Problems with the Shangri-la Diet?

Some people have contacted me about problems they are having with the diet.

If you've read the Best Practices thread and visited Seth Robert's FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Forum, then I have the following advice:

1. Try reducing the amount of oil slightly (e.g. if you are using three tablespoons of oil, go to two and a half) and adding two tablespoons of sugar in a cup of warm water. Drink a sip, drink the oil, drink the rest of the sugar water. For some reason, some people seem to do much better if they have this combination.
2. Make sure you are taking "extra light" (that is oil without flavor) rather than "extra virgin" (oil with clearer, crisper flavor) oil. Those who use extra virgin oils all report that the oil eventually quits working in a month or less. People have used extra light oils for years.
   
3. Keep records. I've had someone tell me how they had lost ten pounds, then a month later complain that they had lost fifteen and been on a plateau for a month (they had actually lost five pounds during that month -- when most people only lose 2-3 pounds a month) and a month later talk about how slow it had gone and how they had lost only twenty pounds. Record keeping really helps when you start to forget where your weight is.
4. Slowly add appropriate excersize (such as gardening or active stretching or swimming).
5. Be patient. Most people only lose 2-3 pounds a month, most people experience plateaus over and over again. Unlike a "normal" diet, a plateau is only a plateau, not a sign that the diet has failed.
6. Be consistent. It takes consistency before you get results for most people. Give yourself a month of consistent practice on the diet with record keeping before you decide that ...
7. Realize that the diet just doesn't work for some people. Everyone is trying to figure out why, but everyone acknowledges that it just doesn't work. If it isn't working for you, let Seth know. There is a forum just for that and for discussing it.

Usually I hear from people who have had a lot of success with the diet. Four months of three pounds a month of weight loss (that's twelve pounds) here, twenty pounds lost there. I see myself every morning (over sixty pounds lost, suddenly wearing size 32" waist pants). But, it doesn't work for everyone, and sometimes even when it used to work, it takes some tweaking or adjustment.

Wish you well. Feel free to leave a comment on the blog instead of e-mailing me.