[Misora]

Has anybody else heard of this diet? My parents both came home from their doctor about a month ago with a diet plan that consisted of 'off days' where they're allowed to have up to 1100 calories for my 5'0 mother and 1300 calories for my 6'3 dad and then at least 2 preferably 3 spinach fast days. On those days they're allowed to each have as much steamed or fresh spinach, low sodium chicken broth and sugar free jello as they're want to eat but nothing else (besides water). My dad says he's thrilled because he's lost 20lbs in a month but I can't believe this is substainable weight loss. Besides the fact I've already caught my mother putting salad dressing on her greens (a big no no) on the days she actually sticks to plan she just lays on the couch and sleeps all day. I'm just wondering if anybody else has even heard of this or has any data on it or if it's something their doctor just made up on his own.

[Cebsme]

I have never heard of it, but I simply can't see it as sustainable, because they need to learn how to eat for the rest of their lives, and that would be hard to keep up.

So many times people come up with these "diets" thats simply restrict calories by cutting down on what a person is eating by restricted them to certain items.

[nelie]

An actual doctor gave them this diet? Sounds like a scammy weight loss doc plan to me.

[Qualera]

I agree. What you do for weight loss you need to be able to keep up. I like spinach, but there is no way I'd want to eat nothing but spinach for days at a time. It doesn't seem at all a reasonable thing to do. And while spinach is a nutritional powerhouse, it doesn't meet all your nutritional needs. This seems both unhealthy and unsustainable.

[Misora]

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I wonder if I can get either of them to a nutritionist. This is their general practitioner who was my GP growing up right until I told him were he could shove it after he put me on an 1100 calorie diet with 0(!) fats or sugars and proscribed me blood sugar medication without testing my blood levels then told me to come back next year. Thank god one of my coworker's at work when I collapsed was a nursing student. I don't tend to trust him very much...

[chickybird]

Maybe you can ask them to get a 2nd opinion? Or show them this website?
Good luck!

[2muchbackend]

Hello kidney stones. Spinach in large amounts might cause kidney stones and those hurt like a B you know what.
Sounds like a crazy diet of course you'll lose weight in the short term but at what health costs.

[foxtale]

I made an email connection yesterday that was work related with a gal in another part of the country. In the course of our online business, we got on the subject of the challenges of travel to cool places where the food is as good as the scenery. She told me a doctor friend had urged her to try this cleansing, metabolic reset (not her words exactly) where for one day a week you eat nothing but chicken broth and spinach in whatever form or amount. After one month you can anticipate a 12 - 15 # weight loss. She has been so happy with the results because not only was she not hungry, she has lost 18# and is now up to 2 - 3 days a week of this regimen.
Although I eat healthy - salads, whole grains, yogurt, fruit - and work out at the gym 3 days a week, I think I am in a rut and have found that a shakeup in my diet and exercise pattern every now in then wakes up my metabolism. I'm thinking this wouldn't be a bad thing to try...in moderation, of course.
Hey! How bad could it be? I think I'll ask my own doctor when I see him next week for an appointment.