic PSMF thread might be something more folks would be interested in (both folks following popular PSMF's like IP and folks following less common and even obscure and self-created plans).

I know that even the term PSMF is in the eye of the beholder, but I just don't know where we non-name plan followers would be most welcome and where our comments and questions would be most helpful to one another and to other PSMFers whether or not they're following a named plan.

Any thoughts or ideas?

I'll chat with you anytime, Kaplods.

But I have to agree with you. While the IP section seems very active, this corner of the forum seems to be mostly me answering questions for new Medifast-ers. They get their answer and move on. But who's gonna answer MY questions?

While the actual products aren't quite the same, I do see the similarities in all the plans you mentioned. It might be nice to have a generic discussion about our similar struggles.

I agree - I follow PMSFs, but my own plan...a mix of the other plans. I get ignored in the IP board, and I love the alternatives to MF thread here, but don't know that I'd get any response if I posted about my alternative. Sigh.

Hello all. New here as of today. Currently doing MF, but will be out of foods at the end of the month. Seeking plans that are low carb, low gylcemic, low fat and low calorie to get to goal weight of 130. currently at 171.5.

I like the convenience of portable items, as I sometimes forget to eat when in ketosis and having something in my purse is useful. Looking for recipes to make protein bars as well as other healthy eating ideas.

Much luck to all...Celia