- Given a thankfully very small handful of e-mails I have received through the years assuming a bit
more familiarity than is appropriate, I feel I must point out that SugarFreeSheila.com is not a blog
or "personal page" to discuss my friends, family, marriage, plans for the weekend, or anything
about my private life. Thus this site, as well as the e-mails I reply to, will remain strictly relative to
the information provided and covered herein. That said, no personal questions, please - which
include but are not limited to - money questions, queries regarding my marriage or family, where
I live, my personal daily schedule, off-topic medical questions, gym location, and other matters
unrelated to this website. Please do not let my rather impersonal (albeit thorough) medical-type
stats directly pertaining to Atkins and/or the numerous photos taken in public places throughout
SugarFreeSheila.com beguile you - I keep my personal life private. So, blessings upon you for
having the courtesy of not asking personal questions. I will not answer them.
- ** Regarding appropriate questions of visitor e-mail: If you have a personal question regarding
content not covered throughout the pages of SugarFreeSheila.com, or one you feel you must
preface or follow with an apology for its inappropriateness, it is likely an improper question to ask
- and this is as much about decorum as it is about privacy. However, if the subject matter is in
fact covered throughout the pages of SugarFreeSheila.com - i.e., the Atkins lifestyle, low-carb
recipes, skin care, beauty, fitness, fashion, and the like - it is entirely appropriate to ask. As
always, I look very forward to hearing from you!
- Since it is already covered in my Atkins Success Story page & more thoroughly throughout my
Atkins FAQ, I will not rehash my success story via e-mail. Kindly read these pages as well as
Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, prior to contacting me with questions. If a fundamental question
has been covered in the book or in the FAQ, my reply will refer you to one or the other. If it's worth
it to you to read the Atkins book & through the above two pages prior to asking questions, it's
worth it to me to spend my time helping you for free.
- E-mails are welcome from those 18 and older. Those under the age of 18 are referred to their
parents and/or pediatrician.
- If you have written to me, please check your spam folder for my replies - I'd hate for you to miss
them!
- While I am always available to help those already on Atkins, I am not an "Atkins Recruiter."
From time to time, I receive e-mails from non-low carbers who wish for me to sell them on the
program, or to explain via e-mail the fundamentals of Atkins explained and detailed throughout
SugarFreeSheila.com in order to encourage them to consider it. These people are respectfully
referred to the most exhaustive resource available for Atkins: the Dr. Atkins' New Diet
Revolution book, followed by the information provided throughout SugarFreeSheila.com, to
enable them to make their decision. I can assure you, both are entirely worth the read!
- If you come across a random article discussing how "Atkins doesn't work," there is no need to
send me a link to it for my comment, because I will have none to make. The information and
photos provided throughout the pages of this website are proof enough that it has worked for
me. Additionally, I am not here to talk anyone into believing Atkins is the way to go - that is up to
you.
- Atkins is the only program to have ever worked for me, and is thus the only program of which
I am a proponent. Therefore, I do not have any comments or arguments to make about other
programs. Given my consistent obstinateness for the past 6 years in my FAQ against "coloring
outside the lines" of Atkins by incorporating unnecessary fasting, and/or incorporating a low-fat
component or cutting calories: when it comes to another program that insists upon precisely
these factors ... is it really necessary to ask what I think of it - much less whether it takes any part
in my success?
- No medical questions, please! I am not a physician, nutritionist, dietitian, or trainer. When asked
an Atkins question, my response is always taken directly from the Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution
text.
- If you are wondering whether I have any new photos on my website, there is no need to e-mail
me with this question when this may be determined by browsing the site itself. New photos,
which are captioned with dates, are always distributed throughout these pages - and not
necessarily in the most obvious places!
- Due to the potential risk for viruses, I do not accept file attachments. Also, photos inserted into e-
mails are likewise not downloaded. However, don't take this to mean that I do not want to see
your photos! Please feel free to send them via TinyPic.com if you wish to share them.
- I also answer SFS.com e-mails via my phone. You will be able to tell this by the really wide
margins in my response, lack of quote feature, & getting straight to the point. This is important
for me to point out to my visitors, so that my brevity is not mistaken for terseness.
- One e-mail at a time, please. While I type at a net speed of 95-100 words per minute and check
e-mail frequently, it might take me some time to get back with you due to the very large volume of
e-mail I receive. If you have not yet received a response, please be patient. I love hearing from
you and promise that you will hear back from me. P.S: See banner at bottom of page to test your
own speed!
- Cryptic e-mails (usually with no salutation or signing/closing) written IM-style or in
indecipherable, half-sentence fragments are confusing to follow. (For example, a one-line e-mail
like: "Okay, so should I try that then?" Well, probably - but try what?) Since I am unable to recall
all details of the many e-mails written to me, please use your quote feature in correspondence.
Following basic e-mail etiquette makes everything quicker, more efficient, and pleasant for
everybody! More E-mail Etiquette Tips.
- Kindly sign your e-mails, as I would prefer not to address those who write to me by their e-mail
addresses or "Dear ?" in my salutations. It's just the polite thing to do.
- I do not write out menus. However, if you are stumped for entrée, appetizer, and snack ideas
appropriate for all phases of Atkins, recipes I still enjoy to this day, please see my Original Low-
Carb Recipes Page for many sample recipes from my two cookbooks, as well as the Night
Treats Page if you have a snack attack as I do sometimes!
- From time to time, I receive an e-mail asking that I not only write out my typical menu but to also
measure/weigh this food and report it to this person as well. Here is a humorous illustration of
this request.
- If I mention a generic product such as Vitamin E oil or flax seed meal without a brand name
attached to it, this means I do not recommend any specific brand. Specific brands are
mentioned if, and only if, I deem them extraordinary and heads above the rest. Additionally, I
recommend no sellers or vendors for my personal product purchases. If a link is provided to
show a picture of a particular product, this does not mean I recommend the seller; it is only to
demonstrate a visual for said product. On that note, please remember that this is a non-
commercial and 100% ad-free and popup-free website. I continue to have no endorsements,
and am not paid to mention any product, website, or organization.
- My thoughts on Splenda are mentioned in the bottom portion of my Atkins FAQ. Any discussion
regarding "danger" theories with respect to Splenda should be directed to the company itself. I
am not a spokesperson for Splenda - and am certainly not on their payroll - so I have no
arguments to make for this company. Here is a link to contact Splenda directly.
- My provided e-mail address is a professional address, so I graciously request that it not be
included in any unsolicited mass mailing lists, forwards, contests, or online website invites.
- To photographers, agents, scouts, directors/producers, PR practitioners, marketing enthusiasts,
publicists/press agents, venture capitalists, or any individual or business looking for an "affiliate"
for their website: thanks, but no thanks! My website always has and always will continue to "get
to the next level" through engine searches and word-of-mouth alone. Nothing more has ever
proven necessary.
- While I appreciate your thinking of me, I am not at all interested in buying or selling beauty
products, or involvement in anything having to do with Multilevel Marketing (MLM).
- From time to time, I hear from representatives of "non-profit organizations" requesting free items.
I welcome these e-mails, provided your group is legitimate and therefore recognized by your
state's Department of Justice. Otherwise, this website might be of interest.
- A Kind Reminder For My Gentlemen Site Visitors: If it's appropriate enough to say to your
grandmother or underage niece or nephew, it is therefore appropriate enough to say to me!
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