Ok... I'm guilty of wanting the quick fix.  When I read NO CHEESE on my bene list, well... I'm a cheese craver (it's still a downfall).  I tried Atkins in the mean time and was so BLOATED and horrific.  

I'm glad that I was re-introduced.  It's been very good for me.

Someone asked about knowledge and germinating.  I thing, for me anyway, that I felt that I should be able to be in control of everything.  I wanted to hear that the way to weight loss (my big issue) was to do no exersize and eat all of the cheese I wanted.  (ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!)

Well, it's darn hard work to loose fat.  I have to be extra careful and actually WORK OUT (sorry for yelling... I'm yelling at myself).   It wasn't until my husband started having some health issues that I even looked at the diet again.  It must be easier to fix him than myself.

I pressed the "More-than-a-year"-button.

First time I heard about it was in 1998, when I attended a Heilpraktiker-convention. I had heard about BTD before that, but dismissed it as non-sense: "Eat Right 4 Your Shoe-size" Har har...
Well, the speaker at the convention explained the principles behind BTD, and it made very much sense to me. I recognized my type imediately - carnivor that I am!

Didn't feel like changing my diet, though. Sure I'd like to lose weight, but the BTD-speaker never mentioned weight loss, "only" health realted issues, and I was as healthy as I could be, so who needed some long haired health-diet, huh?

Second time was in 2000, when my co-worker started BTD and brought ER4YT with her to work for us all to leaf through. She lost some weight (she didn't really needed to, but anyway...) and her allergies all went away (Yay!).

Still, didn't feel inclined to eat exceptionally healthy or anything. I had no allergies, so why change?

Then in 2004 I came to the conclusion, that it was best to change before I had to. I smoked 20 cigarettes a day, but had the lung-capacity of a 10 years younger non-smoker. Best to stop while my body seemed to be able to cope with the smoke. So I quit smoking - cold turkey.
I was almost 50 lbs over weight, and my mother had Type II diabetes, so it seemed like a good idea to get rid of those excess lbs in time before developing diabetes or high blood presure or whatever. So I went on Atkins. Lost 48 lbs in 9 months and felt excellent.
But what to do, when I had met my goal weight? It didn't seem right to continue to avoid fruit like the plague, but eat lots of artificial sweeteners...
Then a co-worker (another one) came up to me and asked if I was type O. She then told me, she did the BTD, and that it was no wonder Atkins was right for me. She lent me her copy of ER4YT, and I was hooked. Here was my post-Atkins-diet! I bought LR4YT and joined this board. Can't get enough knowledge about this excellent diet. This is MY diet - and I'm dragging hubby with me!

So: Third time lucky BTD for me!

I still have so much to learn. I gained almost 18 lbs in 4 months after switching to BTD and have the hardest time losing them again. I know exactly what's wrong: Exercise...! Blech!

Poly, I really enjoyed your story about how you got here. Thank you for sharing it.

So what is the BTD status with your hubby? What is his BT? Has he spit for you yet (secretor test)?

Tell him to join us here!

"Within a Month"

Four years ago, I picked up a copy of ER4YT in a Barnes & Noble, and skimmed through it, finding that many things made sense.  An example is that when I went to a Italian restaurant and ate bread and pasta, I'd feel horrible.  If, on the other hand, I'd eat out at a steak place, I'd feel energized.  That didn't make sense to me, but after skimming the book, I felt I had probably found my answer.   I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy the book, though, so I went home and picked up a copy from the library.  Wow.  Everything clicked into place and I couldn't resist buying Eat Right, Live Right, and Cook Right.  ...I wanted to start on the diet immediately, BUT, living in the midwest at the time, I couldn't find the grains I needed to replace wheat.  I couldn't find veg. glycerin, organic meat, etc.  So, I put the diet off, thinking that I'd later hunt the internet to find places to order these products from.   ...After a couple of weeks, with the diet constantly in my mind, I decided that following it the best I could, would be better than not at all.  So....I started on it, using non-organic meats, etc.    Almost immediately, I felt so much better, even though I was unable to strickly follow the diet.  

The allure of wheat and coffee, however, called me away from the diet.  It didn't take much time at all, for me to find myself back eating many avoids.   As one would expect, my health deteriorated.  

