2-Day Diet

The 2-Day Diet was created by Sari Harrar, an award-winning health, medicine, and science writer. The 2-Day Diet recommends two days of low-carbohydrate intake, and two days of strength and interval training for optimal weight loss. Meal ideas in this diet book are non-restrictive and generally cater to most people’s tastes.

For the low-carbohydrate regimen, the book recommends 50g of carbohydrates per day. For the other days, it suggests lean protein, good fats, non-starchy vegetables, and enough whole grains, dairy, and fruit for ideal nutrition.

For the exercise portion, the diet encourages engaging in interval routines consisting of 30 minutes of cardio, such as biking, jogging, or calisthenics, with an additional 10-15 minutes of strength training two days a week.

 Foods to include:

  • Poultry

  • Good fats (nuts, olive oil, vegetable oils, avocado)

  • Leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots

  • Whole grains

  • Low-fat milk

  • Berries

Foods to avoid:

  • Red meat

  • Saturated fats (butter, lard, shortening)

  • Potatoes, beans, eggplant

  • Whole milk

Pros:

  • Designed by health professionals and fitness experts

  • Provides sample recipes

  • Emphasizes exercise

Cons:

  • Only suggests two days of exercise (standard guidelines recommend three days/week)

  • Promotes a low-carbohydrate intake two days per week, which may not be suitable for everyone

  • Does not promote long-term lifestyle changes as the dietary recommendations are only applicable two days per week

Sources:

Sari Harrar’s The 2-Day Diet

3-Hour Diet

The 3-Hour Diet was designed by Jorge Cruise, author of 8 Minutes in the Morning and The 3-Hour Diet: How Low-Carb Diets Make You Fat and Timing Makes You Thin. Jorge emphasizes eating every three hours to reset the metabolism and burn fat, eating within one hour of waking, and abstaining from food three hours before bed. Cruise claims that the body goes into “starvation mode” when not fed often enough, and therefore conserves calories, burns muscle instead of fat for energy, and stores fat.

He encourages eating five times a day, including a small dessert. Foods like carbs and sweets are allowed as long as you stick to the eating schedule. It’s recommended that meals are around 400 calories, snacks around 100 calories, and dessert about 50 calories. This brings dieters to about 1,450 calories per day.

Jorge’s system is said to stabilize blood sugar and control appetite while increasing energy and alertness. With this program, he claims that people can increase their baseline metabolic rate (the amount of calories one burns at rest) and jump-start weight loss, losing 10 pounds in the first two weeks, then two pounds per week on this diet alone.

 Foods to include:

  • Vegetables

  • Fruits

  • Whole grains

  • Meat

  • Poultry

  • Fish

  • Eggs

  • Beans

  • Dairy

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Healthy oils

Foods to avoid:

  • Trans fats

Pros:

  • No food is off-limits

  • No restrictions on calorie intake

  • Teaches portion control

Cons:

  • Does not teach proper nutrition habits

  • Frequent eating could lead to over-indulgence

  • No emphasis on exercise

  • Does not honor internal hunger cues

  • Recommended calorie counts may be too low for some

 Sources:

Jorge Cruise’s The 3-Hour Diet: How Low-Carb Diets Make You Fat and Timing Makes You Thin
Jorge Cruise www.jorgecruise.com
What is the 3-Hour Diet? www.webmd.com
Jorge Cruise on The 3-Hour Diet www.harpercollins.com

3-Season Diet

The 3-Season Diet was developed by John Douillard, DC, leading practitioner in Ayurvedic medicine, natural health, and fitness. He’s the director of the LifeSpa Retreat Center and Clinic in Boulder, Colorado where he offers personal consultations. Dr. Douillard has also written and produced numerous health and fitness books, CDs, and DVDs.

The 3-Season Diet calls for a different diet plan each season. Although there are four seasons, there are three primary harvests: fall, spring, and summer. Eating with the seasons allows you to eat as nature intended.

During the fall and winter, the diet calls for foods high in protein and fat. During the spring, low-fat foods are recommended, and during the summer, a high-carbohydrate diet is said to be best. Dr. Douillard says that the body naturally craves soups, nuts, warm grains, and protein like meat and fish during the winter to stay warm; low-fat foods like salads, berries, and leafy greens in the spring to feel light; and naturally high-carbohydrate foods like fruits and vegetables in the summer to keep the body cool.

