Conference rocks::weight_control

    
    	I have read the book and have found some of the items to
    make alot of sense, and some to be a bit misleading....like
    the part about not eating a starch and protein together 
    (which seemed almost impossible at the start) I was told by
    a nutritionist that the intestines are what sucreates the alkaline
    and by the time the food gets that far there is very little acid..
    therefore no neutralizing..I liked the part about eating fruits
    in the morning..it seemed to work as a very good regulator..
    
    
    Also I thought they had good reasoning as far as the cycles are
    concerned..interesting concepts..although they break alot of myths
    I grew up with..I still beleive Americans eat twice what they should
    and don't seem to take into consideration what our digestive systems
    really work best with...fruits.  In reality I don't think I could
    live on just fruits...I need my daily salads to keep me in line.
    
    i learned alot from the book, and thought it would be good in some
    respects and in others..well..did you happen to check their
    credentials?
    
    

    Hi Donna,
    
    I have recently started reading the Fit for Life book and I am
    very excited.  You see a friend of mine has been following the
    plan for a year and a half now, and he loves it.  He claims to 
    more energy, feel better (hasn't had a cold seen he started), 
    and he lost weight (which he really didn't need to but...).
    Also my sister just started...she has been on the program for
    a little more than 2 weeks now and has lost 15 lbs.  I know
    this doesn't sound that health...but she looks great, feels 
    fine, and the big plus she says that never gets hungry or
    cranky like she usually does when she diets.
    
    My question to you are:
    Are you following the plan?  Do you like it?  Have you had any 
    problems, concerns, or recommendation regarding the plan?
    I'd love to hear anything!
    
    Patricia Melvin
    

    Well, initially I followed the FIT for LIFE program.  Because I
    only need to lose about 5 lbs. I haven't been that faithful to
    it.  However, I did notice I was down about 3 lbs. when I was following
    the program.
    
    What I've found most interesting now, is that I am more conscious
    of what I eat always thinking about how the food I've combined 
    will digest etc.  What is most exciting about this program is that
    it definitely is not a *DIET*.  It is a WAY OF EATING/LIVING.  I
    think people get defeated as soon as they say I AM ON A DIET.  The
    first thing you begin doing when you say that nasty 4 letter word
    is think of the food you can't eat.   The end result, you find yourself
    eating exactly what you told yourself not to.  At least that is
    the way I used to operate.  With FIT for LIFE, you don't have to
    worry about what you can't eat, rather, you just have to think of
    what you want to eat but just become more aware of proper food
    combining.  If improperly combined, the food will not digest properly, 
    thus allowing the food more time to "rot" in your stomach......end
    result...."fat".
    
    Its a great book, the authors seem very knowledgeable and it is
    written in terminology that is understandable and interesting. 
    I've recommended this book to so many people.  It is definitely
    worth reading!
    
    Donna
                    

    I have a friend who has been using FIT FOR LIFE, for over 6 months
    and has lost 85 lbs.  She looks wonderful,and the occasional meal
    of no-nos has not affected her weight at all.
    
    Vivian

    	I did a report on this diet 2 years ago.
    
    	The Fit for Life diet, as it existed in 1986, is not nutritionally
    sound.  I will look for the report and post the reasons here.
    
    	If you are pregnant or have any chronic heatlh problems, make sure
    your doctor knows that you're on this diet!
    
    -mike z

    re: .5  
    
    Mike - do you have that report handy? I'd be very interested in
    seeing it.
    
    Is there anyone else out there who has any experience with or opinions
    about this eating plan? I have started reading the book. There are
    some concepts that make sense to me and others which just seem way
    out in left field. For example, I've always been taught that if
    you eat more calories than you burn up, you gain weight. Makes sense
    to me! The Diamonds, on the other hand, say that fat is created
    by food which has rotted in your stomach. Hmmm...
    
    Also, there has been so much documented evidence of problems resulting
    from calcium deficiency, especially for women. Fit for Life recommends
    no dairy products at all. Hmmm...
    
    Any other comments?
    
    -Amy.
         
