To think my GP is MAD to recommend this diet to my DH

[tryingtobemarypoppins2]

"Pigs to Twigs"

From what I have read so far its a slightly nicer Aktins diet. Loads of meat, fat and green veg.

I am really shocked she told him to get this book for a few reasons:

1. Its a no carbs diet
2. Its a bright pink book aimed at women 3)She didn't weigh him or take his BP and he has over 5 stone to lose

She is a lovely GP but I really thought she would handle a very proud young daddy who is really struggling with his weight a whole lot better. His weight gain is odd as the rest of our family are within the ideal weight range and eat far more than him. His job is highly physical too.

AIBU or are no carb diets back in fashion?

Read the book. You will see that it isn't all about meat - far from it in fact.

Throw out what you think you know about Atkins - honestly.

We eat together every day, we still get takeaway occasionally, go out for meals.

Fat to 'All That'

Obese to Hot Piece

Fat Slob to King Knob

Tubby Waddle to Supermodel

Bad in the Buff to Piece of Stuff

Roly Poly to Holy Moly!

Oh my eyes to Check out those Thighs

Corpulant Tortoise to Skinny as your Daughters

Heracles were better

GPs are notoriously uneducated in dietary matters. Her biggest mistake is recommending to him a diet that is separate to what the rest of the family eats.... it always fails if one person is 'on a diet' and trying to stick to a special list of foods. They can stick it out for a few weeks but that's about it.

If your husband wants to lose weight successfully for life then tackle it as a team, as a family, and change your lifestyle. Find ways to get more exercise, as a family, to eat more fruit and veg etc. Find ways to cook favourite meals so that they are less calorific (less oil, less cheese, less meat etc.). Agree as a couple to cut your alcohol consumption (that's very effective). Agree not to buy crisps, sweets and biscuits when grocery shopping. Simple changes like that can make a massive difference to his weight, the whole family's health, and there there's no need for fad diets at all.

It's a brilliant eating plan, dh and I followed it and lost 2 stones each. It's healthy, it's full of unprocessed food and most importantly it explains how insulin works in the body, which made the penny drop for me.

It also has a fabulously supportive website which is great to log into especiallybif you are considering having a wobble.

I think your gp sounds enlightened for not going down the low fat and calories route.

ROFLing at diet names.

Honestly, though, is a GP allowed to imply a patient to be a pig? I would be so offended!

Yes montmartre, I have put a bit back on during the carb fest of pregnancy/BFing but have just started reigning them back in now.

I low carb not no carb and while BFing won't be lowering my levels too far. It wasn't just changing diet though, I also took up weight lifting.

lolol 'fat slob to king knob'

I would SO buy that book, whatever it was about

it is low carb, not no carb...very different. It also doesn't claim to be a high fat diet either, which fats are you concerned about in the book? To be honest I dont see why the whole family cant use the book and you can add some carb for the kids if needed. It is more a way of rethinking how you eat always, rather than a diet with a time limit...

Breastmilk 'pig to twig' is just a jokey subtitle.

I did pigs to twigs and put on 7lbs.

its india knights inst it?
i think it sounds good
i low carb
eg grilled steak veg and thats it

Have you actually read the book? It's great and really addresses the headstuff that goes into why we overeat. It is NOT a no-carb diet, it is a low carb diet. There is also a great, supportive forum here.

No, Stripey you bought the wrong book. That was Twigs to Pigs.

I'm doing it now...without a diet book or a 'plan'...just cut out refined sugar and flour. I feel great, my clothes are fitting better (haven't weighed in for a few weeks, but lost half stone in the first week), and I can't believe how easy it is!! Best 'diet' I've ever been on...and it's not all meat, and I don't have to cook separate meals for the rest of my family.

I love that I can eat cheese, which I love, and I've found an AMAZING dark chocolate that I have just a little of every day.

It's really just switching 'bad' carbs to good ones...so eating a sweet potato instead of a white one. Brown rice instead of white, etc.

My little family is eating much healthier...and though my little DCs certainly don't need to lose any weight, I've not bought biscuits or sweet things for them in over a month, and they are loving being able to dip into the fruit bowl when they feel like it.

OP, if you really want to see a dietitian, it's not that expensive to go privately, I did in my last PG.
Think it was about £100 for a few appointments with v. nice lady. Go via British Dietetic Association...

The recipe book that goes with it is inspired too.

"I did pigs to twigs and put on 7lbs."

You're not supposed to eat them.

Yes just to back up - low carb is good. I did it after having children. Was worried by the adverse press and had my cholesterol checked at the Drs. It was really good.

I am fed up with the way low-fat dominates all thinking at the moment - your body needs good fats - it's designed to need them.

What your body doesn't need is processed food, processed carbs and so on. It doesn't need empty sugars. And the trouble with low fat diet food is that to get the fat out they have to fill it up with sugar substitutes to make it at all palatable.

Anyway - I would certainly recommend low carb - and wish people wouldn't automatically write it off as a fad diet.

There was a Horizon programme on a couple of years ago about Atkins. The conculsion was that it worked because the followers were actually eating less calories than they used - ie the way all diets work, however they are dressed up.

Well yes, that's sort of true, except that:

all calories are not of equal value in the way your body chooses to metabolise them,

low-carb diets are easier to eat less on than calorie controlled or low-fat diets because the protein and fat satiates your appetite better,

your body prefers to convert stored energy (ie fat) to run itself on, rather than go to the trouble of converting the protein and fats to energy, so some of those calories are in effect, 'flushed out'

taking in fewer carbs will keep your insulin production under control, causing fewer hunger pangs and energy crashes. WIN WIN all round!

It's a good diet. The book is brilliant, though I concede probably not man friendly. Tbh if you manage to put 7lbs on doing this, you're either not doing it right, or in need of the biggest poo ever