I tried the Eat to Live plan for a few days

[Mergath]

...and have decided I'd rather have a shorter, happier life.

 

I decided this last night during dinner. I knew I couldn't eat the meatloaf and mashed potatoes I'd made for dh and dd, so I decided to roast some vegetables in the oven for my dinner.

 

Only, I couldn't figure out how to do it without tossing the vegetables with a bit of olive oil. Don't want to be eating scorched, dried out rocks for dinner.

 

So then I thought I'd make a salad. Only, my homemade vinaigrette has olive oil in it, as does every salad dressing on the planet. Google told me that I should instead sprinkle my salad with a bit of vinegar. Um, no thanks.

 

It turns out that when you aren't supposed to eat meat, dairy, oils/fats, sugar, salt, or anything made with any kind of flour, there isn't a whole heck of a lot left. And no snacks! Snacks are the devil, because then you don't properly starve to death between meals like you're supposed to.

 

Going to the guy's website and finding out I'd have to pay something like forty bucks a month for the privilege of using the official forum didn't help.

 

Anyone else tried the Eat to Live thing and been less than impressed?

[Just Another Jen]

I am right there with you. I am going to try a smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and then a smaller portion of whatever dinner I make for everyone else.

[Onceuponatime]

The no oils/fats would kill me. I once went on an "only 10% of my calories in fat" diet and with in three days I was an unfunctioning wet blob of emotions. I finally went into the kitchen, ate a big handful of cheese crackers, and immediately felt normal. Never again low fat for me. I seriously believe I would commit suicide if I had to remain on a diet like that.

[DarlaS]

Did you read the book?

[Parrothead]

Lemon juice not vinegar for salads.

 

I didn't find it difficult, but I'm an adventurous eater and love fruit and veggies. He doesnt say no meats at all, just that they comprise 10% or less of ones diet. Generally my plate is a salad, veggies, a carb, and either another veg or a fruit.

 

Oh, and we all eat this way. I don't make comfort foods for them, then feel deprived. Either we are all deprived or we are all comforted, usually by Mac n cheese.

[HappyLady]

I guess you can say I've been eating this way for at least 5 years now. I feel great and I don't ever feel deprived. I have to say that I do snack and I haven't completely cut out oil/fat, though. What you need to know is that if you radically change your diet, you won't be happy. You need an adjustment period. I'm in a lot of groups on Facebook that involve people changing their diet drastically and it's always the same thing - "I hate this. I feel horrible." But, after about 6 weeks of doing it, it's always the same thing - "I feel great! I'm so glad I did this! I lost XX amount of weight, my 'health issue' is gone, this is wonderful!" Honestly.

 

I can't say I agree fully with the Eat To Live plan, but a step in that direction is definitely beneficial. :)

[HappyLady]

I guess you can say I've been eating this way for at least 5 years now. I feel great and I don't ever feel deprived. I have to say that I do snack and I haven't completely cut out oil/fat, though. What you need to know is that if you radically change your diet, you won't be happy. You need an adjustment period. I'm in a lot of groups on Facebook that involve people changing their diet drastically and it's always the same thing - "I hate this. I feel horrible." But, after about 6 weeks of doing it, it's always the same thing - "I feel great! I'm so glad I did this! I lost XX amount of weight, my 'health issue' is gone, this is wonderful!" Honestly.

 

I can't say I agree fully with the Eat To Live plan, but a step in that direction is definitely beneficial. :)

[DianeW88]

I eat whatever I want in moderation. Lots of fruits and veggies, but also lots of protein and carbs. I eat sugar and refined flour. Horrors. LOL I also eat every two to three hours...it keeps my metabolism in high gear and burning calories. I'm never hungry. I exercise everyday for 30 minutes to an hour. A combo of cardio and strength training. I also don't have a weight problem (translated as no more than 10 pounds over my personal goal weight at any one time). If I want to lose a few pounds, I use the WonderSlim plan from www.dietdirect.com, and I can take off 10 pounds in two weeks. I could never do something as extreme as the plan you're describing. Food is supposed to be a pleasure...not a punishment. LOL

[Guest]

I eat whatever I want in moderation. Lots of fruits and veggies, but also lots of protein and carbs. I eat sugar and refined flour. Horrors. LOL I also eat every two to three hours...it keeps my metabolism in high gear and burning calories. I'm never hungry. I exercise everyday for 30 minutes to an hour. A combo of cardio and strength training. I also don't have a weight problem (translated as no more than 10 pounds over my personal goal weight at any one time). If I want to lose a few pounds, I use the WonderSlim plan from www.dietdirect.com, and I can take off 10 pounds in two weeks. I could never do something as extreme as the plan you're describing. Food is supposed to be a pleasure...not a punishment. LOL

 

:iagree: Me, too! (Except for the WonderSlim part). I haven't read Eat to Live, but I'm a believer in variety on the whole and would not go without olive oil at gunpoint. :laugh:

[SunnyDays]

Yeah.... that wouldn't work for me. I'm right with you, Mergath, on the shorter happier life if that's what it comes to.

