There is no one-size fits all diet. What works for me may not work for you (and vice-versa!). Here are some things to consider when evaluating your diet. If you are experiencing a weight loss plateau or stall, see Overcoming a Weight Loss Plateau for ideas on what you change up to start losing weight again.

As always, work with your doctor when making any diet changes, especially if you have any health issues. These are simply ideas and suggestions that I have picked up while researching diets that you may want to discuss with your doctor.

Liver Disease

If you have had any blood tests which show that your liver is not at 100%, then you may want to consider the following changes:

• No Alcohol!
• No Fruit (the fructose is metabolized by your liver and can contribute to fatty liver)
• No Sugar (sugar contains fructose ... see above)

Diabetics

See my section on diabetes. In general, as a diabetic you may or may not have as much wiggle room as others when it comes to how much carbohydrates you can eat.

If you are only using diet and exercise, you will have to test your reactions to foods often to understand what foods you can eat while maintaining good blood sugar control. These foods may change over time as your ability to create and use insulin changes.

If you use medications (such as insulin, metformin, or sulfonylureas), then you probably have a wider variety of foods available to you as long as you understand how your body (with the medicine) will react to each meal. Some people using insulin eat what they like and simply adjust the insulin dose accordingly. Others still restrict their carbohydrates (and protein portion size) to reduce the amount of medicine they require.

Autoimmune Disorders

Try COMPLETELY cutting out dairy, eggs and grains. Basically do the meat + green vegetable diet for 30 days and assess how you feel.

If you are feeling better, congratulations! You now have a good idea of what foods to avoid to feel better. Test adding back to identify exactly which group (or groups) is the culprit.

If you don't feel better, honestly asses if you 100% abstained from the food groups. If you cheat at all, it could cause you to continue to have a reaction and you won't be able to tell that a particular food is aggravating your condition. I'm not saying it will work for everyone, but it's certainly worth a try.

Age

Insulin resistance increases as we age. Most likely you were able to eat anything when you were 4 and had to watch your weight a little when in your 20's. As you age, you may need to cut back on your carbohydrates even more.