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If there's one main principle that all top nutritionists advise their clients to follow when looking to lose weight, it's following some sort of portion control. That is truly the heart of the 400 Calorie Fix -- knowing how many calories you're eating at every meal and keeping those calories low. Beyond those lessons, the "400 Calorie Fix " book offers a variety of recipes that meet that 400-calorie criteria.
The greatest benefit of the book is that by trying the program, you may become a lot more efficient at measuring out smaller portion sizes by eye. After a while, you really begin to think about food in 400-calorie increments, and before long, it becomes much easier to gauge how many calories you're eating without needing to weigh or measure out your foods. For that reason alone, the book is an interesting tool that really teaches you exactly how much food you "should" be eating at each sitting to minimize any blood sugar spikes that could trigger your body to store any unused calories as unwanted body fat.
On the flip side, the biggest problem that seemed obvious to the experts we spoke to was its flexibility. The book's main selling point is that you can literally eat anything you like -- so long as you never eat more than 400 calories a sitting. Leaving the choice of what to eat up to the dieter isn't always a wise move, especially since it could steer them towards making poorer nutritional choices. Although the book encourages healthy eating, giving dieters too much room to pick and choose what they want to eat -- so long as each meal falls under 400 calories -- may cause many to pick foods that are high in sodium, saturated fats, sugar and other unhealthy additives.
Is the diet healthy?
Yes and no. According to experts, being allowed to eat any kind of food could give dieters the freedom to consume more unhealthy foods on a regular basis without feeling as guilty. However, what's unique about the book is that it does try to encourage dieters to try and make healthier choices each time they eat.
There are four groups of recipes in the book that are divided according to their nutritional benefits: The Red Star group are recipes rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which help raise your good cholesterol and curb your appetite. The Orange Star group is a series of recipes that have at least seven grams of healthy, appetite-suppressing fiber. The Blue Star group is a series of recipes that have more than twenty grams of muscle-building protein. And finally, the Green Star group is a series of recipes that contain at least one cup of fruits and vegetables. By eating one recipe from each group daily (which is encouraged), it's meant to help dieters effortlessly meet the nutritional requirements that most dietitians recommend for optimal health.
What do the experts say?
The book promotes eating smaller meals several times a day , as well as eating a lot of different types of foods, which are two things that registered dietitian Eve Pearson Rodgers, owner of Nutriworks Comprehensive Nutrition Consulting, preaches to clients regularly, not only to help them lose weight, but to simply maintain a healthier lifestyle. "The more variety you can have in your diet, the more likely you'll take in enough of the nutrients your body needs on a daily basis," said Rodgers, "so long as that variety of foods are healthy and nutritious fare, that is."
Because the 400 Calorie Fix doesn't force dieters to give up any of their favorite foods, Rodgers also thinks it may allow them to stick with the program longer than usual. "Cutting certain foods completely out of your nutrition plan is the first place people fail when it comes to dieting," she said. "By letting them eat what they want in moderation, they won't feel as if they are giving up as much to continue using the program, which could help them binge less."
The layout of the 400 Caloric Fix also impressed Rodgers, who believes a picture is worth a thousand words to dieters. "Many of the program's recipes are also accompanied by pictures (which many diet books never contain)," said Rodgers. "People really like to see what they are going to eat before they take the time to prepare it, so all of those extra pictures may make dieters more motivated to take that extra time to prepare their meals, especially if they like what they see."
One the down side, "there are hundreds of recipes in the book which require a lot of food preparation, which could be an issue for many dieters looking for a more convenient way to lose weight," said Rodgers. Also, even though their Star system is a plus (in that it may help educate dieters about what healthier meals contain higher amounts of fiber, more healthy fats, etc.), the one thing that Rodgers wasn't keen on is that most of the recipes/meals only have one healthy trait associated with them (either high-protein, high fiber, healthy fats or a serving of fruits/vegetables) --instead of having recipes that combined several healthy factors into the same meal.
Another issue: "When your goal is to lose weight, then you need to have a nutritional plan and an exercise plan working together to accomplish that goal," said Rodgers. Trying to achieve weight loss strictly through your diet, or only through exercise, isn't as effective, which is why Rodgers doesn't like that exercise isn't stressed enough with the program.
Who should consider the diet?