[Runningmom80]

I've read the book, and I try to lean that way, but have decided to just go plant based. Cutting out animal products is hard enough for the time being.

 

I definitely use oil. Definitely. Lol

[Lady Florida.]

I eat whatever I want in moderation. Lots of fruits and veggies, but also lots of protein and carbs. I eat sugar and refined flour. Horrors. LOL I also eat every two to three hours...it keeps my metabolism in high gear and burning calories. I'm never hungry. I exercise everyday for 30 minutes to an hour. A combo of cardio and strength training. I also don't have a weight problem (translated as no more than 10 pounds over my personal goal weight at any one time). If I want to lose a few pounds, I use the WonderSlim plan from www.dietdirect.com, and I can take off 10 pounds in two weeks. I could never do something as extreme as the plan you're describing. Food is supposed to be a pleasure...not a punishment. LOL

 

Except for the 10 pounds extra (I'm carrying more like 20) and WonderSlim, I could have written this. I just love that last line! My goodness, I'm part Italian. For us, food is life, and life is to be enjoyed!

[milovany]

I am right there with you. I am going to try a smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and then a smaller portion of whatever dinner I make for everyone else.

 

 

I'm hitting a similar point except for me it will be lemon water for breakfast, two eggs with salsa for lunch, and then a light dinner of whatever. I couldn't give up dairy forever! And any program that says olive oil is bad is suspect, IMHO.

[HappyLady]

Food is supposed to be a pleasure...not a punishment. LOL

 

 

But see, the people following this way of eating don't look at it like a punishment. They look at it like the miracle cure they've always been waiting for. Honestly and truly, the people that stick with this are so happy. They are thrilled that practically all of their medical conditions are gone and they feel wonderful. I know for me, if I had medical issues and changing my diet led to me being healthier and not having to be in pain or feeling ill or having to rely on medicines and doctors, I would certainly never look at what I was eating as a punishment.

 

I'm not by any means saying anything negative towards the way you eat, I'm just saying that people always like to look at eating plans like Eat To Live as "extreme" or a "punishment" and it discourages other people from wanting to try it. I've seen the results. I've heard the praises. And I say if you do it for 6 weeks and see an improvement, then great. But if you want to continue the way you eat, healthy or not, then that's fine too. I just wish people wouldn't knock a way of life that has been so beneficial for so many people, especially in a society where so many people are unhealthy.

[caroljenn]

When my sister, who was morbidly obese, was diagnosed with cancer a year ago and died two weeks later, I really got serious about what I was eating. I decided to go as organic as possible, first of all. There is sooo much garbage in supermarket foods it just blows my mind. GMOs are known to cause cancer and they are in 98% of foods that are not marked with the organic label. And I read an article saying that after two weeks of eating organic foods, detectable pesticide residue in people's blood dropped by 50%. Pesticide residue in your blood?? Yuck! No wonder cancer is skyrocketing!

 

I figured I am just going to do the best I can and head in the right direction. I eat a lot of organic green bars now and drink some green organic powder superfood shakes. I watched Forks over Knives and I've given up 95% of the dairy I was eating. No more cows milk, Kraft American cheese (which isn't even cheese!) or anything else like that. I am trying to give up most processed foods, except for some organic crackers and pretzels and stuff like that sometimes.

 

I don't eat any Kellogg's, General Mills, Post, Frito Lay, anything that the corporate giants make. Too many GMOs hiding in their products. I am not anywhere close to perfect- I made and ate a bunch of chocolate chip cookies last week, but at least I'm trying to head in a healthy direction. I still need to break my Diet Coke habit, but I loooove it!

 

I feel much better now, and I haven't been sick sick sick like I usually am. I used to get repeated sinus infections- 6 or 7 a year and I've only had one this year! I'm giving the credit to my Amazing Grass brand green foods. And lots of vitamins. I am trying to do a little bit better every day.

