Drinking Man's Diet
 

I noticed someone on this board was doing the Drinking Man's Diet. I googled and found an informative website, which outlines the diet's rules and gives a sample menu:
http://www.forbes.com/health/2004/0...f_0421feat.html
Sounds somewhat similar to the Banting diet, described in the preface to Taubes' "Good Calories, Bad Calories". I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has tried the diet. Does it work? Did you keep the weight off? Did you find it necesary to count calories?

I think that was actually the plan I started out on, at least mine was very similar. I don't drink, though, so I just used the carb gram counter part of it. I lost 120 lbs. in about 13 months. :)

I have kept the weight off. I did regain some, but that was because of hypothyroidism. I've been on thyroid meds for many years, and I just reached the point where they needed to be adjusted. If my doctor had acted more quickly when I complained, I wouldn't have regained any weight. :lol:

It's a pretty simple plan to follow, almost like starting Atkins halfway up the Carb Ladder instead of going through Induction.

The carb count of that plan is way off. For example, 2 glasses of wine are listed as having trace carbs. Nuh-uh.

I could see the martinis and whiskey, maybe, but I've never been able to lose on low carb while drinking wine -- and I wasn't even drinking that much.

I lost before while drinking wine every now and then, just depends on the wine.

Dry red wine, with highest alcohol content. A nice zero usually -- a shiraz. I have always believed in my own low carb/high booze diet :). I don't drink liquor but have always had a few glasses of dry red wine at dinner and at times even lunch when low carbing. Never stalled me. To each his/her own.

Here's what I found in my research using the USDA nutrition site (which I think is really pretty accurate): Serving size is 5 fl oz unless noted.

The Reds -- (reported carbs / calories)
Merlot 3.7 / 122
Cabernet Sauvignon 3.8 / 122
Pinot Noir 3.4 / 121
Syrah 3.8 / 122
Zinfandel 4.2 / 129

The Whites
Chardonnay 3.8 / 122
Chenin Blanc 4.9 / 118
Fume Blanc* 3.4 / 121
Gerwurztraminer 3.8 / 119
Pinot Gris/Grigio 3.02 / 122
Champagne (4 fl oz) 1.2 / 78


So yes, I agree that the wine numbers are really wrong! But I love any diet that has pate de fois gras on its sample menu!

:p 60 is way too many carbs especially if you are drinking. I can identify with the "you will [easily] get drunk part" especially if in ketosis or on an empty stomach.

Are there any fat winos?

Oh, yes. Many, many.

I love the "moderation in the pursuit of happiness is no vice" line!

I did the Drinking Man's Diet too -- not for the drinking, but, when it was new, the "under 60 carbs" seemed like an interesting idea. It worked for me -- I was much younger, mid-20s; this was 30 years ago. I couldn't stick to it. Back then, I thought you lost the weight and then went back to eating chocolate and drinking Cokes.

I used to be one. Not a good time, believe me.

I am definitely buying the reissued book. I am no lush but I do like a cocktail and glass of wine at least a couple times a month.

Janine

No mention of other drinks on that diet?

Oh this always comes up -

those wine counts of 3 or 4g per glass of wine are WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG! The reason they put that is it is what is left over after protein, ash, alcohol etc have been accounted for.

what you need to find out is how much RESIDUAL SUGAR per litre is in that particular wine. For a dry red wine it is usually about 3-4g per LITRE, not glass.

The rest could be glycerol, which forms a part of fat - whether or not that will effect weight loss is debatable, seeing as it's ok to eat lots of fat on low carb.

I find that drinking white wine, which I do as a cocktail so tend towards the sweeter wines like Riesling may delay my weight loss a bit, but it never stalls me. I don't drink very often, though. I think other people have very different reactions. In general I do not stall out on sugar, anyway - much more so on grains, so maybe I would notice worse luck with hard liquor made from grain.

Janine