Fat Loss for Idiots?!

twstychik

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Has anyone heard of or tried this diet? I googled weight loss tips and came across this diet. I'm a little leary as it's on-line only and the web-site offered no personal testomonials or other first-hand accounts. I have found many reviews on my own but I'm still a skeptic. The diet boasts a 9lb loss in 11 days with out any counting or tracking or portions. Here's the best review I found so far. http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/20...s_4_idiots.php It also includes some sample "menus". Anyway, I was hoping for some first hand opinions and reviews from people I "know" and trust.
 

mirinae

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I haven't tried this diet, but I do know that 9 lbs in 11 days is too much, too quickly to be healthy. Rapid weight loss, while considered "desirable" by our impatient society, is dangerous and can lead to bigger problems down the road (and in all likelihood you'll gain the weight back, because the diet will put your body in starvation mode and make it cling to whatever fats and such you do eat). You're better off finding a diet that helps you to lose 1-2 lbs a week, because that's a safer, more sustainable weight loss. Maybe it's not as impressive, and if you're trying to meet a specific goal in a short period of time it won't get the job done for you, but it's healthier for you in the long run.

You need to ask yourself if you think this diet plan is both sustainable and maintainable. Will you be able to keep it up until you reach your goal weight? I could easily start a diet where I only eat squash for every meal, but I'm eventually going to get bored and start eating other foods; my made-up squash diet isn't interesting enough to be sustainable. Once you do reach your goal weight, will this diet teach you how to keep the weight off permanently? A lot of excellent diet plans only teach you how to diet, not how to continue once you've hit your desired weight -- they're not maintainable. In all likelihood, you hit your goal weight and then resume whatever nutrition and exercise habits you had prior to the diet, and so you regain all the weight you lost (plus more, depending on the severity of the diet in question).

I'm not trying to discourage you, but I'm hopefully trying to make you think about it. When I started Weight Watchers in mid-October I was about a hundred pounds overweight, which is pretty shocking to think about out loud (or in writing, as the case may be). As of my last weigh-in I've lost 19.8 lbs, so I'm 1/5 of the way to my goal weight (again, pretty shocking when put in that perspective). But knowing myself, I wouldn't be able to do this if I were on Slimfast or Jenny Craig or the Atkins Diet. I needed to learn about things like portion control, how not to eat when I'm bored or unhappy, and what it means to feel hungry/satisfied/stuffed -- those other diets don't really teach you those things, and you have to purchase their products in order to keep up the weight loss. With WW, I eat what I want, I just have to keep track of it (or, if I was on the Core diet, I could choose from a very long list of "free" foods and only track things like bread and sweets), and I'm learning to deal with my problem eating. This is just what works for me, however, so YMMV.
 
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twstychik

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Here's a bit more about the "program".


Fat Loss for Idiots food is made up of lean proteins, fruit and vegetables, and the sources of fat come from whole foods (e.g. cottage cheese or eggs). There are some starchy carbohydrates (e.g. oats and pasta). The day is divided into 4 meals that should be eaten at a minimum of 2 1/2 hours apart. There is no carb or calorie counting, no limit on portion size - Weight Loss 4 Idiots says you "just eat short of being full". After the 11 day meal plan there is a 3 day "cheat" - where you get to eat whatever you want. Then you are back into the 11 day plan again.


I thought the same thing about such rapid weight loss. I was also wondering about the maintnance after reaching your goal weight but I haven't found anything tha details the "after-care" as it were. I appreciate any feedback because if I wasn't being caution and realistic about this I would have already paid for it. No bubbles burst here.
I needed to learn about things like portion control, how not to eat when I'm bored or unhappy, and what it means to feel hungry/satisfied/stuffed -- those other diets don't really teach you those things, and you have to purchase their products in order to keep up the weight loss. With WW, I eat what I want, I just have to keep track of it (or, if I was on the Core diet, I could choose from a very long list of "free" foods and only track things like bread and sweets), and I'm learning to deal with my problem eating.
I need to learn the same things. I've done WW off and on and am back on right now. I have a very bad habit of eating at home when I'm bored. The advantage to the FL4I is that you do have to learn the meaning of full and too full as that's one of the main basis for your eating. There is enough variety in the 4 meals that I could sustain it until I reached my goal weight but my biggest concerns are the rapidity of loss and maintnance once my goal weight is reached. The plan was supposedly developed my a health professional and is also supposedly healthy but they caution if your loosing more than 1lb/day that your taking it too far.

