"The Fast Diet"

[GracieLouFreebush1]

I'm watching GMA.  Apparently you can eat whatever you want 5 days per week and then restrict yourself to 500 cals (women) or 600 cals (men) the other two days per week to lose weight.

Their interview w/ the guy who wrote the book seems to be pushing
healthy (fiber, protein, water x 1000) but you know this will appeal to
the people who eat like crap 24/7 so their 500 cal days will be a pack
of cookies.  Le sigh.

gma.yahoo.com/video/gma-bestselling-book-spurs-diet-080000325.html

I'm calling BS but thought it would be interesting to get H&F's take.

[IIOY]

I've seen variations on this before. Basically it's an effort to appeal to people who don't feel as though they can control their eating all the time, so this diet sets up a "reward" for good behavior. IMO, the "reward" time periods only reinforce the bad habits that got people into trouble to begin with, so I'm not a fan.

However, I've been around the block enough times to know that people need to do what works for them. If this happens to be it, more power to them.

[pamela]

Yeah, that sounds like how most people in America "diet". Doesn't seem too successful for them. Or healthy.

Let's see, my eating whatever I wanted was about 2800 cal/day. So 2800*5+500+500=15000 calories in per week. My TDEE is 1950-ish. That's 13650. So a weekly deficit of 1350. So there is the slight possibility that I could lose 1/3 pound per week. More likely though, those two fasting days are going to break me and I'm going to eat more on my eat whatever days and lose that entire deficit. And mess up my metabolism. And in general still eat non-nutritious crap.

[juliahenry]

"Whatever you want?" Really?

Because I could put away 4000 calories a day if I ate anything and everything. And there's no way 2 days of 500 calories could fix that.

It's BS and unhealthy and not going to work for a while bunch of reasons.

Now two "whatever you want" days and five restricted days might work, maybe. If the restrictions weren't insane. But I just don't see it.

[Wines Not Whines]

I would be starving on those 500 calorie days. Like I would want to rip someone's eyes out. I don't understand how this diet is appealing, even if it works.

[secretlyevil]

Fad diets are definitely a contribution to our obese society. Everyone's looking for a quick fix, including me, and instead of being told what really works aka: put down the damn cookie. We're bombarded with pills and gimmicks.

[sparksfly]

I first heard about this "diet" the other day on The Chew and the way Daphne Oz explained it was, you don't binge on those other days. Just eat like you normally would. And then restict your on two non consecutive days.

[Deleted]

I would starve those 2 days. I really don't see how this diet would be healthy.

[shorewife]

Its just intermittent fasting, which can work. I think it all depends on your personality type and relationship with food though. This is something that could work well for some but definitely not all.

[katinthehat]

I think IF can work and for some people, it's a good fit. But I think pamela hit the nail on the head with that most people, at least that first day back from the fasting days would more than overindulge and offset any loss from the restricted days.

[LWoods]

My Dad is very gungho about this diet. I keep reminding him that it doesn't mean 3000000 calories per day on the non-starvation days.