Cookie Diet: Does It Work?
Posted on Oct 16th 2009 5:00PM by Deborah Dunham
Photo: t-dot-s-dot, Flickr
Think going on a diet means giving up sweets? 28-year-old Josie Raper would tell you to think again. The Arizona woman told Good Morning America today that she went from a size 24 to a size six -- all by eating cookies.
The Cookie Diet, created by Dr. Siegal more than 30 years ago, is pretty simple: Six cookies, one low-calorie dinner of lean meat and vegetables each day. That's it. Averaging just 1,000 calories a day, it's far fewer than what most nutrition experts consider healthy.
Well-known as a physician, author and weight-loss expert, Siegal claims his special recipe, known by only two people -- he and his wife, has helped over 500,000 users lose millions of pounds.
What is so special about these cookies? They're certainly not your chocolate chip variety. Instead, they are a lumpy looking batch whose secret is in the batter. Ingredients include an amino-acid mixture that blends various protein substances which are thought to control hunger -- and hunger is the number one factor that wrecks a diet, according to Siegal.
Critics claim the Cookie Diet is half-baked though. In addition to being very low in calories, the diet may not contribute to long-term weight loss because users aren't learning healthy eating habits. There is also fear that dieters are missing out on proper nutrition by not eating enough "real" food during the day.
These concerns don't seem to stop celebrities like Denise Richards, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson who have all reportedly jumped on the cookie bandwagon. And if you ask Raper, who no longer needs her "fat pants" and is enjoying her new slim figure, she has no intention of stopping the Cookie Diet any time soon.
While the diet will probably help you lose weight thanks to its low-cal content, we think this cookie ultimately crumbles. Would you try the Cookie Diet? Tell us in the comments section below.
The Cookie Diet isn't the first weight loss plan that has raised eyebrows. Check out the gallery below to see more crazy diets.
Fad diets are so alluring with their promises of fast weight loss and their skinny celebrity followers. The problem is that they're often unhealthy and make outrageous claims that are untrue. Here's a roundup of the some of the most strict and downright ridiculous diets around and the famous names that champion them.
Crazy Diets
By Jennifer Fields and Mary Kearl
Fad diets are so alluring with their promises of fast weight loss and their skinny celebrity followers. The problem is that they're often unhealthy and make outrageous claims that are untrue. Here's a roundup of the some of the most strict and downright ridiculous diets around and the famous names that champion them.
Going Bananas
Eat bananas for breakfast and lose weight? That sounds easy enough. But the Morning Banana Diet -- such a craze in Japan that grocery stores there can't keep the fruit in stock -- involves a little bit more than just eating this favorite breakfast food. On this plan, which is supposed to boost metabolism, you'll eat one or more bananas with room-temperature water for breakfast and have an optional snack at 3 p.m. You can eat anything you want for lunch and dinner. There are no desserts, dinner has to be eaten by 8 p.m. and you have to go to bed by midnight. Does it work? Japanese opera singer Kumiko Mori announced on a TV show that she lost 15 pounds using the Morning Banana Diet. The creator's husband is also said to have lost 37 pounds. We're not sure those two instances count as solid proof of its effectiveness, but this diet certainly rates high on wackiness.
C is for Cookie
We like the sound of any diet that involves eating cookies and promises you'll lose 15 pounds in a month. Sanford Siegal, M.D., is the creator of the Cookie Diet in which followers eat six of his specially formulated cookies along with one meal a day. It's not surprising people lose weight on this diet, considering they're eating a mere 800 calories a day -- a calorie count so low that experts would classify this as a crash diet that is not sustainable. We classify it as just plain crazy.
Dubious Cure
Kevin Trudeau's book, 'The Weight Loss Cure,' made HCG a household name. HCG, a hormone extracted from the urine of pregnant women, is used to treat reproductive problems, but injections of the hormone are also thought to curb appetite. We suspect any weight loss might be the result of the 500-calorie-a-day diet you're supposed to follow on the plan, not necessarily the self- or doctor-adminstered shots. The FDA denies weight loss claims about HCG, but the hard-to-find shots are still widely sought after. Aside from the obvious ick factor, there are some intense side effects including water retention, mood alterations, headaches, and high blood pressure. Men who receive the injections may get positive results on pregnancy tests.
Part-Time Diet
Who wouldn't go for a diet that promises you can eat whatever you want and as much as you want? But the s have more than one third of your daily sodium allowance. 'Alternate-Day Diet' by James B. Johnson, M.D., has a pretty big catch: You can only indulge every other day; on alternate days you'll be eating a mere 200 to 1000 calories total. Switching between overeating and starving sounds like torture, but does it work? A review published in a 2005 issue of the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition' found that non-obese followers of the plan did lose weight on the diet, but they reported high levels of hunger and irritability that would likely prevent this from becoming a long-term plan.
Pain in the Rear
Sure, the Martha's Vineyard Diet calls for mud treatments, but following it is no day at the spa. You'll also be drinking most of your meals and enduring weekly colonics and enemas. Robin Quivers does look great since she tried the detox, but with all those trips to the spa, this diet is heavy on the pocketbook and light on lasting results.
Diet in Vein
Any diet that requires a test of your blood type raises our eyebrows. And depending on the results, you could be stuck shopping for an all-veggie diet or one where the main component is veal. Why? the Blood Type Diet claims certain foods react differently with various blood types. A better idea than eating politically incorrect meat? Cut back on your portions.
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Cuckoo for Coconuts
Another contender in the realm of the single-food eating plan is the Coconut Diet. Jennifer Aniston swore by this plan where you load up on coconut oil (Almond Joy doesn't count), which is supposed to boost metabolism and help you lose weight quickly. Most experts agree you should limit coconut in your diet because it's rich in saturated fat which can raise cholesterol, so it's best to avoid this one.
Funny Face
Voluptuous Kate Winslet swears the Facial Analysis Diet helped her drop baby weight. On this wacky plan, a so-called facial analyst proposes a special diet based on food intolerances revealed in the texture of your skin, eyes and hair. But the only reason this diet ever works is because people tend to drink more water, get more sleep and eat more fruits and vegetables while on it.
Tart Diet
Beyoncé revived interest in the Master Cleanse when she used the juice fast to slim down for 'Dream Girls.' Drinking a mix of maple syrup, lemon juice, water and cayenne pepper for days is hardly a healthy approach to weight loss. Even Beyoncé said she wouldn't advise anyone follow her diet lead.
