The Overnight Diet (2013) is a weight loss book.
- 1 day a week smoothies.
- 6 days a week high protein, high fiber, low fat.
- Cycle until you reach your goal weight, then follow the lifetime diet.
Below is a description of the food recommendations in the diet. Summary | 1-Day Power Up | 6-Day Fuel Up | Lifetime diet. There’s a lot more in the book.
Get a copy of The Overnight Diet for a detailed discussion on the reasons behind the diet, workouts, guidelines for eating out, product suggestions, meal plans, and recipes
The reasoning behind The Overnight Diet
The book argues that sarcopenia or shrinking muscle syndrome is the main culprit that thwarts efforts to fight fat, slows metabolism, leads to yo-yo dieting, and can devastate health. It is the loss of muscle mass, strength, and function that may occur naturally with age, or as a dangerous side effect of most popular weight loss methods – especially if you lose weight and put it back on. The 1-Day Power Up is a temporary break from solid food, practiced for thousands of years. The 6-Day Fuel Up builds on the Protein Sparing Modified Fast and preserves lean muscle mass as well as keeping your body in fat-burning mode.
The Overnight Diet plan – food list
On this diet you cycle through a pattern each week.
On day 1, follow the 1-Day Power Up.
The following 6 days, follow the 6-Day Fuel Up.
1-Day Power Up | 6-Day Fuel Up | Lifetime diet
Eat mindfully. Ask yourself if you’re really hungry, and focus on the food while you’re eating. Eat or drink until you are satisfied – on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being ravenous and 10 being post-Thanksgiving dinner full, aim for a 7 (not still hungry, but not stuffed either).
If you have kidney disease or diabetes, check with your physician before starting the 1-Day Power Up.
Overnight Diet 1-Day Power Up – food list
First choose one day of the week to be your weekly 1-Day Power Up day. It should be a day when you can focus on relaxing.
On this day each week, have 3 smoothies a day (and no other food)
Foods to eat in The Overnight Diet 1-Day Power Up
- Only have smoothies, no other food
- 3 options
- Follow the recipes in the book – the author recommends starting out with this, and following her smoothie selection chart on page 138 to make sure that you have a good variety of nutrients
- Buy Physicians Protein Mix smoothie bases and flavor packs from http://www.overnightdiet.org/
- Follow the mix’n’match guidelines (below)
- How to create your own 1-Day Power Up Smoothie – follow the step-by-step instructions below
- Protein – choose 1
- 1 scoop protein powder: Physicians Protein Mix smoothie base, whey protein isolate, or soy protein isolate – fewer than 2 grams of sugar per serving
- 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt or other yogurt with live cultures, no fruit added. If using regular yogurt, add some protein powder to make up the protein
- Liquid – choose 1
- ½ cup fat-free milk (low-fat 1% milk is also listed on the website)
- ½ cup light soy milk
- 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
- ¼ cup light coconut milk, unsweetened
- ½ cup coconut water, unsweetened
- ¼ cup juice of your choice
- Fruits – choose up to 2
- Fresh, frozen, or canned in water or own juice (drain the juice) – no syrup, unsweetened
- All fruits are acceptable
- ½ apple, medium
- ½ banana, medium
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup cherries, pitted
- ½ cup grapes, seedless
- 1 kiwi
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- ½ cup mango
- 1 nectarine, small pitted
- 1 orange, small
- ½ cup papaya
- ½ cup peaches
- ½ pear, medium
- ½ cup pineapple
- 1 plum, pitted
- ½ cup raspberries
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
- Vegetables – choose up to 3
- Use fresh vegetables whenever possible, but you can also use frozen or canned veggies in a pinch
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 carrot, small
- 1 celery stalk, medium
- ½ cup sliced cucumber
- ½ cup chopped fresh kale
- ½ cup mint leaves
- 1 cup fresh romaine lettuce
- 1 cup fresh swiss chard
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 tomato, small
- Add-ins – optional, choose up to 2
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon avocado
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 stick pack CocoaVia supplement