    

.6>    Mike - do you have that report handy? I'd be very interested in
.6>    seeing it.

    	No.  It was a 'final' and the professor kept it.

    	I called Fit For Life, "Fit For Laughs" in my report.  The
    professor agreed.  There are so many theories that are presented
    that oppose conventional medical and nutritional beliefs that the
    first time I read it I had to go back; I thought my notes were
    wrong.
    
    -mike z

    I had bought that book...read one page and took it back...waste
    of money...I feel sorry for those people who really don't know that
    the information in that book can be very harmful....
    
    Loretta

    re: .7 and .8 
    
    Thanks to both of you. I agree, completely. I am reading the book
    for curiousity's sake only. A great example of Freedom of Speech,
    I think.
    
    -Amy.

Folks,

   I'm no expert and I'm no great fan of 'Fit for Life'.  But I don't
   think that there is anything DANGEROUS about eating nothing but
   fruit before lunch, avoiding mixing protein and starch in the same
   meal, eating mainly vegatables (as undercooked as possible) and
   starches.  Fruit is good for you and it IS easily digested in the
   morning.  The last thing I want to eat in the morning is oatmeal!
   The ban on mixing protein and starch in the same meal MAY be pure 
   pseudo-science, but I don't think it'll kill you.  Eating mainly
   raw veggies and lots of carbohydrates (as unprocesses as possible)
   is probably a FINE idea (cf. Pritikin).  The total prohibition of
   dairy products that it advocated in 'Fit for Life' IS probably a
   BAD idea, especially for women and ESPECIALLY for pregnant women.

   I have been eating according to some of the concepts in this book
   and I haven't died yet.  It may not be the most profound bit of
   dietary science every published, but I think that it is not all
   THAT dangerous if you add a little cheese once in a while; besides,
   what IS the point of living if you can't eat a little cheese :-)

   Actually, of all of the fad diets that I've seen (and I'm not an	
   expert, just an interested fellow passenger), this one seems to 
   be among the more inocuous and benign.

/Joel Finkel

    I too have read FIT FOR LIFE.  I also have read most of FIT FOR
    LIFE II.  I agree with previous comments that there is some good
    and some bad.  I have been on a million diets in my life and decided
    to do what is best for me in the way of changing my eating habits.
   
    I am a big breakfast lover but one of the things I have started
    adhering to is eating only fruit before noon.  Instead of coffee
    in the morning, I have been having hot water with lemon.  I do like
    coffee and have a cup of that after lunch.  For lunch, I usually
    have salad bar and allow myself a little pasta or cheese.  I try
    to watch the food combining but admit that if we have a pasta &
    Tuna salad, that I occasionally have that.  For dinner, I try to
    have vegetables most of the time and occasionally a starch (potatoe
    or pasta) and sometimes a meat.  I try to adhere to the FIT FOR
    LIFE suggestions for food combining but if the mood hits me, I will
    have meat and a potatoe.
    
    I have cut way down on milk and cheese.  I've been allowing myself
    a little bit of low fat milk in my coffee.
    
    Up until this week (3 weeks since starting this) I had lost 13 pounds.
    This week, with a period due, I have gained 4 back, but expect those
    will come right off.
    
    I find that the book's comments regarding energy seem to be valid.
    Eating only fruit in the morning, I find I have a lot more energy
    than with a big breakfast (although I found myself staring at the
    hash browns and sausage in the cafeteria this morning).
    
    FIT FOR LIFE II does a lot more stressing of a vegetarian diet and
    I am not ready to become a vegetarian.  I eat very little meat but
    what I do eat, I enjoy.
    
    I guess, my comments regarding FIT FOR LIFE are that it should be
    taken with a grain of salt (No I don't really mean that - salt is
    bad for you) but it is not without some merit.  It is an interesting
    read but my suggestion would be to read it and look at other plans
    and come up with what is best for you.  I think at this point, I
    am somewhere between a FIT FOR LIFE and a food exchange regimen.
    
    Will it work? who knows... but at least I think I've hit on something
    right for me.
    
