Help? interviewee needed (:

rose_mortem

Hello all you amazing people

I need to interview at least 2 people for school, it's about diet safety. Must be someone who has been on one of the following: the Atkins diet, Weight Watchers, Slim Fast Optima diet, Sugar Busters, or the South Beach diet.

Ok, here's the questions...
•Why did you initially choose this diet?
•What is the basic premise of this diet/eating plan?
•What were two positive aspects of the diet?
•Were there any downsides to the diet plan? Explain.
•Did you have success on this diet?
•Are you still on the diet plan?
•Have you maintained your weight loss?
•Do you feel the diet is safe? Why or why not?
•Did you exercise while on the diet?
•Would you follow this diet plan again?

I need at least 2 different people's responses, please & thanks :flowerforyou:

kr3851

Sending you a PM!

ShrinkRapt451

I'll be happy to give you a hand. I was on the South Beach diet, pretty religiously, for about 9 or 10 months. This was several years ago; fall 2003-late summer 2004.

•Why did you initially choose this diet?
Because it emphasized healthy foods: healthy carbs, healthy fats, healthy proteins. And because I realized I am pretty powerless to control my eating when I have highly-refined carbs in my diet. I regularly craved bread, potatoes, sweets, etc.

•What is the basic premise of this diet/eating plan?
First two weeks: very low-carb eating. Active weight loss phase: low-carb eating, with emphasis on complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Part of the deal is that you eliminate a hefty number of foods from your diet (potatoes, corn, pineapple, white breads and rices, ice cream... but ALSO regular bacon, high-fat cuts of meat, butter, full-fat cheeses, things high in saturated fat). Maintenance phase: you can add back some of the "forbidden foods," in moderation.

•What were two positive aspects of the diet?
I seriously quit craving high-carb items. And I could eat a lot of food while continuing to lose weight at a steady, healthy rate. I also felt terrific. Way more energy.

•Were there any downsides to the diet plan? Explain.
American restaurants do not prepare food, or design menus, in this way. I love to eat out... and it's a pain. If you're on the go, you have to plan ahead to have something available to grab on the run, and when you're traveling, it's nearly impossible to stick with unless you can find a way to cook for yourself. It's also a fairly labor-intensive and expensive way to eat, when you've been used to eating out a lot or eating a lot of convenience foods.

•Did you have success on this diet?
I lost over 40 lbs, at the rate of about 1 lb/week. Gained only 2 lbs over the holidays that year, even!

•Are you still on the diet plan?
Nope. Developed 24/7 nausea during my first pregnancy, and simple carbs (corn muffins in particular) settled my tummy. Put on 45+ lbs during the pregnancy, and when my hubby (who'd been doing all the food prep/shopping) was working full-time again, we did not consistently make the time to shop for and cook healthy food. Eventually, I gained an extra 30 lbs after my first kiddo was born.

•Have you maintained your weight loss?
See above.

•Do you feel the diet is safe? Why or why not?
I do. Doesn't require drastic calorie restriction or maintenance of an ongoing ketogenic state. And because it eliminates unhealthy fats, too, it ultimately supports heart health.

•Did you exercise while on the diet?
Not really.

•Would you follow this diet plan again?
Definitely. I'm actually approximating it, or trying to. I haven't eliminated everything from my diet that SB demands, but I'm trying to keep my carbs below 100g/d and my protein above 100g/d. Nothing too drastic, but keeping track helps me choose to avoid foods that I know are unhealthy (even though they may be tasty).