- 1 teaspoon creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon oats, dry, old-fashioned
- 1 teaspoon seeds (flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Freebies – optional, choose 1
- 1 flavoring/extract of your choice, as directed, up to 1 teaspoon (amaretto, anise, banana cream, butter rum, butterscotch, caramel, champagne, cheesecake, coconut, coffee, cotton candy, eggnog, english toffee, hazelnut, marshmallow, peanut butter, pecan, peppermint, piña colada, pound cake, pralines ‘n’ cream, pumpkin, root beer)
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon spice of your choice (allspice, anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, jalapeño, nutmeg, orange peel, parsley, pumpkin pie spice, wasabi powder)
- ½ cup brewed coffee
- ½ cup brewed green tea
- 1 serving Truvia or Splenda
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Ice – more ice makes smoothie thicker
- Water – more water makes smoothie thinner
Foods to avoid or limit with The Overnight Diet 1-Day Power Up
- Everything except the smoothies
Overnight Diet 6-Day Fuel Up – food list
There are 4 prescriptions for the 6-Day Fuel Up:
- Prescription 1: Meet your DPR every day
- Daily protein requirement (DPR) = ideal weight (in kilograms) x 1.5 grams = DPR (in grams)
- Weight in kilograms = weight in pounds / 2.2
- DPR in ounces = DPR in grams / 7
- Only lean beef, lean pork, poultry, fish, eggs and egg substitutes, soy products and meat alternatives, and protein powder count toward your DPR
- Prescription 2: Stick to lean carbs
- You can enjoy limitless fruits and nonstarchy vegetables
- Up to 1 cup of starchy vegetables or legumes per day
- 2-3 servings of whole grains per day
- Prescription 3: Focus on healthy fats, and limit added fats to 4 servings per day
- Prescription 4: Drink at least 8 cups of water a day, and feel to enjoy a glass of wine – just one
Foods to eat in The Overnight Diet 6-Day Fuel Up
- Meals
- Don’t skip any meals (except snacks and desserts)
- Don’t combine meals
- Space out meals and snacks every 2-3 hours: e.g. 8am breakfast, 10.30am snack, 1pm lunch, 3.30pm snack, 6pm dinner and dessert, 8.30pm snack
- Meat and poultry
- Lean beef: London broil, top and bottom round, filet mignon
- Lean pork: pork chops, pork loin, extra lean pork sausage
- Poultry: skinless light meat chicken and turkey
- Processed meats with less than 3 grams fat per ounce
- 1 ounce = 1 ounce DPR
- Seafood
- Fish: tuna steak, halibut, salmon, cod; or tuna, sardines, or salmon packed in water
- Shellfish: crab, shrimp
- 1 ounce = 1 ounce DPR
- Eggs
- Eggs, egg whites, egg substitute
- 1 large egg or 2 large egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute = 1 ounce DPR
- Meat substitutes
- Tofu, tempeh, seitan, textured vegetable protein TVP, or other soy products
- Meat alternatives
- 3 ounces tofu or 1.5 ounces tempeh or 1 ounce seitan or 1/8 cup TVP = 1 ounce DPR
- Protein powders
- Physicians Protein Mix
- Soy protein isolate
- Whey protein isolate
- 1/3 scoop protein powder = approximately 1 ounce DPR (check label)
- Milk and milk products
- Milk – fat-free/low-fat (1%)
- Dairy alternatives – fat-free/low-fat, unsweetened
- Cottage cheese – fat-free/ low-fat (1%)
- Cheese – fat-free/low-fat; plus parmesan cheese
- Sour cream – fat-free
- Buttermilk – low-fat
- Greek yogurt – fat-free, no fruit added
- Pudding fat-free, sugar-free
- 2 x 1-cup servings per day
- Fruit
- All you can eat fresh, frozen, or canned in water or own juice (drain the juice) – no syrup, unsweetened
- All fruits are acceptable
- Apples, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherimoyas, cherries, clementines, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, kiwis, lemons, limes, mangoes, marionberries, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapple, plums, pomegranates, raspberries, star fruit, strawberries, watermelon
- Eat with the skin on (when edible) for more fiber
- Limit dried fruits to no more than one small handful per day
- Vegetables
- Use fresh vegetables whenever possible, but you can also use frozen or canned veggies in a pinch (no butter or cream sauces)
