April 15th, 20093 Hour Diet
The 3-Hour Diet was developed by weight loss and fitness expert Jorge Cruise. The basic idea behind this diet is that weight control depends more on when you eat, than on what you eat. This diet gets away from either a low-carbohydrate or a low-fat diet approach.
What is the 3 Hour Diet?
The basic premise of the 3 Hour Diet is to eat a meal every 3 hours (although the author suggests eating nothing 3 hours before bedtime). The idea behind this is to increase metabolism, and to help maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day.
The 3 Hour Diet:Background
Jorge Cruise is a fitness guru and the author of three bestselling fitness books. While his background is on the fitness industry, Cruise is a well-respected authority in the field of weight loss as well, and has personally lost almost 40 pounds following the principles outlined in the 3-Hour Diet.
The 3 Hour Diet:What to eat
Pretty much anything, as long as you practice moderation, eat often and stop when you start to feel full. Cruise believes that having a list of forbidden foods acts as a detriment to a diet program, so he encourages people to ignore that. According to Cruise, the key is how much you eat, rather than what. Still, you’re encouraged to filling at least half of your plate with vegetables and then using the rest for carbs and proteins in equal sizes.
How does the 3-Hour Diet work?
Typically, every day you are given three meals, two snacks and a treat. With this diet plan, you can lose two pounds a week during the entire four-week plan. The meals are prepackaged and delivered to you. Developed by Jorge Cruise, he states that this diet plan will stabilize your sugar levels thus controlling the amount of food intake. The key to this diet is to eat meals every three hours.
The basis of this diet is to eat enough to keep your metabolism at a specific level so that fat content will not be stored because your body thinks it is being starved. Makes sense, right? In addition, as we all know, after all the fat in your body is burned, muscle is next. This is another reason why this diet has been successful. It allows fat to be burned instead of muscle.
The 3 Hour Diet at a Glance
3 Hour Diet Plan
Breakfast
McDonalds Egg McMuffin, 1% milk & apple
Lunch
Lean Cuisine Cheese cannelloni, side salad with nonfat dressing
Dinner
1 small baked potato, 3oz grilled chicken, 1tsp butter, 1 cup green beans
Treat
12 M&M’s
Sample Snacks - Pria Double Choc bar and Nabisco 100 calorie Oreo cookie snack
Freebies - 1 diet coke, 1 coffee, 1 non dairy creamer
Another example
For breakfast, a ham and cheese omelet, bread and lots of fruit.
Three hours later, a Pria bar.
Three hours later, a lunch of beef enchilada, rice and a salad with regular dressing.
Three hours later, a snack like fruit or a few cookies.
Three hours later, dinner; salmon, rice, veggies.
Three hours later, dessert, like chocolate mousse.
The 3-Hour Diet plan is a unique way to lose weight and maintain metabolism levels. While some may be delighted in having to eat six meals a day, one should ensure that these meals come directly from the plan in order to achieve success. Also, it is important to consult your doctor to determine if this particular plan is right for you. Bring along a copy of the meal plan and let your doctor or nutritionist determine if the meals fall within the guidelines of good nutrition and healthy eating.
Studies have shown that losing one to two pounds per week is the proper way to lose weight. Moreover, there is less chance of putting the weight back on once you reach your desired weight. An exercise program, in combination with this diet plan, will enhance your chances of success.
Food for Thought continued…
“If you are someone who has a difficult time eating a small amount at a meal or snack (you have a hard time stopping once you get started), then it’s quite possible that, for you, eating five or six times a day isn’t the best way to go,” she writes.
Others, like Elisa Zied, RD, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, like the book’s positive approach and see the program as balanced overall. “For those who don’t mind eating by the clock, this book may make losing a few pounds more simple; but it would have been better had it made physical activity an equally important component for long-term weight loss.”
The diet is said to be easy to follow, since it requires no calories counting, no depriving oneself of any foods, and no exercising. A dieter will control his appetite as well as be aware of what and how much he eats. In the long run, a diet is supposed to become and remain a healthy life-style.
On the other hand, the 3-Hour Diet has many obvious weak-points. First of all, it is a lack of the scientific support of the theories suggested and results promised. On the contrary, scientists confirm that metabolism depends on many other things, which even have nothing to do with eating; starvation mode does not start in three hours after meal; and exercising and activity are also vitally important for our bodies and health.
Besides, it is rather difficult for busy people to find time for eating every three hours, as well as for planning meals and buying foods in advance, as the diet author recommends.
Recommendation
The 3 Hour Diet is similar to one of the “originals” - Body For Life. However Body for Life has stood the test of time - this diet will probably prove to be a fad. Other options are Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle - similar principles but far more comprehensive and realistic.
