(Click the photo for the Top 10 Fad Diet Flops!)
Fat behinds ruin the lines of Calvin Klein, and Dior doesn't come in plus sizes. It's time for a diet! But which one? A new one pops up every day. We help you sort them out with Fad Diet du Jour.
The catchy name: Fat Smash Diet
The story : In his book by the same name, Celebrity Fit Club doctor Ian K. Smith lays out his approach to diet and exercise, which involves "rewiring" your brain and "smashing" bad habits.
The
The anti-diet propaganda: "Not a diet, a lifestyle approach"
The regime: Four "phases" over the course of 90 days. You eat four to five small meals a day, exercise regularly and don't have to count calories, although some foods are "forbidden" during the earlier phases.
- Phase One is a nine day "detox" with lots of water, low fat, a limited range of food eaten raw, grilled or steamed.
- Phase Two is "foundation" and adds back in foods like avocados, coffee and lean meats.
- Phase Three, "construction," sees slightly larger portions and the return of bread and pasta, plus dessert!
- Phase Four aka "the temple" gives you back on beer, wine and pizza, but in theory you'll be able to manage them through portion and craving control learned over the past three phases, plus exercise.
Our judgment: Sure, this can help people develop a healthier approach to food, and eating several times a day does help with cravings, if you can watch your portions. They do get points for incorporating exercise into the program, which helps you see results faster, and makes you more likely to stick with it.
But since overweight people are notoriously bad at portion control (that's how we got here folks, right?) and there isn't any calorie counting or measurement built into the program, we believe this system is fatally flawed for long-term success.