I don't know. I think I'll stick with my own plan for a few weeks and se ehow it goes while I consider to research this.

Thanks!
 

lisasha3

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I agree with everything that Mirinae has already said.
It's easier to maintain a lifestyle and healthier when you lose it at slow increments. Also, any "substitute" meals or food always make me nervous (i.e. Jenny Craig, etc) because eventually you have to go back to regular food and that's usually when all goes wrong.
You're a WW member so you know that this has to be a way of life for you which is why I went to WW. It's teaching me how to eat normal foods so I know how to control it.

(Wow! Just realized there's a lot of posts today on weight loss. New Year I guess right! Seems like all I've talked about today is WW.
maybe I should become the spokes person - think they'll pay me?)
 
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twstychik

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This diet plan actually consists of "real" foods. Also, I'm not a WW member. I just bought a calculator and borrowed some litarature from a friend. I'v enever been to a meeting or weigh in.
 

lisasha3

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Originally Posted by twstychik

This diet plan actually consists of "real" foods. Also, I'm not a WW member. I just bought a calculator and borrowed some litarature from a friend. I'v enever been to a meeting or weigh in.
Cool! I'm a WW person and didn't even know they had a calculator!
I'm so out of it.

If you want to give it a try, by all means let us know how it goes. I'm curious. Different things work for different people so I guess you never know. I tried "spark people" for a while. recommended by someone here at TCS, but my problem is I just didn't seem to budge with that or WW online. I had to go to the meetings. It's the only thing that's worked for me (not sure why, but not complaining). As I said though - everyone's different.
Check out spark people too! I think it's www.sparkpeople.com.
It's free and similar to WW if I remember right.
 
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twstychik

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Well, I just found a forum dedicated to this diet plan on caloriesperhour.com that is still VERY active. Based on that and all the reviews and other things I've read I think I'm going to give it a go. Once I get my financial aid $ I'll buy the program and be sure to let you know what happens.
 

muttigreemom

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Originally Posted by Mirinae

I haven't tried this diet, but I do know that 9 lbs in 11 days is too much, too quickly to be healthy.
This is both true, and false.

In the first week on any new diet it is not uncommon, and considered perfectly healthy, to lose 5 or even 10 pounds of water weight (depending on your starting weight) along with 1 or 2 pounds of fat loss. So while 9lbs sounds like quite a bit, that could be all water.

Continuously losing 9lbs every 11 days after that is not considered healthy.
 
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twstychik

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Thanks for that. I knew a sustained loss of such proportion couldn't be healthy but the large loss of water weight in the begining makes sense. From what I've read drinking copious ammounts of water is part of the plan and I try my best to drink at least 64 oz. a day as is. I can definately tell the difference if I have a low water day vs. a high water day.
 

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At the beginnig of Nov DH & I read (ok I read) "You on A Diet" by Dr. OZ (Oprah's guy) They book talks alot about how your body works, gives great advice, etc... I dropped 9" in 4 weeks-eating "better" -more fruits and veggies, portion sizes. I still enjoy a small glass of wine almost every day. I walk every day (ok not last week when I was sick) I stopped drinking any soda and when I had a sip of Pepsi last week I couldn't believe how sweet it was.
Its a lifestyle kind of book-it makes you go through your cupboards/refrig and toss out lots of stuff-substituting whole grains instead of refined flour.
I've also been reading labels and not buying products with hig fructose corn syrup (which is in lots of stuff)-the reason why is in the book on this.
I am very pleased so far!!
The book goes my waist size more than weight-I dropped 2" off waist in the 1st 4 weeks too!!
 
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twstychik

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Well, I bought the program this morning. I've just begun reading through it and it doesn't look too bad. Unlike what I thought, you can eat your 4 meals for a day in any order and they actually give you 2-4 options for each meal and you can choose 1 or any combination of that they provide. The key ideas I've seen so far are drink lots of water (10 glasses a day/80oz.) eat 4 meals a day instead of 3, and eat until satisified... NEVER full or stuffed. That last one is what I have the hardest time with. I'm gonna do some shopping after work today and start tomorrow morning. I'll have to "cheat" this weekend because we have a be-lated holiday diner on saturday but after that I'll be good to go.
 

