So I started this diet on the 7th of January, and now, on March 1st -- even with a final three weeks in which, thanks to the move to China, I was being a bit slack about sticking entirely to no-carbs -- I've lost 12 lbs: in short, all the extra weight I was carrying. I fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes, and in fact weigh less than I did on my wedding day. I'm at the stage where actually I don't want to get any thinner (which is not something I expected to be saying!). So to summarize the advantages of this diet:
1. It works. If you do it, and even if you don't stick to it absolutely completely, the pounds do come off.
2. It's conceptually simple. Avoid carbs -- potatoes, pasta, bread, flour -- and eat meat and vegetables. While I did have the odd moment of confusion (I bought corn-on-the-cob thinking this was a good vegetable, before being put right by one of you) mostly, it's not hard to know what you're supposed to be eating, and what you're not supposed to be eating.
3. Being able to eat as much as you want of non-carb foods is liberating.
4. The diet feels healthy. Despite Atkins-style diets having a somewhat bad reputation in this regard (did Atkins die of a heartattack or is this just urban legend?), it doesn't feel to me, personally, to be justified. What happened to me, is that a lot of the starchy fillers I was eating were replaced by vegetables at mealtimes. I ate more vegetables in January than I probably have in any month ever before.
In terms of other food categories, meat consumption was about the same for me, pre- and during diet. The only thing which I'm not sure about, which went up substantially, is egg and bacon consumption. I don't think bacon is very healthy, eggs, I think probably are healthy, though I don't know the data on this. I'm generally pro-fat (love butter, olive oil) so this stayed about the same for me pre- and during diet.
5. Some acne I had developed on my nose went away - thanks to the diet?
6. I felt my digestive system was a lot healthier (I'll spare the details on that...)
OK that's all I can think of right now.