- Non-starchy vegetables – all you can eat: artichokes, asparagus, bamboo shoots, beans (green, wax, italian), bean sprouts, beets, bell peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, greens (collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, swiss chard), jicama, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, pea pods, rutabaga, sauerkraut, scallions, spinach, sprouts (alfalfa, mung bean, lentil), summer squash, tomatoes, turnips, water chestnuts, zucchini
- Starchy vegetables – up to 1 cup of starchy vegetables and legumes per day: corn, peas, potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squash, yams, yucca
- Eat with the skin on (when edible) for more fiber
- Legumes
- Black beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans, red beans, split peas, white beans
- Up to 1 cup of starchy vegetables and legumes per day
- Whole grains
- Whole-grain bagel, whole-wheat bread, whole-grain crackers, whole-wheat tortillas, whole-wheat pita. Look for the “100% whole grain” stamp on products
- High-protein high-fiber cold cereal, oat bran cereal, oatmeal (steel cut or old-fashioned), cream of wheat cereal, fat-free/low-fat granola. High-protein cereals should have at least 8 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving
- Couscous, whole-wheat pasta
- Farro, quinoa, brown rice
- 2-3 servings per day – serving sizes of the whole grain foods above: ½ bagel, 1 slice bread, ½ cup cooked oatmeal, 2/3 cup cooked cream of wheat, ½ cup cooked oat bran cereal, 1 serving ready to eat high fiber cereal, 1/3 cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup cooked whole-wheat pasta, ½ cup cooked couscous, ½ cup cooked quinoa, ½ cup cooked farro, 2 whole grain crackers
- Fats
- Olive oil, cooking spray made from olive oil, flaxseed oil, sesame oil
- Fat-free/low-fat mayonnaise
- Fat-free/low-fat salad dressings
- Non-trans-fat buttery spread
- Up to 4 servings of added fat per day – 1 serving = 1 teaspoon – avocados, fats listed here, nuts and seeds. Fat free doesn’t need to be counted
- Nuts and seeds
- Almonds, cashews, peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts
- Flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds
- Nut and seed butters e.g. peanut butter
- Up to 4 servings of added fat per day – 1 serving = 1 teaspoon – avocados, fats listed above, nuts and seeds
- Sweets
- Artificial sweeteners (Truvia, Splenda)
- Chocolate chips, fat-free chocolate syrup, unsweetened cocoa powder
- Dried fruits – e.g. dried cranberries, dried figs, prunes, raisins
- Sugar-free hard candy, sugar-free chewing gum
- Sugar-free Jell-O
- Not listed in the shopping list but included in recipes: agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, dark brown sugar, light brown sugar, organic sugar, dark chocolate, brownie mix (with vegetables added)
- Servings not given, but presumed minimal
- Herbs and spices
- Herbs – basil, cilantro, dill, lemongrass, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme
- Spices – celery powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry powder, fennel seeds, garlic powder, ginger, nutmeg, onion powder, paprika, turmeric
- Beverages / drinks
- Water, seltzer water, flavored water. Drink at least 8 cups of water a day, especially around the time you exercise. Drink water before your meals
- Coffee, tea
- Tomato juice cocktail
- Sugar-free hot cocoa
- Juice (for smoothies only)
- Diet sodas (less than 2 calories)
- Wine – 1 glass / 6 ounces per day
- Condiments and pantry
- Salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, flavorings, extracts
- Unsweetened applesauce, baking powder, cornstarch, whole wheat flour
- Barbecue sauce, capers, light coconut milk, horseradish, hot sauce, ketchup, liquid smoke, mirin, miso paste, olives, panko breadcrumbs, pizza sauce, salsa, lite soy sauce, tamari, tomato paste, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth/stock, Worcestershire sauce
- Nutritional yeast
- Desserts
- There are desserts in the recipes. 1 serving = as described in the recipes
If you’re working out, ideally you should eat something that contains lean protein within ½ hour of completing exercise. If you don’t have time for a full meal, try a protein-filled snack with healthy carbs. No need to eat beforehand if following this diet. Drink at least 8 ounces of water prior to starting your workout, another 8 ounces of water while you work out, and 8 ounces more after you finish
