DIET DECODER
3-2-1 diet is a keeper
October 3, 2009
Megan Ogilvie
HEALTH REPORTER
DIET: Prevention's 3-2-1 Weight Loss Plan (Rodale; $20.95)
CREATOR: Joy Bauer
CREDENTIALS: She is a registered dietitian and holds a Masters of Science in nutrition from New York University. She also heads Joy Bauer Nutrition, one of the largest nutrition centres in the U.S.
CLAIM: It's a big one: Lose up to six pounds in one week! And up to two pounds each following week until you reach your desired weight. Bauer claims anyone and everyone can reach a healthy weight – they just have to follow the right plan. The 3-2-1 program will meet most standards, she says; it's a simple, realistic plan she guarantees will work, based on easy-to-prepare foods for eating in or dining out and a daily treat. "You will love every taste of it. I am confident that 3-2-1 is the last weight loss plan you will ever need."
PROGRAM: 3-2-1 doesn't just mean lift off to weight loss, it's the foundation for this three-pronged plan. In the meal plan, there are three balanced meals, two healthy snacks and one treat every day. The exercise program revolves around circuits of three minutes of cardio, two minutes of strength training and one minute of abdominal exercises. And there are also positive mental images you do three times a day, twice a day or once a week.
SIDE NOTES: Dieters are encouraged to monitor their progress throughout the plan. Since numbers are bound to go up and down on the scale, Bauer suggests the clothing test – cinching your belt one notch tighter or shopping for a new, smaller outfit – as one of the most motivating ways to see the inches disappear. On the day you start 3-2-1, Bauer tells dieters to reach into the back of their closet for their favourite, too-tight pair of jeans. Try them on once a week as you lose weight. Celebrate when they fit perfectly and then celebrate again when they are too baggy and you have to buy a new pair.
ALLOWED: The strict plan is meant to be followed to a T. Fruits, veggies and lean protein play the lead roles, with low-fat dairy and some complex carbs taking the chorus.
PROHIBITED: As expected, sweets and most starches are prohibited in the first phase. Red meat can hit your plate once a week, but almost everything else that's bad for you is off limits.
EXPERT OPINION: Good author credentials and solid research are the core of this diet plan, says Toronto registered dietitian Stephanie De Maio. "It's extremely logical. No food is out and off limits, as long as it's in a proper portion," she says. "And the 3-2-1 approach for the eating plan, the exercise plan and the motivation plan makes a lot of sense."
Bauer sets dieters up for success De Maio says, and she likes that the plan is as "customizable as you're going to get for a diet book."
Encouraging dieters to have one 150-calorie treat a day is smart, since that small daily indulgence should – theoretically – eliminate cravings or feelings of deprivation.
"Studies have shown people who put certain foods off limits will immediately start craving a lot of those meals," she says. And the extensive lists of possible daily treats, whether sweet or salty or chocolatey, give dieters a lot of flexibility and a sense of control.
The motivation section is also a nice addition to a diet book, an acknowledgement that there is often an emotional component to overeating, De Maio says. "Weight loss is 50 per cent attitude. You need to have mindset that you are going to succeed."
The only downside is that Bauer promises a six-pound weight loss in the first week. Dieters may succeed at losing that much weight, De Maio says, and it may be a good motivator for people to stick with the plan. "But studies have shown that slow, sustained weight loss of one to two pounds per week is more likely to succeed in the long run."
EXPERT VERDICT: "Give this book a buy."
OUR VERDICT: Super-smart and super-logical, this diet is as close to a weight-loss promise as you are likely going to get.
More on our diet page
mogilvie@thestar.ca
Toronto Star