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I was flipping through the channels today in one of my rare TV watching sessions and I saw Rachel Ray talking about a new diet thats coming out on the market. Now like most diets that are out there, I have my doubts especially when its called the 400 calorie fix. I mean come on guys, 400 calories? That’s a little extreme.
I definitely wanted to hear more about what this miracle cure will do for those wanting to shed the upcoming holiday weight. So I watched the 15 minute clip and did some investigating. Here is what the 400 calorie diet is about as far as I can find.
The book is written by Liz Vaccariello who is already a best selling author for Flat Belly Diet! . The 400 Calorie Fix is all about your portion sizes and calorie control of your meals. Pretty much, this is exactly what needs to be done to lose weight. So far so good. The main premise is that you can eat anything, anywhere…as long as you eat 4 meals every day consisting of 380-400 calories. At this point, I start to get more skeptical. It started so good.
When I say, the book says you can eat anything…I mean anything. It even mentions a McDonald’s ice cream cone as a decent meal. Yes, the ice cream has a good amount of protein and will give you the 400 calories you are looking for, I would have to say there are better choices out there. One thing I don’t see mentioned in any reviews or articles about the book is the fact that her suggestions d0n’t account for the increased amount of sodium, sugar, and bad fats that you would be getting by eating anything you want under 400 calories.
This diet also doesn’t think about everyone’s requirements are different. Its not safe for some people to eat only 1200-1600 calories a day. I would look like a frail old man if I only ate that many calories. Diets need to be based on age, acitivity level, height, etc. Eating only 1600 calories may not be enough to fuel some people, while for others it may be low enough that even a daily walk would be sufficient exercise to still lose weight.
I did like a few things about the book that I’ve found though. It teaches you simple things that you can do to improve your eating habits. Just small things like catching hidden ingredients that will make your calories too high. They talk about taking bread out of your diet, which is ok as long as you are careful. I don’t suggest cutting carbs but cutting breads is ok. I liked that they help you determine portion sizes by just eye balling it…ever since I learned how to do that, it has helped tremendously.
Now don’t get me wrong, eating 400 calorie/meals a day is going to have a huge effect on your weight. The first 5-10 pounds will fly off mostly because its water weight. After that, more than likely, you are going to see your muscle dwindle along with your body going into starvation mode. While in starvation mode, your body will store more long term fuel. And what do we use as long term fuel? That’s right, fat. So yes, I believe you can lose some major weight from this diet, but is it going ot be healthy…doubt it!
The book hasn’t been released yet so I haven’t actually gotten a chance to read it. My warnings may be too soon and the title could just be an eye catcher, but I’ve already pre-ordered the book and will give a final review once I receive in a couple weeks. The book is available January 4, 2010. It includes a 2-week slim plan, over 400 recipes with a nutrition-rating system, and special menus for low-carb, low-sodium, and high-fibre diets.
Don’t fall into the fad diet march. If you want to really lose the weight before or after the holidays, do it the right way.