[DianeW88]

 

But see, the people following this way of eating don't look at it like a punishment. They look at it like the miracle cure they've always been waiting for. Honestly and truly, the people that stick with this are so happy. They are thrilled that practically all of their medical conditions are gone and they feel wonderful. I know for me, if I had medical issues and changing my diet led to me being healthier and not having to be in pain or feeling ill or having to rely on medicines and doctors, I would certainly never look at what I was eating as a punishment.

 

I'm not by any means saying anything negative towards the way you eat, I'm just saying that people always like to look at eating plans like Eat To Live as "extreme" or a "punishment" and it discourages other people from wanting to try it. I've seen the results. I've heard the praises. And I say if you do it for 6 weeks and see an improvement, then great. But if you want to continue the way you eat, healthy or not, then that's fine too. I just wish people wouldn't knock a way of life that has been so beneficial for so many people, especially in a society where so many people are unhealthy.

And if you eat that way, and enjoy it, then it's obviously not a punishment for you So you should continue. But for people who absolutely hate it...then it is. And I'm not saying that most people don't need to change their diets...they do. I don't eat fast food. I don't eat deep fried anything. I make everything from scratch (but I do bake with white flour, real butter and sugar), and I eat at least nine servings of fruit and veggies every day. I LOVE my fruit and veggies. So, I'm probably not eating the typical American diet. But I'm also not dealing with any chronic health issues, so I do feel great almost all the time. I have lots of energy and I'm happy. I think people just need to find out what works for them. And each person has different needs. Some people can't tolerate dairy. Some people can't eat wheat. Some people have to have a high protein diet. We are individuals, and there is no "one size fits all" diet that will work for everyone. So find what works for you and be happy that you did. :D

[DianeW88]

Except for the 10 pounds extra (I'm carrying more like 20) and WonderSlim, I could have written this. I just love that last line! My goodness, I'm part Italian. For us, food is life, and life is to be enjoyed!

I'm Italian, too. Do not even TRY to take my pasta away from me. Or my cannolis. ;)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Maybe the plan has changed some? The book, which I have in front of me, does not ban olive oil. My friend who is following Eat to Live to the letter and is finally finding some relief from some major medical issues has olive oil and nut butters (which obviously contain fats). The ban is on oils from animal sources.

[Mergath]

Did you read the book?

 

Most of it. Still working through the last third or so.

[Mergath]

Maybe the plan has changed some? The book, which I have in front of me, does not ban olive oil. My friend who is following Eat to Live to the letter and is finally finding some relief from some major medical issues has olive oil and nut butters (which obviously contain fats). The ban is on oils from animal sources.

 

 

I don't know, the edition I have has entire sections on how olive oil is bad, bad, bad, and people that do the Mediterranean diet are going to die an early and disease-ridden death or whatever. And I don't know how many times I've read that unless you're extremely slender, you should avoid any kind of oil like the plague because it goes from "lips to hips." :glare: I am never going to get that phrase out of my head. Never.

 

I think my experience with the book has been going steadily downhill since I read that my optimal weight, as a woman who is 5'4, is right around 110 pounds. I know, he says that there are different body types and whatever, but 110 pounds?? When I was in high school, I was thin to start with, and wore a size three or five. Then I got a horrible case of mono and couldn't do more than drink water for a couple of weeks. When I got out of the hospital I looked like a walking skeleton, and even then, I was 119. Good thing I'm not 5'0, because then I'd be shooting for 95 pounds, according to this guy. :bored:

[Mergath]

But seriously, for those of you who really like this plan and use it, what is up with having to pay fifty bucks a month to access and use all the forums on his website? (Or just five hundred bucks a year! :blink: )

[Jean in Newcastle]

I don't know, the edition I have has entire sections on how olive oil is bad, bad, bad, and people that do the Mediterranean diet are going to die an early and disease-ridden death or whatever. And I don't know how many times I've read that unless you're extremely slender, you should avoid any kind of oil like the plague because it goes from "lips to hips." :glare: I am never going to get that phrase out of my head. Never.

