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Six-Day Diet
Healthy weight loss should be 1 to 2 pounds per week, which can be achieved by cutting calories from your diet and getting more exercise. The Six-Day Diet was created by Michael Thurmond, a personal trainer on the television show "Extreme Makeover." It is a fairly restricted diet in terms of calorie intake but could give you successful results 1. Always talk with your doctor before beginning a diet program.
How It Works
To get started on the Six-Day Diet, you fill out a questionnaire that helps you determine how your metabolism works. Then you create a makeover plan, which helps you choose foods that will aid in your weight loss goals and target any problem body areas you struggle with to keep slim. The diet claims that you can lose 10 pounds and drop a dress or pants size in just six days. This is done by restricting calorie intake to 1,200 per day. This promise is beyond the healthy weight loss recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, but it could be a good choice if you need to lose more than just a few pounds 2.
- To get started on the Six-Day Diet, you fill out a questionnaire that helps you determine how your metabolism works.
- This promise is beyond the healthy weight loss recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, but it could be a good choice if you need to lose more than just a few pounds 2.
What You Eat
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The meal plans and recipes Thurmond provides for the diet don't contain much variation, which could result in boredom. However, since the diet is only supposed to last for six days, you may find that this is not a problem for you. You will eat six small meals per day, each of which should include protein. Your meal plans will depend on the results of your questionnaire. Dieters are also encouraged to drink 12 glasses of water every day.
- The meal plans and recipes Thurmond provides for the diet don't contain much variation, which could result in boredom.
Exercise
A good diet will advocate exercise as part of healthy weight loss. The Six-Day Diet plan recommends getting 60 minutes of slow-paced exercise five days per week. The reason you could lose up to 10 pounds by following this program is likely because you are getting plenty of physical activity and cutting way back on calories. Talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
- A good diet will advocate exercise as part of healthy weight loss.
- The reason you could lose up to 10 pounds by following this program is likely because you are getting plenty of physical activity and cutting way back on calories.
Possible Problems
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One of the problems with a diet that restricts calories the way the Six-Day Diet does is that you are likely to lose mostly water weight, which will pile back on once you are done with the diet. Restrictive diets are also difficult to stick with, making it harder to reach your goal. Gradual weight loss is more conducive to maintaining a healthy weight once you have lost the unwanted pounds.
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References
- EveryDiet.org: Michael Thurmond: Six Day Body Makeover
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Losing Weight
- Best Way to Lose Weight, Guide to Behavior Change. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/behavior.htm.
- Johnston, B.C. (2014b) ‘Weight loss among named diet programs’, JAMA, 312(9), pp. 923–933. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.10397.
- Malik VS, Schulze MB, Hu FB. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: A systematic review.The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2006;84(2):274–288. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/2/274.long.
- Office of Dietary Supplements - Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss: Fact Sheet for Professionals. National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WeightLoss-HealthProfessional/.
- Weight control. Medline Plus. https://medlineplus.gov/weightcontrol.html.
Writer Bio
Eliza Martinez has written for print and online publications. She covers a variety of topics, including parenting, nutrition, mental health, gardening, food and crafts. Martinez holds a master's degree in psychology.