    Denise Simon

.11>    adhering to is eating only fruit before noon.  Instead of coffee
    
    	If you have a problem concentrating with only carbohydrates
    for breakfast, add a little protein.
    
    	The no-protein breakfast hits me very hard during the morning
    when I'm trying to work.
    
    -mike z

    Actually, I haven't noticed any problem concentrating.  With fruit-only
    before noon, I definitely have more energy and I think concentration
    may be better than it has been with "the sleepies" after a big
    breakfast in the past.
    
    Denise

I have been mostly "read_only" in this file, but like the majority of the noters
in this file I need to loose weight and have tried a zillion diets over the last
20+ years.

A friend gave me this book to read and I thought it was great.  I am starting 
this change of eating habits today, the day I QUIT smoking.  Like amny I am 
trying to make myself healthy after years of abusing my body.  I know it won't
be easy.  I have tried very seriously over the last 2 years to loose weight, and
I either maintain or gain on the diets (for the ones that I maintain, I get 
depressed I haven't lost and become a "Refrigerator Maniac".  I tried Jenny
Craig for 2 months and gained weight!  I tried my own diet last month, gave 
it 3 weeks so my body woulnd't fight it so much (600 calories a day) and have
maintained.

I like fruit and veggies, the hardest part will be no coffee til noon...I roll
out of bed and stagger into the kitchen and hit the "on" button on the coffee
pot before my eyes have even opened.

I would like to know if anyone else has tried this diet since '88 - '89 time
frame and what they thought.

As for the previous noter claiming this diet dangerous, I can't see what is
dangerous about fresh fruits, veggies, cut down on red meats, etc.  The
problem can come in from eliminating dairy foods, particularly for women who 
need their calcium.  However, nutritinally, we can obtain calcium from green,
leafy vegetables and raw nuts

I'll keep everyone posted, I plan to loose 42 pounds.

Starting Day #1...........dana

    re .-1
    
    I heard a report on NPR a few days ago which mentioned dairy products /
    need for calcium, etc.  Anyway, this spokesman (can't remember the
    group he represented) stated that numerous studies have shown that
    calcium derived from dairy products has little or no effects on the
    amount of calcium available in our bodies.  These same studies indicate
    that the main reason for lack of calcium is eating too much protien. 
    Seems digesting too much protein causes calcium to be leached out of
    the body.  The upshot is that dairy products are not the answer, since
    they are high in protein.  Less protein seems to be the way to go --
    less meat, less cheese, less milk...
    
    -ellie

    re:  14
    
    Sorry, can't comment on the diet, but you mentioned also
    that you're trying to quit smoking, too.
    
    Please give this some consideration..... I've also tried to
    diet and quit smoking and all it did was set me up for
    failure. One (or some?) of the chemicals in tobacco actually
    speeds up your metabolism, so quitting will most likely
    slow down your metabolism, make you jumpy, etc. Not exactly
    great side effects for a dieter :-)
    
    I wish you luck.....
    
    pat
    
    

I know this isn't really a diet topic, but I have tried to quit smoking before
and it hasn't worked.  This time I am READY to quit.  I also used a 3 week 
program called Kick the Habit which uses a filter method.  Each week for 3  weeks
you are cutting back on the amount of nicotine you take in -- til at the end of 
3 weeks, you are only getting 10% of the nicotine from a cigarette.

Plus, the fit for life isn't really a diet -- it is eating modification,
behaviorial training -- however you want to call it...I am going to get 
healthy by eating right and taking the poisons out of my body!!

Wish me luck...
dana\

    
    Just wanted to say that I bought something called 
    "Search n Stim" (Acupuncture with electric impulse).
    
    You can try to eat less and also stop smoking (there are
    more possibilities than these like headache etc.)
    
    I guess it is coming from USA (I am from Germany).
    
    I think it works for me ...
    
    Carina
    

    
    Well there doesn't seem to be much FACT proving that this diet is
    dangerous.....
    
    
    .....Is there anyone out there who can substantiate their claims that this 
    diet is harmful or unhealthy??  I remember a reading a negative
    article on this diet in a magazine (Cosmo?) several years back but I
    don't recall any facts.
    