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I'm really not a huge fan of fad diets....they don't work in the long run and people often wind up gaining the weight they do loose back once they go off of them. A diet is simply what you eat- good or bad. I believe in a healthy diet and a healthy dose of exercise- that is the only great way I know of to really loose the weight and keep your body healthy. I don't deny myself foods i like- but i do limit the portions and stop eating periodically to see if i'm still really hungry. (if i'm not- i stop, if i am i eat a little more.) I also am only able to eat certain things due to medical issues....so i eat about 5-6 small meals a day....it speeds up your metabolism and you're not starving yourself eithor. I think eating wisely coupled with a decient dose of exercise several times a week is better than any fad thing out there
Besides, when it comes to your body- do you really want to cheat yourself and take the easy way out?
 
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twstychik

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Nope, no chocolate except on your "cheat" days. Of course, now that I have the diet plan and have read more on the forums for it there is a life-long plan that outlines 10 'rule' for a healthy life with food. It also outlines what type of foods to eat and when to maintain your weight. It's all based on carbs and protien and switching them around enough to keep your body on it's toes. There's one guy on the forums who's in the manitnance phase and he says if he's having a sweet tooth he'll have his regular meals then make his 4th meal a small treat.

I don't think of it as "cheating myself". In fact I think I'm doing myself a greater injustice by not trying anything. I'm thinking of this "diet" as a jump start to my better, healthier, thinner life. I also don't see it as an "easy way out" since following these guidlines, for me at least, won't be so easy. The hardest thing I face is NOT over-eating at meals and if it take a "fad diet" to help me learn that then why not do it. Reading the maintnance guidlines or as they say their slower weight loss program it seems like it really is a healthy life change and not just some diet to make me skinny until I stop following it.
 

gailuvscats

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I doubt you would lose 9 pounds in eleven days on this diet. the calories in the review say they are 1800 a day. I don't know how much you weigh but this would not result in a weight loss for me. It sounds like a healthy diet though, and if you can stick to the food, it would work as with any food plan. You determine how many calories to eat by your height and weight and activity. A good way to figure it is if your ideal weight would be 135 pounds, than you would eat 1,350 calories to get to, or maintain that weight for an average activity person. If you burn an extra 300 a day on exercise, you can either eat 300 extra calories, 1,650 a day, or use that to add to weight loss. You have to burn around 3500 calories to lose a pound so divide that by 7 and that adds up to a 500 calorie reduction a day. So if you exercise 300 a day and cut out 200 a day, you can lose a pound a week.
If you weigh 200 pounds, and should weigh 135 pounds, you can do the math. To sustain your 200 pounds, you are eating 2000 a day, subtract the 1350, and it leaves you with 750 calorie a day reduction. Divide that up between added exercise and reduced food, and you will reach the desired weight.
Now if only I would apply what I know. It takes motivation, will power, and self awareness. I think last night my burger 2 beers and french fries were well over 2000 calories, and that was just one meal.
 

sydney

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I dont believe in any diets that say you can loose a good amount of weight in a short time, its just not healthy. The easiet and safest way to lose weight is a good diet and exercise. Its hard to start a good healthy diet and its hard to motivate yourself to exercise everyday at first, but if you just do it you will find the weight coming off in no time.I think its very important to establish a routine.

I use to weigh 185, and I got so tired of how I looked, I wanted to be thin. After I broke up with my ex, it motivated me to push myself to exercise and eat right, I ended up walking everday for 1 hour,maybe two if i had the time, and not just a casual walk, I powered walked.Then I slowly started jogging and the next thing i knew i was running 6 miles a day, and trust me, I never in my life would have pictured me as a runner, i never ran before. I started eating right, i had chicken,vegies,and a small portion of potatoes everyday for dinner. I lost 65 pounds!

I then gained about 20 pounds back after a year, I was in a relationship I felt comfortable in and started binging on crappy food at night. Just recently I cut out all candy,sweets,and things that were bad for me, I didnt even exercise and I lost that 20lbs, in a month. I didnt starve myself, I just ate salads and helathy sandwhiches, and chicken.