Foods to avoid or limit with The Overnight Diet 6-Day Fuel Up
- Meat and poultry
- Higher-fat meat – regular ground beef, prime grade or heavily marbled meats, spare ribs
- Higher-fat poultry – goose, duck
- Wild game
- Organ meats
- Processed meats – bacon, sausage, corned beef, kielbasa, hot dogs, luncheon meats and cold cuts with more than 3 grams fat per ounce
- Dairy
- Whole milk, full-fat yogurt, full-fat cheeses, cream, whipped cream
- Fats
- Trans fats / partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils
- Fat-free crackers, cakes and cookies high in trans fats
- Processed foods
- Breads and other products made with white flour
- Foods that contain sugar
- Foods that contain a lot of fat
The Overnight Diet for life
Continue to alternate between the 1-Day Power Up and the 6-Day Fuel Up
- Modify the 1-Day Power Up – 3 alternatives. Start at the top and work your way down the list. If you continue to lose weight with the top 2 options, shift to the third.
- Add whole-food snacks such as raw veggies, fruit, nonfat yogurt
- Swap one smoothie for a whole meal
- Swap two smoothies for whole meals
- Modify the 6-Day Fuel Up
- Keep meeting your DPR every day for life
- Feel free to increase your consumption of starchy vegetables to 2 cups per day
- Eat an extra 1-2 servings of whole grains per day
- Enjoy an extra drizzle of healthy fat
- Keep drinking at least 8 cups of fluids a day
- If you ever find yourself gaining a few pounds, revert back to the basic 1-Day Power Up and stick to the basic 6-Day Fuel Up, alternating between them until you reach your goal weight
Health benefits claimed in The Overnight Diet
The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks for: Alzheimer’s disease, bad breath, cancer, constipation, depression, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, insulin resistance, kidney problems, malnutrition, overweight/obesity, sarcopenia/shrinking muscle syndrome/muscle loss. It also claims to reduce inflammation.
As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, not endorsing it.
Get a copy of The Overnight Diet for a detailed discussion on the reasons behind the diet, workouts, guidelines for eating out, product suggestions, meal plans, and recipes
Also see http://www.overnightdiet.org/ for sample smoothie recipes, a video on making 1-Day Power Up Smoothies, an exercise video, the store (smoothies, chef sets, heat & eats, snacks & desserts), and more. Also see The Overnight Diet Facebook page.
How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment below.
{ 42 comments… add one }
Hi, I really love this diet. I had tryed it a few montjs back and now just started back up. I ate some ground turkey for dinner one night and gained 4 lbs. Is ground turkey not lean meat? I’m lost?
Turkey is okay on this diet, but it should be skinless. Check on the packaging to see whether or not the skin has been included when they ground the meat.
Gaining 4 lbs overnight could come from a number of different factors. Maybe you have hormonal cycles and start retaining water at certain times of the month. Or maybe you had an inflammatory reaction – you were sick, or you ate something your body doesn’t like, and it got inflamed and that led to the weight gain. For more in this theory, see The Plan by Lyn-Genet Recitas. She says that 85% of people react negatively to turkey.
And what about Angus ground beef? The pack says 85 lean 15 fat….
Some parts of the animal have less fat than others; Dr. Apovian suggests meat from these cuts: London broil, top and bottom round, filet mignon.
Angus is the kind of cow the beef comes from, not the cut of the beef, so knowing that it’s Angus won’t help you to find out how fatty the beef is. We’ll have to rely on the percentage of fat given.
Dr. Apovian asks you to to eat lean meat. The FDA definition of lean meat is a little hard to fathom from their original laws, but according to http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-lean-really-means-for-lean-meat.navId-323442.html “Each 3 1/2 ounces of the product must contain less than 10 grams of total fat, less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol.” 10 grams of fat is 0.35 ounces, so that would mean that meat that is 10% fat or less could be described as lean. So 15% fat would be too fatty for this diet.