    Has anyone suffered any harm from this eating style?
    
    
    I would really like to hear from anyone who can provide info on this
    topic.
    
    THanks,
    pauline
    
    

    No fact proving it's anything more than sheer quackery for $$, either.
    
    Will it kill you?  Probably not.
    
    It's safer and cheaper to siply eat a balanced, low-fat diet.
    
    This no protein before Xpm, no carbohydrates with y foods, etc. is
    hogwash.

RE: -1
Hi Mike,
    
    Thanks for replying...I was hoping that someone out there would see my
    note...I've a few questions on your reply.
    
>    No fact proving it's anything more than sheer quackery for $$, either.

Your right, no one on either side of the fence has provided any proof to 
substantiate their claims.  It's still not clear to me how this could be
harmful...

....but there do seem to be an awful lot of people out there who swear by 
it and enjoy its benefits (lots of energy and weight-loss).
    
>    Will it kill you?  Probably not.

I would really like to know if this is UNHEALTHY in any way...I am concerned 
because I know several people who are on it and swear by it.  If its 
unhealthy for them in any way I'm sure they would like to know.  If it's not 
unhealthy for them to follow this plan and they are happy with the lifestyle 
and happy with the results -- wonderful!
    
I haven't seen one testimony or account in this conference of someone who
has had disagreeable/undesireable results on this plan...If there is anyone
out there who knows about the harmful side affects, I sure would appreciate 
hearing about it.  


>    It's safer and cheaper to siply eat a balanced, low-fat diet.    
>    This no protein before Xpm, no carbohydrates with y foods, etc. is
>    hogwash.

How is a low-fat diet cheaper?  I assume that you mean the cost of the book?
and what makes it safer?
    

I'm in data-collection mode...any and all facts appreciated!

pauline

.21> and what makes it safer?
     
    It's safer because it's based on sound nutritional advice.
    
    If I tell you "don't drink any milk before 6pm and no fruit juice
    after 8pm," and "never eat complex carbohydrates with protein at the
    same meal," you might lose weight.
    
    That doesn't mean my instructions have any basis in nutrition.
    
    
    Why is it cheaper?  It's cheaper to learn basic nutrition, and apply
    it.  It'll save you time and money.  Sure, you only spent $5 this time
    on the book, what anout next time when yu spend $10 a day for Nutri-
    System or SlimFast?
    
    I wish I could find my old report on this diet ...

    It has been over a year since the last reply to the Fit-For-Life
    question but I thought that I would make a comment. About for years ago
    I read the fit for life book and it really sounded logical to me. I
    decided to give it a try. It seemed to work great, I lost 40 lbs in
    about 4 months and kept it off. I even got the other books,
    Fit-For-Life II and Marilyn's cookbook. I eventually became a
    vegetarian. The problem with the diet was twofold. 1). I was always
    hungry. I fought with myself over "to eat or not to eat" the entire
    time that I was on the program. 2). The book also recommends a regular
    arobics program. Supposedly they ride their bikes 10 miles every
    morning. This sound wonderful and was religious in adherence to all
    parts of the program. But, as I got more in shape, the less energy I
    had. Seems backwards but it dawned on me that I may not be getting
    something that I need. 
    
    After reevaluating the program I discovered that I had cut down on my
    coloric intake by about half. So with the increased activity of running
    for 40 minutes each day, who whouldn't lose wait. The fact that I had
    less energy helped me to conclude that my nutrition was suffering. 
    
    I still run, which I believe is the real reason for my weight being
    stable, but I eat everything except I stay away from processed sugar,
    caffiene and alchohol. I feel much better now and am in good shape. I
    think I really missed meat, especially after I became arobically fit.
    
    I still use many of the suggestions that I enjoy and that work for me.
    Fruit in the morning and no eating between the hours of 8:00pm to
    4:00am. The second book has good suggestions for keeping skin healthly
    which I use and find terrific. 
    
    I Think a Man needs meat!!
    
    ...tom