 

I think my experience with the book has been going steadily downhill since I read that my optimal weight, as a woman who is 5'4, is right around 110 pounds. I know, he says that there are different body types and whatever, but 110 pounds?? When I was in high school, I was thin to start with, and wore a size three or five. Then I got a horrible case of mono and couldn't do more than drink water for a couple of weeks. When I got out of the hospital I looked like a walking skeleton, and even then, I was 119. Good thing I'm not 5'0, because then I'd be shooting for 95 pounds, according to this guy. :bored:

 

 

Ack! Those weights are way too low. I do know that my friend who follows this to the letter is a walking skeleton. I know that dairy is bad, bad, bad. And so is meat, though he's softened it to say that some chicken is ok. And so is sugar. I did try one of this recipes - and threw it out. Even my "will eat everything and anything" 15 year old boy with the hollow leg wouldn't eat it. It was a salad but the "dressing" was horrible tasting. But healthy!

[Mergath]

 

Ack! Those weights are way too low. I do know that my friend who follows this to the letter is a walking skeleton. I know that dairy is bad, bad, bad. And so is meat, though he's softened it to say that some chicken is ok. And so is sugar. I did try one of this recipes - and threw it out. Even my "will eat everything and anything" 15 year old boy with the hollow leg wouldn't eat it. It was a salad but the "dressing" was horrible tasting. But healthy!

 

 

What was in the dressing? I haven't gotten to the part of the book with the recipes yet (I'm reading the Kindle edition, so it's a lot harder to skip around) and I've been trying to figure out how on earth you make salad dressing without oils or dairy.

[Mergath]

Here's the graphic that breaks down the six week plan for anyone who hasn't read the book.

 

Depressing, isn't it? *runs*

[Mergath]

 

This guy sounds like a crock. What a bunch of bologna.

 

And he looks hideous.

 

 

Lmao... every time I see the picture of him at the top of his website, I can't help thinking he looks like he's going to fall over into his leafy greens. I just want to make the poor man a sandwich.

 

Obviously, the Eat to Live plan and I are not right for one another. ;)

[KungFuPanda]

I don't want to live in a world that excludes olive oil! Right now, I have sourdough bread rising from a starter I cultivated myself and have kept alive for 5-6 years. I have EVERY intention of toasting a good, sharp cheddar cheese on it and serving it with lobster bisque and salad at dinnertime.

 

Last night I had a chicken-veggie pasta and my first attempt at flan (DIVINE). I LOVE good food and enjoy making things people want to eat. I figure as long as I eat more plants than anything, cook from scratch often, and don't stuff myself, it's ALL good. I'm fit, I'm healthy, I get loads of exercise, and people LIKE eating at my house even though I never serve honkin giant restaurant portions of anything. Good food is satisfying.

[kitten18]

I don't know, the edition I have has entire sections on how olive oil is bad, bad, bad, and people that do the Mediterranean diet are going to die an early and disease-ridden death or whatever. And I don't know how many times I've read that unless you're extremely slender, you should avoid any kind of oil like the plague because it goes from "lips to hips." :glare: I am never going to get that phrase out of my head. Never. I think my experience with the book has been going steadily downhill since I read that my optimal weight, as a woman who is 5'4, is right around 110 pounds. I know, he says that there are different body types and whatever, but 110 pounds?? When I was in high school, I was thin to start with, and wore a size three or five. Then I got a horrible case of mono and couldn't do more than drink water for a couple of weeks. When I got out of the hospital I looked like a walking skeleton, and even then, I was 119. Good thing I'm not 5'0, because then I'd be shooting for 95 pounds, according to this guy. :bored:

5'0" here. I was thin (of course at the time I didn't think I was thin enough :rolleyes: ) and fit in high school and weighed 103lbs, I can't imagine weighing 95lbs. now. :eek: *I* would look very ill at that weight.

[kitten18]

Here's the graphic that breaks down the six week plan for anyone who hasn't read the book. Depressing, isn't it? *runs*

I would be ready to eat my arm off after about 4 hours. I eat A LOT of vegetables but I also eat A LOT of fat, it's what makes me feel satisfied.

[Jean in Newcastle]

What was in the dressing? I haven't gotten to the part of the book with the recipes yet (I'm reading the Kindle edition, so it's a lot harder to skip around) and I've been trying to figure out how on earth you make salad dressing without oils or dairy.

 

 

It had ground up cashews in it. I do like cashew butter but in the salad dressing it had a weird taste with the other spices.

[Lady Florida.]

