Eating foods with sugar alcohols in them (maltitol, lactitol, etc.) could
easily cause the runs. Drop the junk food even if they claim it's low carb
and stick to eating meats, fats, and low carb veggies.

Water exercise, which someone already suggested, is a good low impact way to
get exercise if you have pain issues with regular exercise.

    Perhaps it's time to see a doctor and go
    beyond over-the-counter pain meds.

    Low carb (ketogenic) dieting will help with
    that as your physical hunger will be vastly
    reduced.  Psychological cravings will also
    be reduced; however, some of it is still up
    to you.  People can eat even if they're not
    physically hungry or craving anything specific.
    A conscious effort is required to stop that.
    For example, when I watch TV I drink water or
    tea, and sometimes I'll eat sunflower seeds (whole
    ones that have to be shelled one at a time).
    Also, I watch TV while I eat my on-plan meals.
    I drink one and a half gallons of filtered
    water per day; that helps to keep me full.
    I also keep a food journal.  I weigh everything
    I eat and record it using a software program.
    Over time it teaches you how much you can eat
    (portion control).  Eating while watching TV
    isn't a problem as long as it's on-plan.

    How long were you on it and how did you implement
    it (which plan)?

    Jeri's suggestions are good ones.  Eat regular
    food and don't skip the vegetables (they supply
    micronutrients and fiber).  For many people it's
    the other way around--they get constipated when
    low carbing.  Keep a food journal so that you
    can review what you ate.  It may be a particular
    item that gave you the runs rather than the diet
    itself.

    Here's a link to my online briefcase.  It has a
    couple of useful tools in it that you can download
    if you'd like.  One is a food and exercise journaling
    program, and the other is a basic metabolic typing
    test.  It attempts to provide an idea of what the
    best type of diet for a particular person might be.
    I'm a fan of low carb especially early on (when a
    person has the most weight to lose), but I'm open-
    minded enough to realize that low carb isn't the
    best diet for everyone.  The metabolic typing test
    provides a starting point if you don't already know
    which basic diet type (low carb, moderate carb, or
    high carb/low fat) works best for you as an individual.
    From that starting point, and with the help of the
    journal, over time you can experiment with calorie
    levels and macronutrient ratios until you arrive
    at what is best for you.

    http://briefcase.yahoo.com/kd6tas

    Good luck.

    Bill Eitner
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