Chef AJ, do you consume soy milk or almond milk. Is that included in not having any nuts.

Good points. I think it all depends on where you are and what your goals are. People transition to plant-based with fake meats and fatty fake cheeses, and can still lose weight. That's fine, maybe not optimal health-wise for the long run, but I agree you don't want to make something so restrictive that they won't do it.

Everyone is different. Some people go in stages and give up a little each week or month -- Rip Esselstyn has a great program like that, going in degrees. Others just pick up McDougall, Fuhrman or Esselstyn's book and go from zero to all the way, right from Day One. Whatever works for a person, is the right approach, in my view.

By the way, AJ lost the weight not only for cosmetic reasons (which are very valid reasons if it's important to someone, in my opinion), but also due to a knee problem which has thankfully improved with the lost weight.

I think Chef AJ makes sense...maybe nuts don't cause weight gain (or prevent weight loss) for many, but they obviously do for her. How this issue can generate hate mail is beyond me.

But...I am just wondering why a photo of yoga pants and high heals??? I think--and I am saying this as a person in the SAME position--Chef AJ has at least another 15 lbs of abdominal fat to lose. She will then not need to pose in heels for the thinnest angle possible.