lifetime natural.
as far as a timeline goes i took about 7 months to really diet down. I could have done it much fast, but at the very beginning i didnt even cut out all my carbs. i just cut out junk food and sugary foods for the first 2 months. after that i started doing the phase 1, 2, and 3, that i outlined earlier in this thread.
at the end of the diet, during phase 3, i was taking in around 1500-1800 calories per day.
mostly chicken, a lot of tuna fish, low carb protein powder, a lot of eggs, and some beef.
moderate vegetables as mentioned before like green beans, peas, broccoli, salads, etc.
water and diet soda were my main drinks. more water than soda though.
for sweets, i recommend no-carb jello. the black rasberry flavor. i would make a lot of it and eat it when i felt i needed something sweet.
i think consistency is key. i ate almost the same thing for every meal for almost every day. you dont think about it, you just do it. the more you think about it the less you will want to stay with it.
Your diet is essentially the same as mine year round. I just NEVER drink sodas though, in any form. Just don't like them. Coffee, water, milk, and tea are what I stick to. In terms of protein intake, same thing minus tuna if I can avoid it. It reads to be simple, and it is, it just takes the mind set to stick with it, especially when everyone you know doesn't give a damn about how they eat or look.
And in terms of "gurus" I hear you loud and clear. Honestly, they are great if you yourself aren't that educated on the whole fitness thing, but once you have your own knowledge base then it comes down to experimentation and figuring out what works for you best as a individual.