I LOVE good food and enjoy making things people want to eat. I figure as long as I eat more plants than anything, cook from scratch often, and don't stuff myself, it's ALL good. I'm fit, I'm healthy, I get loads of exercise, and people LIKE eating at my house even though I never serve honkin giant restaurant portions of anything. Good food is satisfying.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with Michael Pollan's encouragement to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

[KungFuPanda]

I think my experience with the book has been going steadily downhill since I read that my optimal weight, as a woman who is 5'4, is right around 110 pounds. I know, he says that there are different body types and whatever, but 110 pounds?? When I was in high school, I was thin to start with, and wore a size three or five. Then I got a horrible case of mono and couldn't do more than drink water for a couple of weeks. When I got out of the hospital I looked like a walking skeleton, and even then, I was 119. Good thing I'm not 5'0, because then I'd be shooting for 95 pounds, according to this guy. :bored:

 

110 at 5'4" could be on target if most of your height is in your legs and your torso is short in proportion, you are naturally butt and boob free, you have a slight frame, you're under thirty, and fairly active, and probably haven't had children. I mean, 110 at 5' 4" is getting close to "ballet-thin" and that just doesn't seem like a practical or healthy goal for the WIDE range of body types that happen to that tall.

 

FTR, I'm 5'4" also, but I gained 1 1/4 inch in adulthood.

 

 

[JumpyTheFrog]

I looked at the graphic summary Mergath posted. This diet is very low in protein. He has a low minimum for beans and a low max for nuts.

 

1 cup black beans = 15 g

1 cup quinoa = 8 g

1 oz walnuts = 4 g

 

That totals 27 g. Add in maybe another 10 grams total from fruits and veggies and even a small woman will be digesting her muscles in no time! 37g of protein is a far cry from the bare minimum of about 70 grams for a healthy woman (and if you have health troubles, you probably need a bunch extra.)

 

I looked at the photo of Joel Furhman (didn't read the article) and thought he looks skinny and like he'll end up very frail in old age. Compare his photo to Mark Sisson, who promotes a primal/paleo diet with plenty of protein. They are about the same age and it is obvious who looks much stronger and healthier.

[JumpyTheFrog]

The diet is also way too low in fat. Hasn't he ever heard of essential fatty acids like omega 3s? How can a person build a brain on that diet? And what about the fat soluble vitamins that, well, need fat to be served with them to be absorbed? Putting butter or oil on your veggies helps increase the amount of vitamins absorbed. You could eat a pick-up truck of kale, but if the vitamins can't be absorbed and used by your body, it's just a waste of money.

[SunnyDays]

Mergath, I am also 5'4".... I can't imagine ever being 110 pounds again. I'd like to get healthier, but starving myself isn't the way to do it. Also, the railing against the Mediterranean diet? I don't think research bears that out... it's one of the healther diets on earth. Eat your olive oil. :)

 

I wholeheartedly agree with Michael Pollan's encouragement to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

 

This is a good piece of wisdom.

[KungFuPanda]

I looked at the graphic summary Mergath posted. This diet is very low in protein. He has a low minimum for beans and a low max for nuts.

1 cup black beans = 15 g

1 cup quinoa = 8 g

1 oz walnuts = 4 g

That totals 27 g. Add in maybe another 10 grams total from fruits and veggies and even a small woman will be digesting her muscles in no time! 37g of protein is a far cry from the bare minimum of about 70 grams for a healthy woman (and if you have health troubles, you probably need a bunch extra.)

I looked at the photo of Joel Furhman (didn't read the article) and thought he looks skinny and like he'll end up very frail in old age. Compare his photo to Mark Sisson, who promotes a primal/paleo diet with plenty of protein. They are about the same age and it is obvious who looks much stronger and healthier.

 

Wasn't it here that someone linked the quinoa article? Something about the global demand by the wealthy has raised the price. It seems that the folks who traditionally relied on quinoa as a staple are struggling to feed their families. That's horrible enough that we can all stop pretending to like it. It's for the greater good!

[JumpyTheFrog]

110 lbs, seriously? To be that size a woman would either need a very small frame/low lean mass or to have a normal frame and female body builder levels of fat. (I think the woman at 20-22% fat looks best.) 110 lbs at 17% fat would be only 91.3 lbs of lean mass.

 

I'm 5'3" and I have somewhere between 97-109 lbs of lean mass (depending on which of two measurements I had was most accurate). Let's say 97 is the more accurate number for me. If I were an inch taller and weighed 110 lbs, that would put me at 12% body fat, which looks like the body builder woman. That is way, way sickeningly thin. Not to mention all menstruation would've ceased far before I got to that point.