I have been on this diet for two weeks. The first week I lost 5 pounds. Not bad, but nowhere close to the claims. The second week, I didnt lose one ounce. I think my matabolism has slowed way down. I haven’t been going to the bathroom for several days at a time. Also, I feel hungry all the time! I’m giving up on this one.
Have done very well on this diet, have lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks . I would like to know if I can make the smoothie and freeze it the day before my smoothie day? We will be travelling on my smoothie day and will need 2 smoothies.
I can’t see anything in the book that says you can’t premake and freeze the smoothies – go ahead!
I’m having a hard time getting the whole grains. What are some good options for each meal?
For breakfast, you could have ½ of a 100% whole-grain bagel, ½ cup cooked oatmeal, 2/3 cup cooked cream of wheat, ½ cup cooked oat bran cereal, or 1 serving ready to eat high fiber cereal.
For a cold meal, you could have 1 slice 100% whole-grain bread or 2 whole grain crackers.
For a hot meal, you could have 1/3 cup cooked brown rice, ½ cup cooked whole-wheat pasta, ½ cup cooked couscous, ½ cup cooked quinoa, or ½ cup cooked farro.
This is not a diet but a very carefully formulated and brilliant eating plan, and something I have been searching for, for years. Most important for me is the advice on how to maintain lean muscle mass that I have worked hard to gain but have been afraid of losing when cutting back on eating, to get rid of 10kg of fat.
An eating plan that advocates unlimited fruit and non starch vegetables, plenty of protein and still allows you to lose weight ensures that you never have to go hungry and is therefore easily sustainable. My body fat % has dropped from around 30% t0 26.5 % in less than two weeks.
Can anyone pls give me the week diet to follow..I know there is a lot to choose from,but it would make it so much easier if I could just follow a made up diet plan.thanking you in advance
There’s a meal plan in the book – the whole of chapter 6, which tells you what to eat at each meal for each day.
I started the smoothies one week ago today as directed by my doctor – for five days, nothing but 5 smoothies per day and a gallon of water per day. I lost a little more than 6 pounds a 7 day period. It was difficult and I did have extreme hunger pains but I survived and happy I stuck to the diet. Now I am at phase 2 where I added some fruit and vegetables along with one meal per day and reduced the smoothies to 3 per day. Dont like the fact that I have to drink a gallon of water per day but I think the process is cleaning my system and making me feel and look better. I’m a snacker and enjoyed picking at healthy food all day and night, so the habit I was using needed to be changed for my health. Glad I started this diet. It is more for my health than the weight loss but I do need to loose a few pounds to feel better.
Are any other liquids allowed on the fasting/smoothy day? It says you can add some coffee, tea, water to the smoothies but what about liquids inbetween the 3 smoothies?
On p.82, Dr. Apovian says that you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses / 64 ounces / 2 quarts of water every day. She also says that you can have black coffee, tea, and diet soda (less than 2 calories), but these don’t count towards your daily requirement of 64 ounces of water (p.83). However, I can’t find any guidelines about whether this is different for the 1-Day Power up. That says that you should avoid any foods except the smoothies – my assumption is that you could have other liquids on those days.
Hi I am struggling to meet my DPR on some days as i dont want to eat eggs at every meal, can i add a protein shake to boost my protein level ??? Also i thought it was not good to eat more than 1 egg a day , or is this not true anymore ??
Certain protein powders are listed as a permissible protein for the 6-Day Fuel Up, so a protein shake looks like an option.
The advice to limit eggs to 1 a day is a bit out of date – there’s a lot of research showing that cholesterol in foods don’t have a big impact on your blood cholesterol levels and that carbohydrates are more of an issue (The Great Cholesterol Myth describes this well).
Recently in the news – “The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee until now had recommended that cholesterol intake be limited to 300 milligrams per day, about the amount in two eggs. After reviewing scores of studies that showed no correlation between dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol present in the blood, the committee determined that cholesterol was not “a nutrient of concern for overconsumption” (Reuters)
Something that was suggested to me was to add dry curd cottage cheese to your smoothies, and to have dry curd cottage cheese mixed with low-fat yogurt as a bedtime snack. Very little fat, low calorie was to increase your protein. The guy at GNC that told me about this said that this is a good thing to eat in the evening as the proteins are slowly metabolized while you sleep and will help to either build or maintain muscle mass.
