Hi there... I was wondering has anyone doing GI diet right now switch from doing Atkins? I have been doing Atkins x 1 month, down 10 lbs but I really miss stuff like whole grains and fruit. I have read through some of the GI support posts and it looks like a plan that might work better for me. I actually bought the book a couple yeras ago, got pregnant and put the book away and wouldn't you know that I can not find it... will need to buy a new one. Did anyone experience weight gain before losing it again? I'd hate to regain the 10 I lost, it was not easy and I am so proud of myself for the loss. Thanks for any advice you can give!!! Joanne

Hi Joanne. I did not do Atkins, but I think there were several on the boards a while back that had switched from Atkins. I have lost 60 lbs on the G.I. diet...had a bit of a lapse and have gained back 5-10 lbs (depending on the day), trying to get that off again...hopefully Spring will be here in Ontario soon and I can get off my butt and get out. If you have any questions, let me know.

Good luck.

Hi Lou... thanks for the reply. How long did it take you to lose 60 lbs? that's great BTW!!! It's typical spring showers here on the wet, I mean west coast but at least we don't have shards if ice falling from the sky!! tee hee... teasing!

...thx...I read about that falling ice...wow!

The first 20 lbs came off within about 1 month...the other 40 was slower. Less than a year for sure..probably about 9 months total...that seems like a long time I know, but healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week.

I am having a hard time controlling my eating right now...and wanting to eat things I don't really like ....such as peanut butter??? ...go figure.

Do you exercise too, if so how often/intense?

Joanne, when I first started the G.I. way of eating, I would try to go to the gym 3 times a week. All I did there though was about 30 minutes on the treadmill, not to intense, and about 20 minutes in the pool doing laps. As the weather warmed up, I started to walk on our street for about 30 minutes round trip, almost daily. Then when the weather got colder...I stopped doing any form of exercise except housework. I need to get going again, cause I know it's good for my heart health.

Well a few years back I started with Atkins, I did it for a few months or so and got fed up cause it was really bothering me all that fat you can eat. I wasnt use to eating like that and I knew Atkins wouldnt be for me and wouldnt last on it. I love my fruits, all veggies, cheese here and there, and nice crusted bread once a while with my wine...yes im italian anyhow like i figured I couldnt handle it anymore. One day I fell on a diet called Fat Flush. Im more of a natural eater all fresh as possible and all I wanted to do is do a massive cleansing inside to get rid of all ive been eating on Atkins. I know it sounds weird but I felt so out of it and sluggish that I knew my body need to be all flushed out. I bought the FF book and read it..yes that worked very well. I felt much better and my body was back on track. Like Atkins I plateau for months and months nothing works for me and even to this day I plateau all the time. Anyhow, I stopped doing Fat Flush but still kept some of their ideas cause they are good...then I did Suzanne Somer, cause you can eat your carbs. Her diet is a lot like South Beach and if not the same. But being a woman and admired her courage fighting her cancer the natural way (it did work for her but doesnt mean it works for everyone so see your doctor!!!) Loved her book it was really encouraging. Anyhow I stopped all diets. There is NO diets on earth that is MY opinion that will make you lose weight and that you will stay on forever. Atkins is good just for so long. We are all human and there is so much we can take. You cant live your life on a diet till you die. IMPOSSIBLE. BUt you can change the way you eat for the rest of your life and die with a smile!!!! South Beach, Suzanne Somer, GI diet are NOT diets, they are a way of eating. Cause you still eat your bread, pasta, all veggies, desserts etc etc etc. (you know where im getting at). What I found interesting in GI way of eating is that you eat all what other diets says not to eat and you will still lose weight or inches (in my case is inches so far). We arent robots and have to do what we are programmed for. SO we have that piece of cake that you shouldnt be eating once a while or you go out to a nice resturant or in my case italian weddings and have all that food in your face!!! so your going to say NO i cant? I havent heard anyone that died cause they ate a piece of cheese cake. Yes a piece not the whole thing. What im trying to say is that people should use thier brains a bit and be logic. We have everything we want on this planet that we can eat. If you live in a 3rd world country well that is different and if you do well you dont need to lose weight either. We live in countries that there is no reason you cant eat fresh. People should stop buying crap that comes from a box. People should stop watching tv and say Oh look something new to lose weight. People are putting into the MARKETING SYSTEM billions and billions of dollars on food coming out of a box, diet pills, natural pills, etc etc etc to lose weight while some people cant even eat one proper meal in a day cause they have nothing to eat or no money to make ends meet. And who is laughing to the banks? The marketing people and the government agreeing to leave that aspertame crap in all diet food while you are getting more sick cause of this billion dollars market for aspertame (thats my opinion) You have to be logic and eat properly and eat a bit of everything in normal portions. We are eating way too much comparing 20yrs ago. Our portions have tripled in sizes. You go to France, Italy, Greece along the Med side, you barely see fat people. Why cause they eat fresh and no diets. Yes they eat choclate but its black and pure and you dont even need a bar just a square or 2 and your satified. It is us to say NO to diets and stop listening or buying whats out there. Hey you can save your money and buy a thread mill for them cold days you dont want to go out days. Or even better buy a meal for some students that goes to school everyday without having a warm breakfast. I work in the education feels and trust me i see some kids that you know they havent eaten. I use to give them often my snacks or lunches. Now in canada, kids get free meals and no one has to know about it.

Sorry getting off the suject here. Im not for any diet thats out there unless its makes sense and you can eat a bit of everything. Diets shouldnt feel like bootcamp. You should feel healthy, happy and eating well. And most of all you have to MOVE and get off da butts. Too much TV, Computers today. There are tons of stuff people can do with the kids out there today without staying in the house. There is no reason to say naaaa its raining or its cold, Just go out and do it. Walk that 30mins a day and eat properly and you will lose weight. Like Lou said, proper weight to lose is 1-2lbs a week. Its plain logic. And if you lose faster we all know whats going to happen. Nice and steady is the way. All this to say, GI way of eating if you read the book or whats on the net has a lot more sense than any other diets out there. The trick is to move more and portion size. Thats all...sorry if this was long...shows that im on vactions this week...blah blah blah blah blah... LOLOLOL

(but i believe in everything i just said)

ciao ciao my little GI Janes

Great post Lanny..going to review my Gi book now!

Well said Lanny and I totally agree with you. I read the GI diet book and I do believe it's a way of life, not a diet! Thanks for your wise words!! I am so excited to start my new lifestyle!!!

That's why I have trouble called it the G.I. Diet...it is so not a diet in the context that people tend to think. It is totally a way-of-life and the majority of the population needs to wipe out how we have been brainwashed and just eat sensibly. Media makes it hard to keep on track with all the temptations.