Dr. Douillard explains why it’s important to make lunch the largest meal of the day and allow adequate time to enjoy food. He discourages snacking, stating that it’s counterproductive to weight loss efforts and might lead to hypoglycemia.

According to Ayurveda, eating with the seasons, for your body type, and at the right time of day, in combination with an exercise routine, helps you reach a healthy weight and high energy levels.

 Foods to include:

  • Winter/Fall: soups, nuts, grains, meats, and fish

  • Spring: salads, sprouts, berries, and leafy greens

  • Summer: fresh fruits and vegetables

Foods to avoid:

  • Processed foods

  • Fast food

  • Foods not in season

Pros:

  • Emphasizes whole foods

  • Eating with the seasons allows your body to return to its natural rhythm

  • Book includes extensive food glossary listing origin and nutritional qualities of each food

Cons:

  • No step-by-step program

  • May be difficult for some to eliminate all processed foods

  • Not a quick weight loss solution

Sources:

John Douillard’s The 3-Season Diet
Life Spa www.lifespa.com 

4-Hour Body Diet

Also known as the Slow-Carb Diet, the 4-Hour Body Diet was created by Tim Ferriss and boasts rapid weight loss in a short period of time. The diet is based on the author’s experience with medical doctors, high-caliber scientists, professional athletes, and self-experimentation. 

The 4-Hour Body approach is about sticking to slow-carb guidelines to achieve optimal results. This means eating foods that break down slowly in the body instead of quick-release foods that cause your energy to spike then crash.

The diet recommends a narrow variety of foods and eating about every four hours. The first meal should be within one hour of waking and include at least 30 grams of protein. One day per week is cheat day, where anything goes, and indulging is encouraged.

Tim recommends drinking a glass of grapefruit juice before each meal on cheat day, and doing a round of air squats within one hour of every cheat meal. Tim claims that cheat days combined with light exercise prevents fat gain by redirecting calories (energy) to muscles, not fat cells.

 Foods to include:

  • Vegetables

  • Meat

  • Poultry

  • Fish

  • Eggs

  • Beans

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Healthy oils

Foods to avoid:

  • Carbohydrates

  • High-calorie beverages

  • Trans fats

  • Sugar

  • Processed food

  • Fruits

Pros:

  • Author is very motivational and encouraging

  • Meal plan is straightforward and simple

  • Encourages muscle building and fat loss

Cons:

  • Based on personal experimentation and might not work for everyone

  • Supplementation may be needed to fill gaps in diet

  • Low-carbohydrate approach may not work for some

 Sources:

The 4-Hour Body www.fourhourbody.com

8 Minutes in the Morning Diet

8 Minutes in the Morning was designed by Jorge Cruise, who specializes in programs for busy individuals. This diet focuses on exercise for weight loss. Jorge suggests setting aside eight minutes each morning to do a series of recommended exercises to lose up to two pounds per week.

Jorge recommends just two exercises every morning to set your metabolism high for the rest of the day. The regimen requires small weights – usually five to ten pounds – and involves basic strength exercises. Each exercise focuses on a different group of muscles each day of the week, ensuring total body toning and variation.

The goal is to build lean muscle mass to boost metabolism and burn fat. The diet incorporates whole foods and focuses on portion control. There are also visualization and writing exercises to work through emotional eating triggers.

 Foods to include:

  • Vegetables

  • Fruits (moderate amounts)

  • Whole grains

  • Meat

  • Poultry

  • Fish

  • Eggs

  • Beans

  • Dairy

  • Nuts and seeds

  • Healthy oils

Foods to avoid

  • Refined grains

  • Sugar

  • Trans fats

  • Processed foods

Pros:

  • No food is off-limits

  • Great for beginners who are just starting an exercise routine

  • Considers primary food

Cons:

  • Can be misleading: strength training exercises only take eight minutes, but additional exercise is recommended (30 minutes per day)

  • May not work for more experienced exercisers

  • Dairy will not work for everyone

Sources:

Why Aerobics Is Not the Most Effective Exercise www.harpercollins.com
Jorge Cruise www.jorgecruise.com 
Jorge Cruise’s 8-Minute Get Trim Workout www.oprah.com