Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review
What is it?
Fat Loss 4 Idiots took the diet industry by storm when it arrived in 2005 with its bright colours, bouncy attitude and slick Internet marketing push. Though initially derided as a fad, this hard-to-describe weight-loss program, described in a 45-page ebook, has proved to have staying power. In fact, Fat Loss 4 Idiots is currently a top-selling diet plan in the burgeoning online retail space, recognized for providing users with a simple, effective path for shedding unwanted and unhealthy pounds.
One of the more unusual aspects of Fat Loss 4 Idiots is that it doesn’t rely on calorie counting or portion restriction. Followers of the plan are encouraged to eat until they feel satiated, stopping before they feel stuffed. The program further distinguishes itself by being neither low-carb nor, necessarily, low-fat. Each day’s meal plan is unlike the next, with differing requirements of carb and protein intake.
How it works
Fat Loss for Idiots is based on the theory that our bodies have a kind of calorie recall and expect our more recent eating habits to continue into the future. The idea is that after several days of taking in a set number of calories, our metabolisms automatically make adjustments. If our food intake during this period is greater than it was previously, our metabolisms begin to run faster to burn off the additional calories. Similarly, if our food intake decreases, our metabolisms slow down to compensate.
This is bad news for people who go on traditional starvation diets – and it explains why simple calorie cutting often results in failed diet outcomes. When food intake is cut back, the body responds by slowing its metabolism. Thus, less fat gets burned and the dieter becomes frustrated and gives up.
To get around the body’s auto-adjustment mechanism, Fat Loss 4 Idiots provides a two-week meal schedule with constantly shifting food combinations and calories counts. The goal is to trick the metabolism into thinking the person full. This causes the metabolism to run faster in order to burn off fat.
The diet’s high protein content will also promote weight loss. This is because the body must burn more calories to process proteins than other food types.
Dieters are encouraged to eat four meals a day, separating each meal by at least two and a half hours. By eating meals more frequently and spreading them out appropriately, we are less likely to stuff ourselves at a single sitting. The result is we are more likely to burn off all the calories from our last meal before beginning our next – leaving no excess calories to be stored as fat. In fact, once the calories from the last meal are used up, the body turns to stored fat for the energy it requires until the next meal.
Meals
For 11 days of each 14-day meal cycle, dieters use an online tool to generate their meal plans. For example, a daily plan might call for three carb-only meals and one carb/protein meal. To prepare their meals, dieters can choose from a wide variety of carb and protein foods, mainly fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. Whole foods like eggs and cottage cheese supply the necessary fat. Foods to avoid include pizza, chips and regular sodas.
After each 11-day stretch, the plan provides three “cheat” days. Dieters can eat anything they want on these days. It’s one of the program’s endearing features and also helps break the monotony of the diet-day menus.
The good
Fat Loss 4 Idiots is, as the name suggests, a diet just about anybody can follow. The rules are clear and simple, and the entire concept can be grasped in about 20 minutes. Most weight-loss programs turn dieters into obsessive calorie counters. It’s refreshing to see a program that doesn’t require adherents to keep track of every bite they take. The requirement of eating four meals a day promotes a high metabolism rate, which contributes to weight loss. As for the menu, it’s a healthy balance of lean proteins and good fats, along with a good mix of carbs.
The bad
People with diets high in processed carbs and/or fatty foods will doubtless achieve quick initial weigh loss from adopting the Fat Loss 4 Idiots regime. In the early going, it is quite possible that they will shed nine pounds every 11 days (as the program’s advertising suggests). But some of this early weight reduction will be related to water loss. It would be challenging to maintain this pace of weight loss over time, although with the right commitment it is obviously achievable.
Bottom line
Fat Loss 4 Idiots is a structured eating plan that can put you on the road to better health. Part of succeeding in any diet is to learn to make good eating choices that last a lifetime. As the pounds are falling off during any structured dieting process, dieters must be thinking ahead to the food choices they will make after the diet ends. A healthy diet should emphasize lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole carbs and healthy fats. That’s the secret to maintaining a weight that’s right for you. Fat Loss 4 Idiot will kick start this process, but it’s up to you to permanently manage your weight.