Cottage cheese isn’t listed as a 1 Day Power Up smoothie ingredient (although fat-free live active culture yogurt is).
It’s not clear why protein powder and live active culture yogurt are the only suggested protein alternatives – it’s possible that the author didn’t think of cottage cheese as an option.
What kid of salad dressings can you have on this diet?
The book suggests low-fat salad dressings (counted towards the 4 servings/day of added fat, 1 serving = 1 teaspoon) and fat-free salad dressings. She doesn’t name any brands. Most of the time she says “fat-free dressing” or “low-fat dressing”; one recipe in the book suggests fat-free Italian salad dressing, and there are recipes in the book for cilantro dressing, lemon caper vinaigrette, honey garlic balsamic vinaigrette, sesame miso dressing.
Its this diet healthy for a 70 year old with heart disease?
The book claims that this diet is beneficial for heart disease.
However, it would probably be a good idea to check with your doctor.
I used to be in amazing shape. Cut muscles, lean, fit looking. Then I got hurt and changed my job from the electrical field into an office position. Feeling upset about hurting myself, I began to eat emotionally. Combined with my sedentary lifestyle, I lost muscle and gained fat…
Now that I’m all healed up and feeling better (got out of the office and back on the tools too!) I wanted to get back into fitness and nutrition. Research revealed this little gem of a nutrition plan. Started my first smoothie day on Monday, July 20, 2015. So far I’ve lost 6.5 lbs. I have combined this with exercise as well. There has been a noticeable decrease in my “muffin top” already.
Thanks for the history, and good luck!
I think this is a brilliant diet. I have never tried any diet in my life, but started looking for a practical way to be healthy and maintain an ideal weight. I have never had issues with weight, but started feeling like i had plateaued and was gaining weight steadily. I tried for 2 years just to lose 8-10 lbs but could not lose a single pound. I got on this diet and it was amazing, I did lose the water weight the first night as claimed in the book, the next thing that happened slowly but surely was the weight loss of about 7 lbs within 20 days.!! Inspite of doing the smoothie day only once, I seem to be steadily losing weight and eating healthy. I dont understand when one of the reviewers says she feels hungry? when they can eat unlimited veggies and fruits? This has brought about a tremendous lifestyle change for me. Thank you for sharing this knowledge with us 🙂
What is the difference between the Super Charged Science Smart Smoothie Base and the Physician’s Protein Smoothie Base?
The Physician’s Protein Smoothie Base is the base listed in The Overnight Diet. It has a lot of ingredients, including vitamins and minerals, and it contains milk and soy.
The Super Charged Science Smart Smoothie Base is the preferred base on The Age-Defying Diet, which is Dr. Apovian’s newer book. I can’t find an ingredients list, but says it contains whey and casein protein as well as vitamins and minerals.
I have some fat free greek yogurt on my porridge for breakfast during the 6 day fuel up. Should I include this in my Daily Protein Requirement? Thanks 🙂
The author includes greek yogurt in the protein counts for the 1-Day Power Up, but not for the 6-Day Fuel Up.
On p.70 she says “On the 6-Day Fuel Up, you must meet your minimum DPR with the following lean protein sources: lean beef, lean pork, poultry, and fish; eggs and egg substitutes; soy products and meat alternatives; and protein powder.
Other protein sources do not count toward your DPR. This means that even though this eating plan recommends 2 servings daily of fat-free or low-fat (1%) dairy and up to 1 serving daily of legumes and pulses such as lentils, chickpeas, and black-eyed peas, the protein in these foods does not count toward your DPR.”
I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroiditis a few years ago & put on Armour Thyroid about a year ago. I haven’t had success with weight loss programs since this diagnosis. I was hoping that this program would prove successful where others have failed. I’d like to start the program, but was wondering about appropriate food substitutes. I’m allergic to dairy, wheat, fish & also can’t have gluten (so in addition to the wheat, no rye or barley). Is it still possible to make this program work for me?