[HappyLady]

I looked at the graphic summary Mergath posted. This diet is very low in protein. He has a low minimum for beans and a low max for nuts.

 

 

 

I looked at the photo of Joel Furhman (didn't read the article) and thought he looks skinny and like he'll end up very frail in old age. Compare his photo to Mark Sisson, who promotes a primal/paleo diet with plenty of protein. They are about the same age and it is obvious who looks much stronger and healthier.

 

That's not very fair. There are a lot of comparisons I can post between people who eat plant-based vs. paleo that would make the plant-based diet look more favorable. You can't take just 2 examples of people and say one looks better so "obviously" the one diet is the way to go.

[JumpyTheFrog]

Wasn't it here that someone linked the quinoa article? Something about the global demand by the wealthy has raised the price.

 

I'm not suggesting anyone buy quinoa, I just used it because it's a much higher protein grain than rice and all the others. I wanted to show a "best case" scenario with the protein content of this diet. A person who follows it will lose weight, but more than half the weight lost will be lean mass (muscle, tissue, bone mass). That's why fasting for weight loss isn't recommended. If you lose 20 lbs, but 10 lbs is lean mass, it may take YEARS to build it back up. That's not something people can afford, especially women after a certain age.

[KungFuPanda]

I'm not suggesting anyone buy quinoa, I just used it because it's a much higher protein grain than rice and all the others. I wanted to show a "best case" scenario with the protein content of this diet. A person who follows it will lose weight, but more than half the weight lost will be lean mass (muscle, tissue, bone mass). That's why fasting for weight loss isn't recommended. If you lose 20 lbs, but 10 lbs is lean mass, it may take YEARS to build it back up. That's not something people can afford, especially women after a certain age.

 

I didn't mean to pick on you. I just don't care much for quinoa and this is my new excuse for not using it. My old excuses were far less virtuous ðŸ˜

[Annie Laurie]

 

5'0" here. I was thin (of course at the time I didn't think I was thin enough :rolleyes: ) and fit in high school and weighed 103lbs, I can't imagine weighing 95lbs. now. :eek: *I* would look very ill at that weight.

 

I'm 5'1" and weighed about 100 in my late teens/early 20s and was often asked (rudely) if I ever ate or had an eating disorder. I'm good at about 110. So, yes, that guy seems a little extreme.

[JumpyTheFrog]

You can't take just 2 examples of people and say one looks better so "obviously" the one diet is the way to go.

 

No, I didn't say that "obviously" the primal/paleo diet is better. But, I do think Mark Sisson looks much healthier than Joel Furhman. I do think that when a person makes their living off promoting a certain diet as healthy, if that person doesn't look healthy, then we should be a bit skeptical.

 

Does everyone following primal or Eat to Live look like Sisson or Furhman? No, of course not. But wouldn't you expect a long-time fitness trainer to look stronger and healthier than average? Wouldn't you expect a weight loss counselor to be lean (or still be losing weight after having already lost a lot)? So is it really unfair of me to expect someone pushing a low-protein, low-fat vegan diet to look as healthy as they claim their followers will be?

[JumpyTheFrog]

Increasing lean mass is important for health. More bone mass is already known to be better. Many people don't realize that more muscle mass = a bigger reserve of protein in times of starvation/poor digestion/low appetite. More muscle mass = more room for glycogen to be stored, which makes it easier to keep blood sugar from going too high.

 

How is a person expected to build more muscle on such a low-protein diet? It doesn't provide enough for daily maintenance, let alone new growth.

[HappyLady]

 

I have met several people who follow a certain diet and they all look a certain way that I find to be extremely undesirable and they do not look healthy to me. So while that may all still be anecdotal, that's still pretty convincing to me that I don't want to follow their way of eating.

 

I'm assuming you mean plant-based people, to which I'll say, you haven't met me yet. :) Not that I ever like to brag, but when people meet me and find out I eat plant-based, they inevitably end up doing it as well. Why? Because I'm told they want to look like me. I hate how all that sounds, but it's true.

 

I really do find it hard to believe that you haven't seen any healthy plant-based people. You do watch TV, right? Google famous vegans or better yet, athletes, and tell me they look unhealthy.

[HappyLady]

No, I didn't say that "obviously" the primal/paleo diet is better. But, I do think Mark Sisson looks much healthier than Joel Furhman. I do think that when a person makes their living off promoting a certain diet as healthy, if that person doesn't look healthy, then we should be a bit skeptical.

