Anatomy of a fad diet

Could the South Pole diet work for Jared Leto, too?

As a veteran of virtually every diet under the sun - from the Atkins Plan to the Mars Bar Diet to the Cabbage Soup diet - I sometimes feel like I could write and profit from my own specially devised diet plan.

Editor of Healthy Food Guide Magazine Niki Bezzant has done just that with a scientific sounding diet which restricts foods over a certain temperature... inspired by the Raw Food Diet, perhaps? 

Dukan Diet: How does it work?

With Slimming World, we have our Extra Easy, Green and Red days. While I’m sticking with Extra Easy for as long as it works for me, I have a feeling that I’ll need to include some green and red days at some point. Red days would be similar to my Atkins past... but with all of that fat and my high cholesterol, I’m not too sure whether I want to go back to this. So, the question is – what are the benefits of the Dukan diet and will it help my health... or hinder it?

Celebs linked to the Dukan diet

Are there any who aren’t? The Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton), Jennifer Lopez (J. Lo), supermodel Gisele Bundchen and opera singer Katherine Jenkins are all said to have shed the pounds following the Dukan method.

What’s Dukan all about?

Well, it’s apparently not a diet. It’s a lifestyle (read: diet). Essentially, its devotees don’t have to count calories through the regime’s four phases.

The Attack Phase 1 lasts between 2 and 7 days and these are perhaps the toughest. It’s no carb and non-fat, so you’re eating is limited (to say the least). So, what can you eat during Attack Phase? You may only eat lean meats, fish, eggs and non-fat dairy products (are there any??). Water plays a really important role in this stage and participants are told to eat a tablespoon of oat bran to keep hunger (and constipation!) at bay.

During the Cruise Phase 2 you can introduce unlimited vegetables (albeit a limited list of them) every other day. Dukan outline what you can eat during the Cruise Phase on their website, but the list of 28 new foods includes avocados, lentils, potatoes, etc. This phase continues until you reach your goal weight.

After this you are in the Consolidation Phase 3. Dukan allow you to eat much more. You can slowly re-introduce some of the high carb foods (e.g. breads and pastas), butter and oils. Alcohol is allowed every now and again. You’re expected to stay in this phase for 5 days for every pound of weight you lost in the attack and cruise stages. So – if you lost 100lbs (as I need to – and then some) – you’d need to remain in consolidation for roughly 18 months!

The final stage is neverending... the Stabilisation phase. You’re allowed to eat anything you want... for 6 days a week. On the 7th day you’re expected to go back to protein only. It is this protein day which is credited with staving off any future weight gains.

Pros and Cons of Dukan

It has to be that rapid weight loss. While that’s significant, it’s also a real con! Ask any doctor what they recommend and they’ll say your weight loss should be no more than 2lbs per week for a sustainable loss. Rapid losses often result in rapid gains or – worst still – bags of loose skin. Tightening up loose skin after weight loss is nigh on impossible without a surgical procedure. While there are steps you can take to tighten up loose skin naturally, it’s better to prevent it from happening at the beginning.

The protein-only nature of the Dukan diet can lead to constipation and bad breath... Talk about how to lose friends and alienate people. Stinky breath and bloated flatulence is never a good look!

There’s a real lack of vegetables and nutrients. While this wouldn’t be such a problem in those achieving short-term weight losses, I reckon it would take me at least 12 months to complete the Attack and Cruise phases.

Conclusion?
 
For now I'm going to stick to Extra Easy where the diet is easy going, my outlook's positive and my diet is varied. As someone who suffered kidney infections as a result of Atkins, I'm not 100% certain that I want (or need) to go back to a diet like Dukan.

Become an Atkins Superstar!

Successful Atkins dieters with compelling weight loss stories are being sought by the nutrition company as they search for a new face to front an ad campaign.

The Denver-based company is accepting submissions for the contest, which also includes a $5,000 shopping spree as one of the prizes. The contest is being promoted via a dedicated website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

This is Atkins' first contest and the first time an ordinary person has been featured in an ad, according to Atkins Nutritionals Brand Manager Lisa Wells. She told Marketing Daily: "We are consistently coming across inspiring Atkins weight loss success stories, and want to positively acknowledge those who have transformed their lives by losing weight on the Atkins diet." 
But hurry!! You can only submit your Atkins diet success stories during round one (now through June 30) or during round two, which runs Sept. 1-30. One winner from each round will receive a $5,000 shopping spree at the retailer of their choice and will be entered to win the grand prize.

The grand prize includes round-trip airfare for the winner and guest to Los Angeles, two nights lodging at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel, professional makeup and hair for a photo shoot on set with Atkins spokesperson actress Courtney Thorne-Smith and a low-carb dinner for two at Spago Beverly Hills.

The entry process includes submitting a before and after photo and writing a weight loss success story in 300 words or less. Contestants are asked to share their Atkins journey, how they achieved their weight loss goals, what they enjoy about Atkins and what motivates them.

The round one winner will be contacted by July 15 and the round two and grand prize winner will be announced by Oct. 15.

Atkins is a leading player in the $2.4 billion weight control nutrition category. The Atkins Diet focuses a healthy diet with reduced levels of refined carbohydrates and added sugars and encourages the consumption of protein, fiber, fruits, vegetables and good fats. Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. manufactures and sells a variety of nutrition bars, foods and shakes designed around the nutritional principles of the Atkins Diet. The products are available in more than 30,000 locations throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Atkins vs. Low Fat

Researchers at Temple University have pitted the at-times contraversial Atkins Diet against a standard low-fat diet. And the winner? Each generates the same level of weight loss. While Atkins was praised for its ability to raise HDL cholesterol, researchers pointed out that this benefit came with a number of nasty side effects (e.g. meat breath).

To me, it seem that whatever way you look at it, the dieter wins. Studies like this illustrate the point that restricting your diet in any way will see results on the scale. The challenge, of course, is sticking to it. 

In my world of diet, the weight is slowly coming off. I've been successfully avoiding sugary snacks, crisps and generally anything which would have made me go 'mmmm'. I weigh in tomorrow, so I'll post my numbers then.