There are many other diets that avoid dairy and wheat/gluten that might be easier for you to follow, but if you want to adjust this program you could use soy protein isolate as the protein (if soy works for you) and have a liquid other than milk for the smoothies, and either work from first principles to put your own meal plan together or follow Dr. Apovian’s meal plan and substitute the dairy, gluten, & fish for foods in the same food groups that you don’t have an issue eating.
Hello, I didn’t understand what to have when and in what quantity in the 6 Days Fuel up thing. Please help me outt
Have a look at the book, chapter 6 – 28-Day Meal Plan. That gives you guidelines of what to eat each day.
E.g. week 1, day 2, which is the first 6 day fuel up day:
Breakfast: crust-less quiche, grapefruit sections, 1/2 whole-wheat bagel thin, 1 cup fat-free greek-style yogurt, coffee or tea with fat-free milk and Truvia or Splenda
Snack: baby carrots with toasted cumin yogurt dip
Lunch: spicy chicken and white bean chili; salad with baby spinach, mandarin orange slices, 1 tbsp slivered almonds, fat-free dressing; 1/2 cup brown rice
Snack: grapes
Dinner: crusty oven-fried fish, roasted garlic cauliflower mash, 1 cup green beans
Dessert: 1/2 cup frozen fat-free yogurt, 3 fat-free ginger snaps
Snack: blueberries and pineapple chunks
Hi
I want to know if I can eat more than the minimum portion of protein. I checked and I should eat 220 grams of protein which comes up to 31 ounces of protein.
Where did you check how much protein you should eat? Did you calculate it using this formula?
Daily protein requirement (DPR) = ideal weight (in kilograms) x 1.5 grams = DPR (in grams)
Weight in kilograms = weight in pounds / 2.2
DPR in ounces = DPR in grams / 7
Only lean beef, lean pork, poultry, fish, eggs and egg substitutes, soy products and meat alternatives, and protein powder count toward your DPR
I just started the diet yesterday so that was my smoothie day. The green goddess smoothie was awful, I couldn’t drink but 1/4 of my cup & I threw the rest out. So I won’t be making that one again however the other smoothies were wonderful. I did lose 1.5 pounds after the 1st day. So my 6 day fuel-up starts today. I’ve already made the breakfast quiche for this morning so I’m anxious to see how it taste.
Do you have a high-speed blender? Sometimes green smoothies taste kind of awful if the greens haven’t been chopped up enough.
I hope the rest of your diet is going well!
Hi there, I am at day six on this diet and sure enough after the first Smoothies day my Husband and I both lost 2 KG over night – Fluid you say? yes was probably fluid, but we are now on our 6th day and although I promised I would not keep weighing myself I couldn’t help myself this morning. So on Day six I have lost 3kg exactly “YAY” . You can use the bones of this book to make your own menu – My Husband is a chef and has never been on a diet, but has decided to do this with me so I have a lot of support, Having said that, the recipes do allow for 4 people, and if I wasn’t on this diet, I would be happy to eat the dishes anyway because they are delicious. . Every day you will have around 400g of protein …give or take a few, 2-3 breads, 2 low fat milks, 4 teaspoons of fat, unlimited fruit, and lots of vegetables. Also, up to 1 cup of starchy vegetables a day. I have the Yonanas which has been a godsend for desserts as you can eat any amount of fruit Frozen or fresh, and the YoNana’s makes a kind of soft serve Icecream from frozen fruit 🙂
I think Lynn might be doing a different diet.
I am starting this diet tomorrow. Looking over the meal plan for the week the breakfasts look huge! It doesn’t say anywhere just to choose one or two things from it. I am confused. Should I only be choosing one or two items, for example breakfast on week 1 day 2 – Grapefruit segments, 250g fat free Greek yogurt, crustless quiche, 1\2 wholemeal bagel, coffee or tea. Can anyone help please?
The breakfasts are pretty big some days – you’re encouraged to eat all the items listed under Breakfast.