Sonoma Diet

A Mediterranean diet is a great way to eat, Greeks are amazingly healthy. I would just say make sure you will be able to keep doing it long term, or your results will be temporary.

, Greeks are amazingly healthy.

Do you have any evidence proving that. I would think that G feel population was no more healthy than any other western European country. Since they have one of the highest rates of smoking in Europe I expect they are not that healthy in comparison.

I realize you posted this a couple months ago, but if you are still looking for feedback on the Sonoma diet I have some to offer.

I have been overweight since around third or fourth grade. The only significant amount of weight I have ever lost was 30lbs about six years ago doing the original Sonoma diet. I loved it, and the only reason I stopped was because we (my parents and I) had started it during the summer, but when I went back to college for my sophomore year some things came up and I started eating like a college student again about a month in. Well, as of two and a half weeks ago I am back on the plan.

What I love about Sonoma is that it really isn't too gimmick-y. There are some of the requisite silly names that come with most diets these days, like "wave 1" "wave 2" "tier 1, 2 & 3 veggies", but at the heart of it Sonoma is really just how people SHOULD be eating. It puts an emphasis on veggies and fruit (with some preference for the more watery options), lean protein (of a wide variety and in amounts that jive with common nutritional recommendations), whole grains, and healthy fats like nuts and olive oil. It even allows for a 5 oz glass of wine every day if you choose.

There are very few things that Sonoma restricts. For the most part they are common sense items like cookies, cakes, and fried food. The only "everyday" foods that Sonoma strongly advises against are simple carbs like white bread/rice/pasta and white potatoes. It is easy to swap whole grain alternatives for white carbs, but I remember thinking six years ago that it would be impossible to cut out white potatoes. Six years later, while I have definitely had some french fries and mashed potatoes since then I really haven't ever had a craving for white potatoes since the first round of Sonoma. If I never had one again I don't think it would bother me. But I digress....

As I said, I am back on Sonoma now because I know it works for me and it is definitely sustainable for the long-term IMHO. I am doing the original plan, though I know the author has updated it and dubbed it the NEW Sonoma diet. I am not quite sure what all the differences are, but I do know, for example, that you are now allowed a serving of fruit in the first wave though no fruit is allowed for the first wave on the original plan. It seems she has reworked it to make wave 1 less of a "crash" diet (which I don't believe it is but this was a major knock against the original plan). The author included a lot of recipes in both Sonoma diet books, and has also published a separate recipe book with options for all parts of the diet. I find her recipes to be both delicious and very manageable. Very rarely does it occur that I open a book, pick a recipe for dinner, and do not have all the ingredients on hand.

To sum up, I am a fan. The plan teaches you how to eat sensibly for life AND how to do it in a delicious manner so that you actually enjoy what you are eating. Though I fell off during college, certain aspects of the diet have stayed ingrained in me for the past six years, like choosing whole grains whenever possible. Now that I am back on, I almost never feel like I am eating "diet food" and I have learned to love things that I would never have touched before like bell peppers and cucumbers. For a true veggie-phobe this is a big deal!

Apologies for the long reply (especially if this is no longer a question for you!)