Please help regarding Protein Power question...

[Merriweather]

Hello,
Could anyone please advise what is the difference between Protein Power (or PP Life Plan) versus The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution (both by the same authors)? I am not sure of the difference and which would be more appropriate to follow? Thank you for any help you can offer:)

[Benay]

Merriweather, the plans are the same. The 30 day does not have all the science behind the program explained, just a summary of why a low carb diet works. I have given the 30 day plan to friends to get started as it provides menus for them to follow to make the transition to low carb easier. For those wanting to know more and to understand why it works, I recommend (and give as gifts) the original Protein Power as well as the Protein Power Life Plan. All have great information, different recipies and menus. I found myself convinced when I read Protein Power and could hardly wait to read Protein Power Life Plan when it came out and found the 30 Day much too basic for my learning needs. But it's a good starter book. Good luck.

[Mitra]

Welcome, Merriweather :).

As Benay said, all the books are presenting the same plan, but they do it in slightly different ways.

The original PP book said 30g carb per day, and specified a minimum protein requirement depending on your lean body mass and activity level.

PPLP was a few years later, and recommended spreading the carbs and protein evenly between your meals, so rather than daily limits, it said 7-10g carb per meal, 5g carb for an optional snack. The protein requirement was just related to height and weight, rather than working out your LBM & activity level - more approximate, but easier to calculate. And protein was also specified per meal rather than for the day.

In both of those books, the protein and carb limits are in grams, but in the 30 Day book it was simplified further, to a serving of protein and two of carbs for each meal, with the serving sizes for different foods specified. The carb serving size depends on where you are in the plan, and the protein serving size depends on your size. It's very easy as long as your meals tend to be in that format, but if you're making up recipes with a bit of this and a bit of that, then it may be more useful to work to gram limits rather than serving sizes.

It's just a question of which approach suits the way you eat, and of how much you like to read up on the background science (the 30 Day book just gives the minimum).

[Merriweather]

Thank you so much. That really clarifies it for me. I was surprised to see some carb choices in the menu plan (like low carb toast). I thought low carb meant no grain choices at all and that veges and fruit would be very limited (like Atkins, or Carbo Addicts), etc. I am discovering that there are different approaches to low carb. It is a bit confusing which to pick at this point. Thank you for the responses :)