After an appearance on Oprah, the YOU diet has topped the diet book lists. Perhaps it’s the lighthearted nature of YOU Diet’s creators, Dr. Michael F. Roizen and Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, who use comic metaphors to explain complex behaviors in the human body. Or maybe it’s their philosophy that you need to understand the “why” in order to do the “how” and have a successful weight loss. This means understanding the basic (and slightly more advanced) functions of your body, and how emotions, behavior, eating, and activities play a role in them. They argue that this knowledge is the real weapon against fat, not willpower or shutting down the refrigerator to avoid midnight snacking. YOU Diet’s motto is to work smart, not hard.
What Makes YOU: Diet Different?
In addition to offering basic exercise and healthy eating guidance, the YOU Diet explains essential science jargon in a simple, humorous way that allows you to truly understand the importance of healthy eating and daily exercise. This plan, unlike many diets out there, believes in making small changes to eventually reach your weight loss goal. One of the ways that the diet portion of the plan differs from others is that it argues that eating the same healthy foods every day will reduce your options and allow you to lose weight.
What are YOU: on a diet?
The YOU Diet believes you need to stop trying and start living. You need to reprogram your body so that your food choices and your overall lifestyle become enjoyable and energizing routines, not stressful loads. A fourteen-day eating plan (seven days repeated twice) will allow you to eat smart and not work so hard at it. Once you have mastered the two-week plan, you will have developed eating and behavior patterns that will help you lose weight in the long run.
Although the eating plan is based on a 1,700 calorie diet, the YOU Diet shows you how to calculate your calorie needs and see if you personally need to add or subtract calories. The YOU plan emphasizes that you must eat to lose weight. Starving yourself will only slow down your metabolism and cause your body to retain the excess body fat it is trying to lose. This is what a typical day looks like on the YOU diet:
Breakfast: 1 slice of whole wheat bread with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter or apple butter.
Morning Snack: Cut up the carrots and celery.
Lunch: Veggie burger on whole wheat bread with 1 tablespoon of fructose-free olive oil-based marinara sauce, a sliced tomato, romaine lettuce, and onion slices.
Snack: 1/2 ounce of raw almonds and a banana.
Dinner: Asian salmon with brown rice.
Dessert (alternate days only): 1 ounce dark chocolate with orange slices.
Drink: coffee or tea.
The meal plan is accompanied by recipes and shopping lists to make your life easier. None of the breakfasts, lunches, or snacks in the meal plan take more than ten minutes to prepare, while dinners take no more than thirty minutes to prepare. The plan states that it is also imperative to always be prepared for hunger and surround yourself with healthy snacks that you can take without thinking. Therefore, several preparation techniques are suggested, including pre-cutting and bagging vegetables like baby carrots and grapes, making a batch of a hearty soup (recipes are given), and storing serving-size cups in the refrigerator, and always having “emergency food”. like a handful of peanuts, tree nuts, and edamame (small soybeans) on hand.
Some rules for living on this plan include the following:
Eat three main meals plus snacks a day, so you’re never hungry.
Do not eat within three hours of bedtime.
Dessert is an everyday delight.
Use a 9-inch plate to help control portions.
Don’t count the calories! Use a hunger scale to make sure you are satiated after a meal and not overloaded or underfed.
The first day of the plan involves cleaning your refrigerator and shopping for groceries so that only healthy options are available.
Have a support system, including friends and family.
Know that it’s okay to make mistakes, as long as you quickly recognize them and get back to the program.
Other helpful tips are given for eating out and choosing the right food labels. Online support is also available in the form of email tips from the creators of the diet, an online community, and downloadable exercise videos. Beyond food, the diet claims that a perfect eating environment is essential for healthy eating. Bright lights, a warm room temperature, and conversation (rather the sound of music or television) ensure that you feel comfortable and relaxed while eating.
What are the weight loss expectations?
If you follow the YOU diet, you can expect to lose up to two inches from your waist in two weeks. It is recommended not to use the scale or an exact number as an ultimate weight loss goal. Instead, you should use a weight loss range to account for daily weight fluctuations. You should monitor your weight, or better yet, your waist size, on a weekly basis.
Is exercise promoted?
Yes, the YOU activity plan is an essential part of this weight loss plan. It consists of strength training, stretching for flexibility, and cardiovascular exercise. Every day you need to walk thirty minutes. It does not matter that! You can do it for thirty minutes in a row or divided into up to three shorter sessions. Once your body is warm, you should stretch for five minutes (stretches are detailed in the book or online).
Three times a week you need to do the “Twenty Minute Workout YOU”. The exercises target the core muscles, including the thighs, chest, back, and abs. These exercises should be done as directed, which generally involves strengthening a muscle and then stretching it. This routine is set up for beginners, but more advanced dieters can adjust the simple exercises to match their skill level.
Are supplements recommended?
Several supplements are recommended, including a daily multivitamin. Other recommendations include having 2 grams of distilled fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon a day, and 10 tablespoons of cooked tomato sauce a week. Supplements are also suggested for various health conditions, but as with all supplements, it is recommended to consult your doctor first.