Eating plan less restrictive than others

Dear Dr. Gott: I am writing in reference to your no flour, no sugar diet. In September of last year, I decided to prove to my wife that your diet absolutely would not work. She has been trying to get me to go on it for years. My first reaction, of course, was that I would have to give up eating so many things I like to eat that it wasn’t worth the small chance that I might actually lose a little weight. Once she told me all the things I could eat, which included the breakfast at our favorite restaurant on the weekends, where I could still have my hash browns and “Texas bacon,” not to mention that I didn’t have to give up steak, baked potatoes with all the trimmings, and many other things, I decided I could suffer through this diet.

Well, to make a long story short, eight months after beginning your diet, and quite honestly, eating like a horse, I have now lost 46.5 pounds.

I am retired and 68 1/2 years old. I went from 240 pounds to my present 193.5 pounds and I feel great. I have not been at this weight for close to 20 years. Of course, I had to buy all new clothes, but it was worth it.

Oh yes, my son-in-law went on the diet, too, and he has lost over 40 pounds as well.

So, thank you very much for proving me wrong. Your no flour, no sugar diet really does work. I feel guilty calling it a diet; I have never eaten so much and lost weight so easily.

So once again, thank you.

Dear Reader: No, thank you!

While no diet is perfect for people who need to lose weight and keep it off, I have received hundreds of letters, such as yours, from individuals who have had success with my “no flour, no sugar” diet. Not only have they shed unwanted pounds but they haven’t had to starve themselves, pay dearly to purchase special supplements, count calories, follow written menus that are often published in expensive books, run the risk of coronary artery disease from fat-rich diets (such as the Atkins) or commit to interminable food restrictions.

This last advantage is crucial, because anyone can lose weight on any diet; the real trick is to avoid gaining back the very weight that was lost. By adopting my diet, overweight people will (predictably) burn unwanted fat, leading to initial success. But, later, by making minor adjustments in the diet, they can maintain slimness.

For example, I advise strict adherence to the diet until a reasonable weight goal has been achieved. I emphasize the word “reasonable” because obese patients often have unrealistic expectations; you’re not going to lose 100 pounds in three weeks.

Also, my diet is supremely flexible. Once a desired weight has been achieved, people can modify their diets; for instance, it then becomes OK to re-introduce flour products such as bread and pasta.

Other readers who would like more information, can send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Ask for the “Weight Loss” Health Report.