Since Disgusted started this thread, it will give me a good opportunity to discuss my views regarding the Adonis Principles. The most beneficial aspect of the Adonis Principles was not the specific recommendations or guidelines that TA provided…it was that it challenged many people to think outside of the standard bodybuilding diet. Just because Flex or Muscle & Fitness had always told us to do something a certain way that does not mean it is the only way, or even the most effective way. I think that was TA’s main point…we need to be open-minded and not just blindly follow has been preached to us. There are many diets that you can follow to get in good shape, and they don’t all consist of eating egg whites, plain oatmeal, and broccoli ten times a day. The most important factor is that you have strong will power and are committed to reaching your desired goal. It should not be “rocket science” to realize that you need a caloric deficit to lose weight. TA made me realize that in order to get in shape, I don’t have to eat stuff I hate all day long, just because that is what the magazines (or whatever) tell me to do. And I’m sure a lot of people knew this already…before TA even started talking about it. I think the mistake I made when I was following the Adonis Principles and doing my online journal was that I took the “a calorie is a calorie” philosophy a bit too far. I would make entire meals out of starburst, laffy taffy, and ice cream. Obviously, that is a horrible diet, and regardless of whether you lose weight, it is bad for your long-term health. If you look at TA’s posts over the last couple years, he has changed some aspects of his principles. For example, when I was following the Adonis Principles, he only recommended the RDA amount of protein. Now, he is recommending .5 – 1 gram per lb of bodyweight. To me, this says that TA is fine-tuning his recommendations and becoming more aware that there are some values from the “traditional bodybuilding diet”. What I try to do now is eat a healthy diet with a lot of fruit, vegetables, fiber, and lean protein. But I don’t worry about eating some junk food here and there.