In six months, I have gone from 249 pounds to 217 pounds effortlessly. All I had to do was eliminate salt, sugar, wheat, and dairy. Apart from that, I ate as much as I wanted. I just wanted to share this in case anyone else might benefit from this information. Before-and-after photos are on my Google+ page, for those who are regular posters here and would like to add me: https://plus.google.com/114549567323929362719/posts

quote:

All I had to do was eliminate salt, sugar, wheat, and dairy.

At least you didn't have to give up alcohol!

Congratulations. But it's not exactly easy to get away from those four, and the body does need a certain amount of salt each day. How do you get your sodium requirements met?

There is naturally occurring sodium in a lot of foods. Most people are getting far more sodium per day than they need. What amazed me about this diet was, once I'd decided to switch, it was so easy. I hear about people struggling to lose weight by eating smaller amounts of food than they really want to. With this diet, you can eat as much as you want.

I should add that, for the first three months, I stuck strictly to the no-salt rule. I avoided processed foods, which almost always have salt added. Also, that was during the warm part of the year, so I was eating a lot of raw salads. For the last three months, since it's been cold, I have been eating some processed food for the evening meal, and that will inevitably include some salt. But I still avoid foods such as soy sauce, which have a huge amount of salt in them.

I generally use lite salt, which has equal portions of NaCl and KCl, the latter balancing the bloating effects of sodium and assisting in nutrient absorption. Most people don't get enough potassium. You can also get No-Salt, which is pure KCl, and is OK, but not as good as the blend.

Again . . . congratulations. I'm convinced that a large part of weight loss is also because of more consciousness of one's eating habits. Knocking out processed carbs will also do wonders for anyone's health. I am not a purist when it comes to the latter (e.g., had a donut last nite, still have sugar in my coffee, etc.), but by and large gravitate to whole foods.

Derek, what about calcium? In the absence of dairy products, what food sources do you draw upon for calcium?

I never thought about calcium, but it turns out the soy milk I buy has calcium carbonate added to it. I guess they must be concerned for people like me! Are you thinking of trying my miracle diet?

There's a little Ca in other foods, but dairy is usually the main source. Supplements can work, too, of course.

No, I'm not tending in that direction, though I could stand to lose a few pounds. I just need to turn up the exercise routine a bit more, as that would do my more good overall.

here is on some natural sources of Calcium

http://www.webmd.com/osteoporo...KEpwmpgi7hRB7OCaE%3d