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Originally Posted by Suzanne 3FC
Salley, thank you for the review! May I ask a couple of questions?
You said the program begins at 900-1200 calories. Are the calorie levels the same for everyone, or are they based on beginning weight? For example, someone beginning a diet at 350lb should consume considerably more calories than that, and decrease gradually as needed.
I noticed ajowens said she gets 1550 calories and she weighs 180lb. Do you increase after so many days? How long does Phase 1 last? Are there different programs to choose from?
The calories are the same for everyone, but they are not counting calories. There is a very specific menu that must be followed throughout the 9 week program.
The first phase (Reset) offers the least calories, mainly because no added fat (olive oil) is allowed, and the protein is more limited than later on. Those with the highest weight:height ratio are on the Reset for a longer time period, but no one stays on Reset past two weeks. You're supposed to lose between 5 and 10 pounds during this time, and then move to the second phase. Then a tablespoon of olive oil is added per day, along with an extra portion of protein. This is a streamlined version of the diet! They also differentiate between "slow" and "fast" fruits, related to their glycemic index. Only slow fruits are allowed during Reset.
There aren't different programs to choose from, but you get to pick your protein: turkey, lean beef, salmon, beans, or quinoa (for example).
The greater number of calories happens after the Reset, when the exercise begins, in order to fuel the extra activity. This comes in the form of adding "fast" fruits, olive oil, and little extra protein.
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Do you give up caffeine? If so, that could explain the headaches though they should pass within a week or two.
Caffeine is cut *way* back (only green tea during Reset; later 1 cup of coffee is allowed daily). And *all* processed foods are eliminated, along with any kind of sweetener (diet or full) except for stevia, and I bet there is some withdrawal there, too. I also expect people may be getting dehydrated. It's unfortunate there is no mention that withdrawal is likely to happen, and how to deal with it. I'm already eat similarly to the program, so wouldn't expect those problems, but I do occasionally eat cake!
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The hunger is worrisome, as a balanced diet filled with the right foods shouldn't leave you that hungry. A little hunger is fine, but there are a lot of foods that are high volume and low calorie that should help.
It is, and there is speculation that it's not "real" hunger. People are allowed to eat an unlimited amount of raw carrots, green pepper, and celery.
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I wonder how long the program was tested before it went to market.
According to one person on the site (Joy Morris), she was one of the original beta testers for the program, and started the program in the very beginning, only six months ago. She was/is a professional physical trainer, and lost 10 pounds in six months, "but would like to lose more". She said she was one of the people offering a testimonial on The Doctors. She obvious couldn't have had much to lose in the first place. This didn't instill much confidence in me as to any history or track record with "real" people.
It's rumored on the site, that the wife of the producer (and relative of Dr. Phil) for both TV shows the PINK Method debuted (Dr. Phil/The Doctors) was/is a client of the creator of the PINK Method.
They have been overwhelmed with orders since the appearance on these two shows. When I first logged on to their website after ordering my kit (Nov. 28), there were 1000 members. By the next day, there were 7000. I don't know how many now, the counter seems to have disappeared! (I think I saw 10,000 somewhere.) With everyone asking questions, it's not possible for the "experts" to answer them and give the support they promised on the TV shows. The site itself was poorly developed, and offers information for many other diet plans unrelated to the PINK method, but it's difficult to decipher which is what!
The support forums are virtuously useless in the chaos (not organized like 3FatChicks, and most any other forum on the Web), so they've moved over to using FaceBook. I haven't visited them on FaceBook, as I already figured I had better stick with what was already working for me, and avoid their confusion.
If you like the mass excitement of belonging to a new club, being in on something from the beginning, and enjoy this as entertainment, it may be worth the $75 or so. I think these are the only added benefits than what you can find elsewhere for free.