In January, I decided to start back on the diet, remembering how good I felt while on it.  Plus, living in Colorado, it's much easier to find the foods that I couldn't find in the midwest.   ...Considering how fantastic I now feel, I WILL follow this way of eating forever!  

Quoted from ironwood55

So what is the BTD status with your hubby? What is his BT? Has he spit for you yet (secretor test)?

Tell him to join us here!

Heh yes, Don, I made hubby spit. He's a B non-secretor.

The BTD-status with hubby is, that he follows it on/off:

On: He has changed his lunch-orders at work. Earlier he had a shrimp- or chicken-sandwich. Now he has a big salad and some sort of meat - mostly beef he tells me. Actually, his co-workers came up to me at his firm's Christmas party and asked me what kind of strange diet I had put my husband on.
When he cooks, he always checks ingredients on the food-lists I have put up in the kitchen.

Off: He drinks tons of coffee at work.
He has an impossible sweet tooth and loves all kinds of candy - the more artificial icky and sweet, the better. I haven't yet been able to make him change that habit.

I have suggested many times, he join us on board. He would benefit a lot from the knowledge here. All the cooking-tips would interest him a lot - he's a wiz in a kitchen! And the B-comunity would help him to understand so much about himself and his type.

Don't worry too much, Poly.  Both my hubby and I have both noticed that, since we've been on the BTD for a while, our sweet tooths have diminished considerably (meaning that mine has practically disappeared!).  Your hubby may have a similar experience, especially if he sticks with compliant sweeteners in the meanwhile.

Poly, maybe you could stock the house with the most natural candies that you can find.  I have found that the more pure my diet becomes, the less my body will tolerate junk.  It's just another step on the way to compliancy.  

Thanks for the suggestions, Carol and Victoria.

I have been contemplating a lot what to do with hubby's candy-addiction. Trouble is, he's not really into fruit. Most kinds he doesn't touch at all - cherries, apples and plums he outright detests. I've found out, he likes pineapple pretty well, so I buy a pineapple from time to time.
He even bought one himself the other day! Weee!!

BUT, I haven't been able to get through to him, that he would be much better off without that nasty candy. Sometimes he listens and grabs a piece of cheese instead, but after a while the cravings get the better of him, and he ends up hunting around the kitchen cupboards to find something sweet. Sometimes he ends up crunching sugar-cubes and unboiled pasta! Yuck!

If I want some sweets or cookies in the house to offer unexpected visitors, I have to hide them in the oddest places - otherwise hubby-the-candy-hoover finds them and eats them all up. (Sometimes, I forget all about the hidden sweets and find them months later burried under my stockings or something... )

I try to keep the house nasty-candy-free, but I know I'm losing the fight. I keep finding empty candy-wrappings in his car. (It's almost like hunting for clues, that he has a mistress - a candy-mistress! )

Poly,
Does your hubby get enough protein.  Sometimes sugar cravings can indicate a deficiency in good quality protein.  And the fact that he wants to crunch on things may mean that his body is demanding something nutritionally that he is not getting.  If not sugar, then.......???

My naturopath recommended the program, he had always been 100% right in everything else he had recommended, so I trusted him and "went for it" immediately (same day). Results came so quickly there was no turning back!

Hello, all!

I bought a copy in 1996 and was a moderator for the "A" forum when it started up. I was compliant for awhile and then started eating off-plan as my marriage blew up.

not being able to focus on how much I was hurting emotionally caused me to just give up on everything for awhile.

Eventually, I remarried. After a long time, I decided to give this a go. I don't feel particularly well and I'm sure it's because of too much sugar and junk food. I also like red meat.

Like several others here, I have spread the word over the years -- unlike most of  you, I didn't practice what I preached. I also gave away several copies of ER and have LR and the Encyclopedia.

Guess I'll get busy getting better. Hope to get to know lots of you and maybe meet up with a few former acquaintances!

Oh -- I'm an "A" and hubby is an "O" -- we'll probably share side dishes and each have the protein suited to each of us. I don't plan on telling him what I'm doing until he notices that he feels better.

good to have you back!!

under what moniker did you appear, then?

Willow, welcome back   Your strategy with hubby sounds very promising.

Lola, so much wisdom in your signature (not sure what smilie to add. I get all sorts of vibes)

Welcome back Willow!  Did we know you under another moniker back then?

