[YEA]  12/11/2008: Rick from University Place, WA writes: "History - 244 pounds, 302 on last test, A1C=10
Today - 4 months later - 198 pounds, 95 today's fast measure, A1C=7

How?:
1- Life style not diet. Don't go on diet for cure. Diet means short term measure or solutions. Must change life style meaning FOREVER.

2- Medications - We love easy solutions. Diabetic meds are not to cure you. They are business solutions to keep you stable for a while, at a profit with possible side effects. Nothing wrong with that if you want easy solution and eat what you like, at least for a while before kidney failure and other complications.

3- Smart Eating - How about no starch, no grains, no beans or peas, no corn, no green peas, no sugar, no sweeteners, no coffee, no soda, no potatoes, no fried food, no fast food, no buffets, no red meat, no milk, no oats, no breakfast cereals, no chocolate or candies, no pop corn or chips, no sweet fruits, no fats and oils, or very small portion. Brush your meat or vegetables with oil if you want to use your Foreman style broiler or toaster broiler. Boil you vegetable and meat, or use high heath steam.

Do not eat out of a bag or package. Get a small cup. Fill the cup with what you want to eat. Use that as a measure. You need to see visually the portions that you are eating. The measuring will help you reduce portion and cut on your excess weight.

4- What to eat - Meat can not exceed 20% of your meal. Eat berries, any berries, vegetables, Fish, other sea foods, skinless chicken, and spices. Some not so common items to eat include pomegranate with white meat portions included. Fresh or rehydrated walnuts with the soft dividers between the meat included. Artichokes, green beans, zucchini, avocado, and green tea seems to be very effective. Use Sunflower oil and Fresh Squeezed lemon Juice for salad dressing or meat marinade. Eat garlic, watercress, radish along with its few youngest leaves on.

I can hear voice of opposition wanting to have some fruits, oils and starches. They call it having balanced diet. You are a diabetic, most likely overweight. It was those little sugars, oils, starches and grains that got you here. Your obesity is testimonial that you can not eat just a little of soda and pasta without going back for more. Drastic measures are required until you are in much better shape.

5- Supplements - Vitamin C, Flex Seed, Milk Thistle, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Fenugreek, Garlic, B complex, Magnesium. Don't overkill. Take 1 tablet of 1 supplement a day and change to the next supplement next day, rotate and arrange to your liking.

6- Exercise body and mind - Start easy with 30 minutes walk on your lunch period. After work, do another 15-30 minutes of tread mill or walking. Some warm up an cool down easier exercised as well as few minutes of small weigh, around 5 pounds, exercises.
Use meditation or biofeed back. An alternative way would be when in bed ready to sleep, use the quiet time to tell yourself you want to be cured. Ask your brain to find out what the problem is and to have it corrected. What you believe is what can happen.

7- Education - Try to read one article a day about Diabetic or your digestive system. First, it educates you about your conditions. Second, it reminds you of the risk if you continue. Third, it keeps you on course. As you read, question all suggestions to see if they have commercial implications for the writer.

Here is what happens. No salt, no oil, no starch, no sugar makes you lose water that your kidney storing some in the puffed up ankles. You start to lose weight. Loss of weight equals to more energy and better fasting levels. The extra energy gives you mobility to lose more weight for better control over your diabetes and the healing cycle continues. As a side effect, your other diabetic complications like shrinking kidneys improves.

These suggestions are not for every one. It takes a very determined person to make this work. I am sharing with you what worked for me. For all others, take medications as your doctor suggest. I refused medications because every chemical action oriented drug that goes into your body eventually has reaction(s), some I hope to avoid. Plus, pill gives me the latitude to not drastically change my life until it is too late."

08/07/2011: Leenott from St Albert, Canada writes: "Try the hCG diet It WORKS. This is a yahoo group where there are 26, 000 members. I lost 9 kg in 3 weeks, my husband lost 12. It stays off, but you can't go silly! Over a year later and I am still down 8kg.

It has been around since the fifities and was discovered by Dr Simeon
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/HcgDieters/
I used the homeopathic drops, and got them from this company
http://www.intermountainhcg.com/ this was best price, but they are available easily."

[WARNING!]  08/12/2008: Sherry from Longview, Washington writes: "Licorice (the herb not the candy) cannot be taken safely for very long. It causes high blood pressure. I have found licorice root in diet teas and women's remedy teas used as a dieretic. Taken any longer than 6 days or so can cause health issues. I made the mistake years ago of drinking a dieter's tea after my evening meal for over a year. I had never had a problem with high blood pressure before but after a year on that tea my blood pressure sky rocketed and I felt horrible. As soon as I stopped the tea my blood pressure went back down to normal."

[YEA]  05/10/2009: Gabriela from Pahoa, HI writes: "Food combining for improved digestion and slow weight loss...

I have had problems with overeating all my life. Since my latest juice fasting, I was determined to find a way to stay slim and not overeat any more. I want to share it: As a general guideline I don't eat any processed foods. I use organic, fresh produce, few nuts, no oils or butters, little carbohydrates, ACV, blackstrap molasses, ground flaxseeds, very little fish and chicken for my cravings, food combining (either protein and vegetables or carbohydrates and vegetables or fruits), our own eggs. I also drink daily Grapefruit-Orange juice.

I use the ACV mostly with the food I eat instead of drinking it. So I started pickling with ACV, make salads with ACV. I eat many small portions (for ex. 3 soft boiled eggs with a bit of horseradish or some olives) during the day. I am never starved, I feel I eat a lot without ever feeling stuffed. I don't need to loose weight but do so very slowly and steadily. My digestion has improved, flatulence and gas are hardly any problem and I feel good. The less I eat, the more I eat quality. I can easily buy everything organic (farmer's market helps, too) as my portions are small now and I am saving big by not buying chips, cakes, chocolates, sweets and all other junk."

[QUESTION]  03/09/2009: Susan from Mankato, MN writes: "I was just wondering if drinking distilled vinigar can hurt you or can help you loose weight..i like the taste and can drink it easly...So wanted to know if anyone has tried to diet with this?"

04/15/2010: Alain from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada writes: "Hi

Here's a link to the documentary "Food Inc."

I strongly recommend watching it.

It is available online on the CBC web site. I don't know how long it will be available online.

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/The_Passionate_Eye/ID=1464545109

Good viewing

Alain"

[YEA]  07/02/2008: Jen from Milkw, WI writes: "I wish I had learned years ago that once you gain a fat cell, you have it forever. Had I known this, I would have been far more careful in my twenties with what I ate. I probably also would have opted out of 2 years of anti-anxiety meds and forgone the 15 lb weight gain side effects. Now in my late thirties I have to be extremely careful to eat simply at every meal or the pounds start piling on. The good news is that with the right diet (lots of vegetables and chicken) and exercising 4-5times a week, I can maintain a steady weight. The bad news is that it only takes one rich meal or a chocolate-laden dessert to see the effect -- bloated face and stomach, jowls under my cheeks. Yes, only one meal! My advice all the young folk out there -- start your healthy eating and exercise habits now. Once you gain the weight, you may be able to lose it, but it takes a lot lot lot of work to keep it off!!"