Hi D.,
Yes, I've tried the "fat loss for idiots" program, and it DID work for me. I wouldn't consider it a "fad diet" because the foods you are choosing to eat from a list are healthy and simply prepared (i.e., cooked (not fried) shrimp, chicken breast, unbreaded fish, only fresh veggies and only fresh fruit (no canned or juice) among many other choices. The program offers TWO different programs (for the one price) -- one for losing 10 lbs. in 11 days, and one that takes off 1-2 pounds a week and is less restrictive.
The 11 day diet provides a list of simple foods and you choose up to 30 of these foods THAT YOU LIKE. There is one fruit day, and one veggie day -- those are not especially easy because they can get old by the third meal of the day, but seeing the scale drop a pound each day made it worth it. I did find that if I checked off lunchmeat on my initial list, that when the program ran my diet, I could have a lean turkey or roast beef sandwich on oatbran bread (no cheese)and all of the lettuce, tomato and onion I wanted on it for one of my meals on fruit day.
Veggie day was difficult, but you are able to have either 1 ounce of shredded cheese or 3 Tbsp. of dressing at each "meal." Some meals I just ate the veggies I liked with dressing to dip, or I ate a cheese stick (didn't matter what kind) along with some cut up veggies. Since condiments are OK, my husband and I made up a meatless stir-fry for dinner with low-sodium soy sauce, ginger and garlic to add flavor. It helped to have that warm meal at the end of the day.
The program is made up to shake up your metabolism by combining different foods for each meal. I, too, am a fussy eater but at meals that seemed odd to eat together, I would eat just one or two of the items until I was satisfied, and not the other(s). For example, peanuts and milk. I would usually only have one or the other, depending on which meal of the day it was. If I was out running errands, I would keep a baggie of dry roasted peanuts with me and have them with a diet soda or flavored water. They kept me satisfied until my next meal (at least 2 1/2 hrs. between meals and no snacking in between).
Getting that ten pounds off so quickly is definitely a motivator and I needed to see results to keep my focus. If you have more than 10 to lose, you eat WHATEVER YOU WANT for 3 days following the initial 11. You follow the same rules -- only eat until you're satisfied; only eat 4 meals total per day; separate them by 2 1/2 hrs. each. You then re-run your diet for another 11 days -- REGENERATE the diet through the program they provide you -- even if you intend to only eat the same foods you did for the first 11. The program recombines your choices, and that helps shake up your metabolism as well.
Sorry to go on at length...I found this diet to be very helpful in getting immediate results IN MY BELLY AREA (where I always carry the bulk of my weight). The second option for losing weight more slowly is much less restrictive in terms of what you can eat, and provides a simple formula for shifting your foods around each day to get to your goal weight. Gratefully, the diet doesn't focus on low-fat foods. If anything, the tips explain why people don't tend to lose as much weight with low-fat foods. It is full of logical, plain-english explanations about dieting myths and gives solid advice.
It also guides you through many great tips about maintaining your weight loss once you've achieved it. Are they all easy -- NO! But they are healthy and make sense (like cutting back your pasta and bread intake). There are no food purchases through the company sponsoring the program and no additional costs -- I paid $14.95 up front and my husband and I both feel it was well worth the investment. You can run your diets separately for an unlimited number of times and if you have a friend who wants to do it with you, it would cut the cost in half.
The other part I like about it is that the program doesn't keep looking for more $$ to keep you hooked. I haven't had so much as one email from the company since I downloaded their program. You get both options for the total $14.95 price, and you can use them as often as you'd like.
FYI, I'm nearly 49 years old, and had my children late in life (37 and 40). I kept my weight down until after my second pregnancy and did less and less for myself, eventually resulting in a 25 lb. weight gain. I'm in peri-menopause and losing weight is even more difficult, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to keep my weight off, lose more and best of all, provide a healthy example for my girls -- that starving yourself isn't the way to a healthy body.
I wish you success!!
