Articles: Weight Loss

If you're a fan of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, then you've heard about the Fat Smash Diet. If you're not a fan, then this diet may seem foreign to you. On the show, Celebrity Fit Club, Hollywood celebrities follow the Fat Smash Diet in order to lose weight. But, even if you follow the show, you still might ask, �What exactly is the Fat Smash Diet?

Fat Smash Defined

The Fat Smash Diet was created by Ian K. Smith, MD. He created the diet not to be a quick fix diet plan, but to promote a healthy lifestyle diet approach instead. The Fat Smash Diet is designed to be "easy to follow" and "counting calories" is not required. Instead, the diet offers more than 50 recipes to help dieters make an easy transition into healthy eating. "On average, most people lose 6-8 pounds in the first phase, then it slows down to a few pounds a week in the other phases as you increase calories," Smith explains.

The diet is broken down into four phases: 1. Detox, 2. Foundation, 3. Construction, and 4. The Temple. Each phase builds on top of the last phase, and by the fourth phase you will have established a healthy lifestyle for yourself. Experts agree that the healthy lifestyle is the best approach to losing weight and keeping it off. However, there has been some criticism of the Fat Smash Diet. For example, Tara Gidus, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association feels that "Detox" is a strong word, and could deter some people from wanting to try this diet. She also acknowledges that starting a diet is challenging and having a "forbidden food list" could also deter some dieters. However, she also explains that the Fat Smash Diet book is, "A simple, easy-to-read book loaded with tidbits and nuggets of useful information, recipes, and workout ideas."

So, if you have the drive to get through the first phases, you will be good to go. If you don't have the personal drive to stay motivated, you should get yourself a coach. The phases are designed to last 90 days, so find someone you trust to help keep you motivated for those 90 days. When you make it to day 90, you should be able to coach yourself from then on.


The Phases

Detox- Phase 1: This phase of the diet will last for 9 days. The purpose of this phase is to cleanse the body of impurities and to help you break bad eating habits. During this phase cravings are suppose to be "smashed" and the nourishing power of fruits and vegetables will be reintroduced into your diet. You will eat four to five meals each day whether you are hungry or not. You cannot skip meals during this phase. You will also drink plenty of water to help flush the body of impurities. The food that is eaten during this phase must be raw, grilled, or steamed. You are allowed to consume as many fruits and vegetables as you would like. When it comes to fat, you are allowed a maximum of three tablespoons per day with one to two teaspoons of olive oil. The following foods are the only foods allowed during phase 1:

* Limited amount of brown rice
* Low fat, skim, or soy milk
* Chickpeas
* Lentil
* Tofu
* Beans
* Oatmeal
* Low fat yogurt
* Egg whites
* Herbal Tea
* Water

Foundation- Phase 2: Phase 2 will last for three weeks. You will maintain eating four to five small meals throughout each day. Food is still prepared as raw, grilled, or steamed. All the foods in phase 1 can be consumed and the following foods can be added to the diet:

* Lean meats
* Seafood
* Avocado
* Whole egg
* Cheese
* Variety of whole-grain cereals
* Fat free mayonnaise
* Granulated Sugar
* Butter
* 10 ounces of coffee per day
* Lemonade
* Fruit juice
* Diet and club soda

Construction- Phase 3: This phase lasts four weeks and during this phase the portion size of food becomes a little larger. You maintain the principles of phases one and two, and add the following:

* Pasta
* Bread
* One dessert per day, chosen from a specific list of suitable desserts

The Temple- Phase 4:This is the phase that will last you a lifetime. By this point in time your relationship with food should have changed for the better. The principles of exercise, portion control, not skipping meals, and eating four to five times a day should be the principles that guide you through the rest of your life. During this phase the following foods are introduced into the diet:

* Wine
* Beer
* Pizza
* Potatoes

For more detailed information, visit the Fat Smash diet site.