Lose 24 Pounds In a Week!

Yes. And it's approved by Dr. Oz. Lose 24 pounds in a week with the only crash diet approved by Dr. Oz!

I'm amazed at the headlines so I did my research. Instead if just belittling Dr. Oz and his reputation over such a stupid headline. We all know by now that crash diets don't work. Sure they work in the short term but longer term, if you don't make it a lifestyle change we know that you'll gain the weight back. Secondly, losing 24 pounds in one week just doesn't seem smart unless you drain fluid, cut off a limb or suction fat. But I am going down the wrong path. I want to bring you the facts so that YOU can make your own decision.

It's not Dr. Oz but Dr. Joel Fuhrman, weight loss expert, who came up with this "diet", but it is promoted on the Dr. Oz show and website, and as the headline reads "approved by Dr. Oz". Here are the principles of the "diet":

1. Eat as much as you want. However the foods of choice are nutrient dense low calorie foods. Bottom line is you are on a calorie restricted diet because you are consuming less calories.  But think about it.  You (we) probably do consume too many calories, because we consume too much of the wrong kinds of foods.  Change the kinds of foods we eat to more nutrient dense foods and you reduce the calories as well.

2. You will not be hungry because the nutrients stave off hunger. There is probably some science that substantiates certain nutrients, via the complex chemical reactions in our body, send a signal to the brain that we are not hungry.  But, for the most part, it won't help you through those "emotional cravings" or the "social binging".  You'll still have to work "emotionally" through those.

3. Beans are this diets superfood. Because 50% of beans are insoluble fiber (resistant starch), are not consumed/digested, and are passed through the body, you can eat a lot.  Plus, fiber helps make you feel full. 

4.  Eat vegetables!  Lots of them!  That's right and not coincidentally, most vegetables are non-fat, high fiber (makes you feel full) and are indeed nutrient dense and low calorie!  Go for it!  In fact, this diet supports a 90/10 philosophy.  90% of the foods you eat should be "vegetable-like" along with some high complex grains and limited nuts (for healthy omega-3).  10% of your foods can come from meat and dairy.  Hold on now...this is sounding more like a low-fat diet and that's not anything new!

5. BOM stands for berries, onions and mushrooms (more low calorie, high fiber vegetables/fruits).  These BOM foods are supposed to be anti-angiogenic and can starve your fat cells because they cut off the blood supply to them.  Research has been done to support these anti-angiogenic foods as cancer fighting because they cut off the blood supply to cancerous cells, stopping growth.  Makes sense to me, but as for your fat cells, you are born with a certain number and your goal is to shrink them.  You can do that by changing what you eat (not dieting) and by exercise.  Certain foods might help slightly.

6.  Fruit smoothies can help you quench hunger.  No coincidence that the major ingredient in their fruit smoothie is ice (water) and fresh berries (fiber and anti-angiogenic) and that's good for you.  

7.  NO PROCESSED FOODS!  I'll say that again, NO PROCESSED FOODS.  (duh!)

The tag line for the program states:

By feasting on nutrient-dense foods, you can lose weight faster and more efficiently. The goal of this crash diet is to dive right in, making the habits you learn and the recipes you make in the next 7 days part of a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Which brings me to my last point.  There is simply no way you can create habits over the course of one week.   Sure, you will learn the new habits of eating healthy, but it takes approximately 21 days to erase the old habits and establish the new ones, and it takes as much as 2-6 months to SET the new habits.  So, while this crash diet will steer you in the right direction, it is entirely up to you to stick with it and then, we are talking about lifestyle change, which is exactly what I've been preaching for the last few years.

What can you expect as far as weight loss goes?  I don't think it's realistic to lose 24 pounds in one week as that much weight loss is tied into your current weight and physiology.  If a 150 pound woman lost 24 pounds, that's almost 20% of her body weight in one week and that could send the body into a state of shock.  However, if a much larger person, say 240 pounds - well, that's still a 10% weight loss in a week, and that still doesn't sound safe.  What will happen is you will lose a lot of fluids because you are eliminating processed foods and are eating low fat.  Your fat cells may begin to shrink and you will feel less bloated.  You will probably lose 2-5 pounds.

But here's the next red flag:  if you don't make it a lifestyle change and you go back to your old habits and gain the weight right back, (as perhaps you have done a few times before), you will be yo-yo dieting, that familiar up, down, up, down of the scale.  Studies have indeed shown that yo-yo dieting is much worse for you in the long run than holding onto a few extra pounds.  (I'll address yo-yo dieting in another blog).  

So, either change your lifestyle once and for all, or don't start this diet at all.

But, please make your own decision.  Let me know your thoughts.

Kathy