Great post, I had a different experience with the diet though. I lost 17kg in circa 4 months (an average of 1% body mass per week) while eating mostly carbs (240 g of pasta a day, 3 or 4 fruits) and vegetables. A couple of times a week I would eat 300g of chicken. The only physical exercise I do is running for 20 to 30 mins 3 times a week.
I have to say I'm quite happy with the diet, I basically never feel hungry and I love pasta so it's enjoyable. Obviously you can't just cover the pasta in a calorie dense sauce and expect to lose weight, you still need to keep an eye on the calories.
I skip breakfast (always did, not something that started with the diet), for lunch 120 g of pasta usually with tomato sauce, a banana and an apple. In the afternoon sometime I have a snack of some sort (between 150 to 300 kcal). For dinner either pasta with veggies, or a couple of potatoes with veggies cooked in an air fryer, or chicken a potato and veggies, again in an air fryer. I add more fruit of I'm still hungry.
I drink water only, no liquid calories.
I have a cheat meal two or three times a week (nothing crazy though, like I would eat a pizza and some cake for the cheat meal)
I have to say I'm quite happy with the diet, I basically never feel hungry and I love pasta so it's enjoyable. Obviously you can't just cover the pasta in a calorie dense sauce and expect to lose weight, you still need to keep an eye on the calories.