Norma: My mom died of a heart attack at the age of 47. I lost over 100 pounds, lost my dad to a heart attack/diabetes, then got pregnant again and gained it almost all back. I thought Mediterranean eating would help take it back off.
Jodie: I was once an athlete, and actually fractured my foot in two places earlier this year (I was already 249 lbs before the fracture). I let my foot heal, and then begin my current plan in May at 249. Today I'm 195.3 lbs. Honestly, I've found that the majority of the work comes from the kitchen. I recommend often small lifestyle changes over time as opposed to diets or killing yourself in a gym. I usually recommend that people meet with their doctor for a physical and to see if you have any health issues to consider before starting a new meal plan.
Frederic: I wrote a very detailed research paper on it and other diets. Med diet is the best studied and the best proven diet of any type for disease treatment and prevention. It's also been proven to help with weight loss - but what really helps with weight loss (again, according to the research) is anything that helps you stick with it. That's why Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig hold up fairly well, the social support aspect keeps people coming back.
Margo: I am likely not the best person to ask about this. I am chronically ill and unable to do much of anything but lay in bed all day. But when I was following a Mediterranean type diet I did feel much better and I was able to do more. I don't cook for myself but since you are able, you should have success.
I have neurological Lyme disease. It went undiagnosed and untreated for 19 years before it was diagnosed 5.5 years ago. Many people don't realize how serious Lyme can be (I know I didn't!). But it's left me bed bound with brain damage - I have the symptoms of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and I have regular seizures and even stop breathing because of it. No sympathy please. I only tell you to make you aware. My goal is to educate people about my illness so I appreciate the opportunity.
Ruth: For me I gradually changed the way I ate from the time I decided to eat healthier and move more. In the beginning; e.g., I'd bring a turkey sandwich to lunch with reduced fat chips. Then I started bringing a side salad instead of the chips with reduced fat dressing. Now I usually eat a big salad with lots of veggies and a little olive oil and vinegar, if I'm home I may make a stir fry with lots of veggies. At least half my plate at lunch and dinner is vegetables. I pay attention to not eating too much bad fat and the sugar.
When I finally decided to change the way I eat and move, it was as if a light bulb went off and I just knew that I had to do something. If I didn't want to exercise, I'd tell myself to at least walk for 10 minutes and I'd usually end up walking more. Now I wear a Nike Fuel band and that keeps me moving; I was using a pedometer for years and that helps too.
Monica: Hahaha, it's perfect because I am Italian. I try to eat whole unprocessed foods as much as possible and it's easier to eat that way if you are following that diet.
I have always eaten the Mediterranean Diet way, but have had to cut out gluten (so I eat less pasta - it's corn or rice pasta - and eat a bit of other grains such as quinoa and amaranth). I mainly gained a bit of weight because I had gotten chronic disease that affects my energy and pain levels so I didn't exercise in line with the amount and types of food I was eating. I had to cut the carbs back and separate the fat from carbs to keep the insulin from storing fat in the meal on my body.
Eating this way helps my energy levels and lessens my pain levels. I can do more exercise and fun sports than I can if I eat a common 'American style' diet.
Emilia: Well, I do not consider it a diet, and I also don't follow it strictly. It's the way I grew up so it's not a diet to me, it's just the food that I like to eat although I like to eat a lot of other things too like burgers and pizza and pasta and fried chicken and sandwiches etc.
I follow Intuitive Eating which is eating based on bodily cues of hunger and fullness, no food is off limits. I basically eat whatever I want whenever I want it but I eat mindfully and pay close attention to when I've had enough. Sometimes emotional triggers prompt me to overeat but I've learned how to deal with those.
I grew up in Crete therefore it's the food I grew up eating. I've never had any prior medical conditions and my family history is free from diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and all chronic illnesses. My own personal health ailment was my eating disorder, which IE is helping me cure. My blood work has always been fine. Weight loss is just a pleasant side effect of me during my ED. Weight loss is not my goal and I am healthy, active, and eat a balanced Mediterranean diet.
Lela: It's an easier choice for me since I'm Greek and I grew up with that style of eating. The true Med Greek diet, that is. One thing most people don't know about the Med diet is that, in its true form, it's a lifestyle that includes regular fasting, lots and lots of vegetables, not a lot of grains and pulses, plenty of healthy fats, and proteins are sourced mostly from fish, eggs, and cheese. Red meat is eaten infrequently.
Valerie: My experience with it is kind of odd. Basically back 13 years ago I started trying to "learn how to eat". I read up on the Mediterranean diet and thought that sounded great, so I started trying to eat more foods in harmony with it.
The weight came off (primarily because I was no longer eating fast food and Dr Pepper for most meals). Then as I was finishing my weight loss, the South Beach diet book came out. It’s based off of the Mediterranean diet. So I used the principles behind the South Beach diet and married them with a Mediterranean approach and came up with what's worked for me all these years.
Basically I eat a plant heavy diet, vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, fish mostly when we go out (and then things like kippered herring and sardines, and canned tuna and salmon regularly), some red meat (a steak from time to time), and some cheese and eggs, and red wine. And then some 100% whole grain bread, but not with every meal, sometimes not every day.
That's the "plan" for how I eat. And then reality hits and sometimes I do other things. But even then I don't eat like the average American probably. It's totally doable in my opinion. As long as you don't try to do a lot of fast foods.