Its all up to you, those fad diets, pills,drinks arnt going to work. Its all about you and how you look at food and how you exercise. There is no easy way out, but you will find if you find a routine that works for you and a diet, you will loose weight and look great!
Its about eating to live, not living to eat, which was my problem back in they day. I always looked forward to eating, and once I was done with lunch I was thinking about what sounded good for dinner.

Now that I eat only healthy food, I feel better, if i do treat myself to lets say french fries I actually get sick from it cause my body is so use to the healthy eating.

Its tough at first but you can do it! Another great motivater for me was watching that show The Biggest Loser, that show is amazing.
 
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twstychik

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Here's what I found at the following web site...
http://openpr.com/news/1822/Lose-Hol...ting-Them.html
This brand new system is not unhealthy or faddish, but in fact contains clinically proven methods that shock the metabolism into burning fat more efficiently, resulting in rapid weight loss. Dieters are never hungry and are able to eat until they are satisfied. This means no unrealistic starvation methods or having to cut out entire food groups, such a as healthy fruits, vegetables and yummy pastas.

Research has shown that by rotating eating patterns, the metabolism is unable to adjust and instead of storing fat, it forces itself to burn it. The metabolism works much like a thermostat. It is always attempting to adjust itself so that it only burns the exact amount of calories that a person eats each day. This is what makes weight loss so difficult. The body's natural preservation mechanisms are built to resist large amounts of weight loss.

Fat loss occurs when individuals eat the right number of meals, shift the types of foods and the amount of calories eaten every few days.
and from the FL4I site
If you begin eating 2,500 calories per day then your metabolism will adjust itself so that your body begins burning 2,500 calories per day.

If you try to starve yourself by suddenly eating 1,000 calories per day then your metabolism will again ADJUST ITSELF so that your body begins to burn only 1,000 calories per day. That's why you have failed in your past dieting attempts, that's why you always seem to fail when you try and starve yourself.
If you continue to change the ammount and source of your calories your body doesn't know what to expect so it burns what you eat immidately then goes after stored energy like fat. It basically tricks the body's survival instinct. Just like your body retains water if you aren't drinking enough it will retain calories as fat if you are eating a low calorie diet.
 

icklemiss21

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Originally Posted by twstychik

and from the FL4I site
If you begin eating 2,500 calories per day then your metabolism will adjust itself so that your body begins burning 2,500 calories per day.

If you try to starve yourself by suddenly eating 1,000 calories per day then your metabolism will again ADJUST ITSELF so that your body begins to burn only 1,000 calories per day. That's why you have failed in your past dieting attempts, that's why you always seem to fail when you try and starve yourself.
If you continue to change the amount and source of your calories your body doesn't know what to expect so it burns what you eat immediately then goes after stored energy like fat. It basically tricks the body's survival instinct. Just like your body retains water if you aren't drinking enough it will retain calories as fat if you are eating a low calorie diet.
That can not be true, if it was then we would never put on weight ot lose weight. Also, eating less than 1100-1350 cals per day is very bad for you.
As far as the diet, it doesn't seem too 'faddish' and if you think it suits you, go for it, it seems to be about eating properly and healthily... but don't put too much emphasis on the losing 9lbs in less than 2 weeks or the changing metabolisms as there is a lot of info out there that contradicts it.

Pretty much any 'healthy eating' diet will work with will power, but to be honest, I find it really hard to stick to anything that comes with set meal plans myself.
 

purrpaws

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Don't forget to add cardiovascular, resistance training and stetching to the mix. Exercise will help you lose weight, too. Diet is important, but so is physical activity. (I'm a bit of a fitness freak)
 
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twstychik

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They recomend walking twice a day for 30 minutes. I prefer yoga myself so I'm gonna get back into my yoga routine and maybe do some eliptical on campus twice a week. And if I can talk my finace into it we'll walk on the weekends in the park if the weather is nice.

I just have a hard time motivating myself to exercise. I'm a full time student and I work full time so when I have a quiet minute the first thing I do is stretch out on the couch... seldom do I think "Hey, I have a break... I think I'll do aerobics!" LOL
 
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