Susana,

Nope, I was "Willow" then, too.

Back then, even Steve Shapiro was a newbie -- so were lots of others. The threads were split into forums for A, O, and AB/B. Mostly, everyone stayed to their own forum, although each forum had many "visitors" with other blood types.

Glad to see how this space has grown and evolved over the years. It really is a beautiful website and full of so much information, and good people.

Also glad the forums are not segregated like they used to be, although I'm sure there have been "type specific" threads here at times, yes?

This weekend is "kitchen compliance" weekend. I have compared our lists (mine and DH) and we will get rid of "avoids"...although he can't seem to stay away from sweet wines and some beer (and he wonders why he gets oral thrush and keeps that belly, ). I'll then post the food list on the fridge, and we can decide what we'll cook and eat for the next couple of weeks.

I would love to hear anyone else's experiences of having to bring someone else on board with the plan.  

Cheers!  

I got lucky, coz BF's an O like me, and he gets the free ride of me cooking  compliant concoctions. I told him I was determined to be compliant (desperate to regain my health), but wouldn't demand it of him, and he volunteered to be "good." He's continually been surprising me by saying this or that feels better and noticing the uncomfortable price paid of eating avoids when elsewhere. He's even surprised me by suggesting we give up coffee for a month, then decided he prefers green tea now, and last weekend we gave some friends all our coffee (kept the grinder). I can't say he doesn't complain about some things, but all in all it's been a positive experience.
Willow's a beautiful name imo.

Oh, thanks. I started using that moniker when all my emotional strength was being tested during the time that my first marriage went out the door with my promiscuous spouse.

I wanted a moniker that would help me remember that I could get through that tough time and any others -- that I could remain flexible and bend with adversity rather than let it break me.

Willows are known for their flexibility and grace under pressure of weather -- so I chose it.

thanks to everyone for the warm welcome!! It means a lot.

My answer was immediately, but I didn't stick to it - for some reason... Too long ago, I can't remember.      That was back in 1998 when I was first married.  Now, we have 2 kids and one of them has been recommended to start on the BTD due to sensitivities and intolerances to certain foods - he's 1.  So, we're ALL adopting the diet both for health reasons and because it's easier if we all eat the same - we're all Type O.  ...So, although I started 8 years ago, I didn't stick with it (and I probably SHOULD have), but I'm back; this time with my entire family.  

Welcome RacerWife7,

Glad to have you and your family join us. I think that the BTD will help your son.

Quoted from ironwood55

Welcome RacerWife7,

Glad to have you and your family join us. I think that the BTD will help your son.

Thanks - it's tough to change over a toddler, but I think it'll be tougher to change over my older son who's already so set in his ways...    I guess he'll get used to it.

Yes, starting them early should make it easier.

My two sons were about 11 and 9 when we switched. They still have not accepted eating anything but cereal for breakfast most of the time and in general would prefer to eat grains more often. Other then that and individual likes and dislikes they have been pretty good about the changes.

I should also mention that during this time my sons have only been with me every other week so between what they eat at their mother's house, school lunches, and eating out with friends and during events probably only about 1/3 of their meals are intentionally BTD compliant.

If you don't push it, and give him time to try things on his own and think it's his idea, he will gradually make changes even at his "advanced age"!  

I read about it in 1999, gave it a trial run in 2001, but did not commit to meat until 2006.  I was an exercise buff through the late 80s and early 90s but did not join a gym until this week.  I thought I could get an intense work out walking around Wal-Mart.  Oh well.  It took noticing in a dressing room that I look like an adolescent (or worse really-- flabby and bone thin) to make me really want to do anything about it.

I'm always so touched when I read about you wonderful mums (and dads) who know your children's blood types and have the opportunity to feed them correctly. 35-40 years ago I had such trouble feeding my children. I was a meat eating A, their father is a B and the children are A and AB. Meals were in crisis mode most of their childhood. I would so love to have had the opportunity to do that aspect of child raising right. Yet despite all that, they are now all fantastic adults who love cooking and love their food. None of them have come on board BTD but when they eat with me they know they will get their blood type food! I don't bash them with it, but if any of them raises it I quietly talk about it. Just part of the intricate tapestry of life n'est pas?
Jenny