Billme replied: "You need to buy this book, and if you love your life, give up meat for 3 weeks and see if it helps you. Dr. Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes. You can do what the docs say is impossible. If you have diabetes, you can reduce your medication by 50%. Now don't by the book and throw away 1/2 of your meds. What you do is continue to measure your blood sugars 5 times a day (or what your doc says is your schedule) and then eat healthy. As your blood sugar levels fall, call the doc and say Doc mon, my sugars is low again, what drug do I toss today? He will says something like take less of drug a or more of b. When it gets lower dosage of each drug, he might take you off of the stronger drugs and give you ones that are better for you. (I am guessing that the weight gain is due to diabetes?) If you have not been tested for diabetes, then they should do that test and get your A1c level too. Search on Craigslist.com for alkaline water. You can sample some for free. This will also help in your weight loss. According to the PH Miracle for weight loss, becoming more alkaline will help the insulin in your body become more effective. Stop drinking any form of soft drinks right now. If you read The PH Miracle for Weight Loss, by Dr. Young, you will see that he recommends a very alkaline diet, and that is good for you. It will allow weight loss in a controlled fashion. If you are eating a diet high in vegetables, beans and grains, with plenty of fruits, you will see the cholesterol drop off the scale, and you doc will say Mon what are you doing? Trying to put me out of business? Don't tell your friends about this, I will be through. Eat oatmeal for breakfast, include 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Eat plenty, it is good for you. Starving yourself to lose weight is the wrong way, your body has said "Feed Me" ever since your last weight watcher meeting. And it has recovered nicely. Try this for dinner. Bake a sweet potatoe in the microwave. Peal and eat with cinnamon on top. Add some vegetables, green salad, (no dressing) and you have a healthy meal. Again no meat. Make some split pea soup. 1 pound of split peas, 1/2 pound of lentils, 1 onion for flavor, some pepper, and 12 cups of water. Cook in a crock pot for 5 hours and it is ready. Add some chopped up carrots at the last hour if you want to. Add a little more water if it is gettin dry. I used 9.5 PH alkaline water in mine, it makes it a very alkaline meal, good for you, and helps you get over being to acidic. When the body is to acidic, the excess acids are stored in fat cells, and those lead to weight gain. You want to eat foods low on the Glycemic Index. These are foods that are absorbed into the bloodstream slowly, like a bowl of strawberrys, not ice cream. Spagetti with a tomato based sause, with mushrooms, parsley, oregano, and other spices, not meat or cheese. (Skip the meat for about 3 weeks and see if you feel better - You can to it) You will find that making simple dishes at home is also less expensive than eating out or buying prepackaged spagetti sause or garlic bread that is pre-buttered. Did I mention to skip eggs, cheese, and most milk products. The reason is in Dr. Barnard's book. He says that many doctors are just as likely to die from diabetes as the public in general. By giving your body a constnt supply of sugars all day long, in the slowest manner possible, then body will not be converting the "Spike" of sugars from fats and super intence sugar rush into body fats. When insulin is released, and you have a high blood sugar level, then that insulin will make you fat, because it takes the hih blood sugar level and makes it into body fat. If you are not diabetic, then the pancreas will release the insluin as the blood sugar level starts to exceed 120, and will also make you fat. For diabetic, they are adding medication that will convert the (excess) sugars to fat. Good Luck to you and your family, Happy New Year !"