 

Does everyone following primal or Eat to Live look like Sisson or Furhman? No, of course not. But wouldn't you expect a long-time fitness trainer to look stronger and healthier than average? Wouldn't you expect a weight loss counselor to be lean (or still be losing weight after having already lost a lot)? So is it really unfair of me to expect someone pushing a low-protein, low-fat vegan diet to look as healthy as they claim their followers will be?

 

I will agree with you to a point. But, I follow enough other plant-based doctors/athletes, etc, to know that you can definitely look strong and fit on a plant-based diet. And I'm certainly not going to let the looks of one person convince me otherwise. :)

[cathmom]

Dh wanted to try Eat to Live and I wanted to be supportive so we tried it. I lasted possibly a day and a half. I hated it. I told him he was on his own! I made some recipes from the fat free vegan website and they were awful. When I told dh where I got them from, he looked startled and said that wasn't ETL. I said, what do you think it is?! It's basically fat free vegan.

 

He adapted it some, mainly by adding in more veggies, which he always hated so that probably helped him health-wise.

[Parrothead]

But seriously, for those of you who really like this plan and use it, what is up with having to pay fifty bucks a month to access and use all the forums on his website? (Or just five hundred bucks a year! :blink: )

 

I've never accessed his website. I bought his book and that is all the money I'm giving him.

 

I don't like the money guru who won't let me on his website without paying him.

 

There is a lot of info out there (for both of them actually) that is free to access on the web without going to the pay website.

[Parrothead]

I looked at the graphic summary Mergath posted. This diet is very low in protein. He has a low minimum for beans and a low max for nuts.

 

1 cup black beans = 15 g

1 cup quinoa = 8 g

1 oz walnuts = 4 g

 

That totals 27 g. Add in maybe another 10 grams total from fruits and veggies and even a small woman will be digesting her muscles in no time! 37g of protein is a far cry from the bare minimum of about 70 grams for a healthy woman (and if you have health troubles, you probably need a bunch extra.)

 

I looked at the photo of Joel Furhman (didn't read the article) and thought he looks skinny and like he'll end up very frail in old age. Compare his photo to Mark Sisson, who promotes a primal/paleo diet with plenty of protein. They are about the same age and it is obvious who looks much stronger and healthier.

 

Looks can be deceiving. Without knowing cholestorol levels, blood sugars, vitamin deficiencies,etc, how a person looks is not an indicator of how healthy one is.

 

My friend is 5'2" 120 pounds, exercises 4 days a week eats a modified version of Atkins/paleo/primal and has numerous auto-immune conditions including type 1.

 

Looks tell no where near the whole story on health.

[Parrothead]

I looked at the graphic summary Mergath posted. This diet is very low in protein. He has a low minimum for beans and a low max for nuts.

 

1 cup black beans = 15 g

1 cup quinoa = 8 g

1 oz walnuts = 4 g

 

That totals 27 g. Add in maybe another 10 grams total from fruits and veggies and even a small woman will be digesting her muscles in no time! 37g of protein is a far cry from the bare minimum of about 70 grams for a healthy woman (and if you have health troubles, you probably need a bunch extra.)

 

I looked at the photo of Joel Furhman (didn't read the article) and thought he looks skinny and like he'll end up very frail in old age. Compare his photo to Mark Sisson, who promotes a primal/paleo diet with plenty of protein. They are about the same age and it is obvious who looks much stronger and healthier.

 

Oh, and just because the minimum for beans is one cup doesn't' mean that is all one gets.

[Parrothead]

No, I didn't say that "obviously" the primal/paleo diet is better. But, I do think Mark Sisson looks much healthier than Joel Furhman. I do think that when a person makes their living off promoting a certain diet as healthy, if that person doesn't look healthy, then we should be a bit skeptical.

 

Does everyone following primal or Eat to Live look like Sisson or Furhman? No, of course not. But wouldn't you expect a long-time fitness trainer to look stronger and healthier than average? Wouldn't you expect a weight loss counselor to be lean (or still be losing weight after having already lost a lot)? So is it really unfair of me to expect someone pushing a low-protein, low-fat vegan diet to look as healthy as they claim their followers will be?

 

But Furhman is a doctor not a body builder. He is promoting a weight loss program and is himself lean.

 

A healthy look is subjective anyway.

[Parrothead]

Vegan Athletes

 

Vegetarian athletes.

 

Are they healthy looking enough for everyone?