Here’s something I posted on the Shangri-La Diet (SLD) boards. If Seth can wade through my verbosity…I hope he has some ideas and insight. I’m not seeking an answer; speculation would do just fine.

You’ve probably already encountered this with all your research, but just in case you haven’t, here are the basics:

About 10 years ago, a friend turned me on to Dr. Abravanel’s Body Type Diet and Lifetime Nutrition Plan. Taking Dr. A’s quiz, I quickly identified as a “gonadal” type (curvy waist/hips, strong build), and I tweaked what I ate accordingly. Within a couple months, I’d shed about 15-20 pounds without really trying, and also enjoyed lots of extra energy. Of course, I *was* 25 at the time, so it wasn’t so difficult back then!

In the years since first encountering his theory, I’ve found that it seems to usually play out, and that people with a certain type of build are more likely to have specific “problem” foods. This makes sense to me, and also explains why some people (P and T types) do fabulously on a low-carb diet, and others (like me) tank on it and feel horrible in the process.

His basic idea:
Certain foods trigger higher production in our gland system, either in the thyroid, pituitary, adrenals, or (for women only) ovaries. If you continuously eat foods that overstimulate your dominant gland, you eventually exhaust it, its production falters, and you gain weight. The trigger foods/flavors:

Gonadal: creamy, spicy, rich, red meat
Adrenal: salt, yellow cheese, red meat, alcohol, shellfish
Thyroidal: sugar, refined carbs, caffeine
Pituitary: dairy (except yogurt), sugar, caffeine

Additionally, the T and P types need fairly sizeable quantities of protein in their diets to help stabilize blood sugar issues.

/oversimplified intro

In my (limited and anecdotal) experience, I’ve found these basics to hold true when I chat with people about what “works for them” in their diets. So (finally), here’s my question:

If this is true (of course, it may not be), what–if any–implications do you think body type may have on the effectiveness of sugar water versus oil for people of different types?

I’m still trying to figure this one out, myself. On the one hand, I feel SO good when I have a dose of the sugar water — then SO bad after the oil. This makes sense to me, as fat has always been my demon; sugar never has been a problem for me (unless it’s combined with fat…mmm…cheesecake). On the other hand, I definitely feel more of an appetite suppression from the oil.

My initial hypothesis is that sugar would work better in the long run for a G/A type, oil for a P/T type.

An aside:
One of the things that I love about the SLD theory so far is how broadly applicable it is–ie, with the help from the sugar or oil, I gain the help I need to moderate my eating. I KNOW what sorts of foods work well for me (very low fat, lowish protein, tons of fruit and veggies, moderate starch), but I’ve had a hellish time with the willpower to break the bad habits I established during pregnancy! If the past two days are any indication of what’s to come, even a short stint on the SLD should help me to get back to eating well as a norm. Once I’m eating that way regularly, it’s a breeze to maintain…getting into the pattern is where I get stuck!

Allison, with 20-25 pounds to drop.

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