Well ChristyP for me it's about a WOE, not a diet. I can't speak for anyone else here, but to me how long it takes to get the pounds off is not as important as if I can KEEP them off for life. I know for a fact I can't do that with Atkins but Somersizing offers a way to eat a well rounded diet where you are satisfied all the time and still lose weight. Then the changes you make to the WOE once you reach goal are very small ones, so you don't really change your habits much at all. And it's easy to move back and forth across her Level 1 and Level 2 lines to control your weight without having to eat significantly differently than you already do.

Switching from Level 2, maintenance, to Level 1, weight loss is just a matter of separating foods you were combining and dropping out a few things like bananas, carrots and nuts. You don't have to count anything, weigh anything or deprive yourself of anything to go from one level to the other. With many of the other LC plans you go from NO grain based carbs, no fruits and very limited veggies, plus losts of arduous record keeping to a dramatically different diet when you arrive at your goal. Not only is is a big shift for your body, it means that if you begin to gain again (which you probably will) you have to completely change your lifestyle back to counting, weighing and craving. That's hard work and no fun so it's not surprising that many people just don't wan't to go there again and again. With Suzanne's plan the shift is very slight from Level 2 back to Level 1 so it's easy to switch back and forth or do a little of each to maintain your ideal weight. Both plans let you eat all you want of a wide variety of foods, so there's nothing unpleasant about going back on Level 1 if you need to. Also, with this WOE it's much easier to live in the "real" world of eating out, eating at friends' and cooking for holidays without being constantly tempted.

From my perspective the most important thing to remember, no matter how you are trying to lose weight, is PATIENCE!!! What's the hurry? If your goal is actually a lifestyle change instead of just another "DIET" then you shouldn't be thinking in terms of "how long until..." You simply change your lifestyle and the rest follows. If you intend to eat this way the rest of your life then the weight WILL eventually come off, so who cares if it takes two years or two weeks?

I firmly believe that if you are in a rush to lose weight and are more concerned about how long it will take than how good for you it is then you can look forward to seeing those pounds back again and then some every time. Give your body time to adjust to the new WOE, stop fretting about when and if and just go about your business, sticking to the plan and wieghing in whenever you have decided you want to. Once a week is a good rule. Remember your body might have to adjust some so don't flip out if you gain weight at first, or if it doesn't melt off the way it did for someone else. We have become such an instant gratification society! It's good to remind ourselves sometimes that things really worth having take time and sometimes even a little faith.

Cheers!

MB