What Do These Two Dieters Have In Common?

Dieter A:
B: 4 oz grilled turkey breast
S: 1 oz chicken and sugar free Jell-O
L: Sonic Grilled Chicken Salad – I ate the whole thing!
S: 1 oz chicken
D: Gorton’s Baked Fish Fillet, 1 cup broccoli
S: Sugar free Jell-O

Dieter B:
B: 2 Jimmie Dean Turkey Sausage, 1 boiled egg, Large cup of Black Coffee w/2 splenda packets
L: 2 ounces of Ground Chicken with lite Salsa ( Shellless taco's w/ no veggies)
Dr: 2 Ounce Chicken Breast and Boiled egg
S: 2 slices Turkey Bacon

Both of these dieters are following very low carbohydrate, low calorie diets. In fact, both dieters’ menus are under 750 calories. Both of these diets are internet based diet programs, available to “members” only for a one-time fee … one for $69.95, and the other for $79.95. In the case of both of these diets you are not “allowed” to view their diet guidelines before you pay your non-refundable (according to their Terms of Service statement ) membership fee.

Diet A: Diet guidelines say to try to keep calories between 800 and 1,200 calories per day.

Diet B: Diet website recommends a minimum of 800 calories.

Dieter B weighs 287 pounds. At that weight, her basic metabolic rate is around 1700 calories. Multiple medical sources recommend that your calories never drop below 1,200 for a female and 1,800 for a male, and even those numbers are considered low. As you can clearly see, either one of these diets is dangerously deficient, particularly for someone who is carrying around additional weight – which likely anyone initially participating in either one of these diet programs would be.

Are these just a couple of renegade dieters? I think not, but let’s see ---

Dieter A is ficticious – this daily menu is directly from the suggested menu offered by the developer of the diet. Hmm. Now, isn’t that a somethin’?

Dieter B – you be the judge. Below are several examples of daily menus of real dieters from that diet’s website. Interestingly enough, even though the developer of Diet B is currently in litigation and under investigation for fraudulent advertising and promoting a dangerous diet, she hasn’t stepped in to suggest these dieters should increase their caloric intake.

Anyway, let’s see – and please note, no two of these menus are posted by the same dieter and are from various threads.

Dieter C:
B-2 slices of turkey bacon
L- small bowl of boiled shrimp cooked in garlic
D-3oz Steak tip

Dieter D:
B-shake coffee
L-shake water
Do- turkey

Dieter E:
B: 2 pickled eggs, hot tea with one Sweet N Low
L: 2 ounces of chicken in FF mushroom gravy with extra mushrooms, salad with low cal dressing, and water
S: One piece of sugar free gum; a couple nuts (meaning only 3 or 4)
D: Roast beef from Arby's (on the road - ordered a sandwich and only ate the meat)

Dieter F:
B: 1 deviled egg
L: 1 shake
D: 4 oz of tilapia with lemon and herb and 1 half of a deviled egg.

Dieter G:
B coffee 2 hard boiled eggs
L chicken and a salad
D 2 hamburgers no bun nothing on them

Dieter H:
2 cups broth w/one egg in it
1 chicken breast.
1 diet coke w/splenda and water.

The other thing ALL of these dieters have in common is that they all feel desperate enough about their weight situation that they are willing to set aside all medical and scientific evidence to the contrary and believe these woman that these diets are safe. They are willing to disregard the clear, undisputable fact that neither of these woman have any medical or scientific training, have no expertise in the field of nutrition, have no experience beyond their own weight loss journeys – and one of them can’t even claim that!

These diets are unhealthy at best, and may well be considered dangerous if followed for any length of time. Promotion of these diets should be considered criminal.

Dieters, my heart breaks for you. I only wish I knew the words that could help you see how much you are risking by following these plans.