Anyone who needs the freedom to eat whatever they want in order to stick with a diet, but also has the willpower to eat smaller portions at each and every meal.
Bottom Line
At its core, the 400 Calorie Fix is essentially a diet based on portion control and calorie counting, which is encouraged by most top nutritionists. If you can fill the 1,600 calories you're allowed to eat daily with plenty of healthy, nutrient-rich foods, then it's a simple, no-nonsense approach to watching your weight.
Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have,Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and The Men's Health Gym Bible.
The greatest benefit of the book is that by trying the program, you may become a lot more efficient at measuring out smaller portion sizes by eye. After a while, you really begin to think about food in 400-calorie increments, and before long, it becomes much easier to gauge how many calories you're eating without needing to weigh or measure out your foods. For that reason alone, the book is an interesting tool that really teaches you exactly how much food you "should" be eating at each sitting to minimize any blood sugar spikes that could trigger your body to store any unused calories as unwanted body fat.
On the flip side, the biggest problem that seemed obvious to the experts we spoke to was its flexibility. The book's main selling point is that you can literally eat anything you like -- so long as you never eat more than 400 calories a sitting. Leaving the choice of what to eat up to the dieter isn't always a wise move, especially since it could steer them towards making poorer nutritional choices. Although the book encourages healthy eating, giving dieters too much room to pick and choose what they want to eat -- so long as each meal falls under 400 calories -- may cause many to pick foods that are high in sodium, saturated fats, sugar and other unhealthy additives.
Is the diet healthy?
Yes and no. According to experts, being allowed to eat any kind of food could give dieters the freedom to consume more unhealthy foods on a regular basis without feeling as guilty. However, what's unique about the book is that it does try to encourage dieters to try and make healthier choices each time they eat.
There are four groups of recipes in the book that are divided according to their nutritional benefits: The Red Star group are recipes rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which help raise your good cholesterol and curb your appetite. The Orange Star group is a series of recipes that have at least seven grams of healthy, appetite-suppressing fiber. The Blue Star group is a series of recipes that have more than twenty grams of muscle-building protein. And finally, the Green Star group is a series of recipes that contain at least one cup of fruits and vegetables. By eating one recipe from each group daily (which is encouraged), it's meant to help dieters effortlessly meet the nutritional requirements that most dietitians recommend for optimal health.
What do the experts say?
The book promotes eating smaller meals several times a day , as well as eating a lot of different types of foods, which are two things that registered dietitian Eve Pearson Rodgers, owner of Nutriworks Comprehensive Nutrition Consulting, preaches to clients regularly, not only to help them lose weight, but to simply maintain a healthier lifestyle. "The more variety you can have in your diet, the more likely you'll take in enough of the nutrients your body needs on a daily basis," said Rodgers, "so long as that variety of foods are healthy and nutritious fare, that is."
Because the 400 Calorie Fix doesn't force dieters to give up any of their favorite foods, Rodgers also thinks it may allow them to stick with the program longer than usual. "Cutting certain foods completely out of your nutrition plan is the first place people fail when it comes to dieting," she said. "By letting them eat what they want in moderation, they won't feel as if they are giving up as much to continue using the program, which could help them binge less."
The layout of the 400 Caloric Fix also impressed Rodgers, who believes a picture is worth a thousand words to dieters. "Many of the program's recipes are also accompanied by pictures (which many diet books never contain)," said Rodgers. "People really like to see what they are going to eat before they take the time to prepare it, so all of those extra pictures may make dieters more motivated to take that extra time to prepare their meals, especially if they like what they see."
One the down side, "there are hundreds of recipes in the book which require a lot of food preparation, which could be an issue for many dieters looking for a more convenient way to lose weight," said Rodgers. Also, even though their Star system is a plus (in that it may help educate dieters about what healthier meals contain higher amounts of fiber, more healthy fats, etc.), the one thing that Rodgers wasn't keen on is that most of the recipes/meals only have one healthy trait associated with them (either high-protein, high fiber, healthy fats or a serving of fruits/vegetables) --instead of having recipes that combined several healthy factors into the same meal.
Another issue: "When your goal is to lose weight, then you need to have a nutritional plan and an exercise plan working together to accomplish that goal," said Rodgers. Trying to achieve weight loss strictly through your diet, or only through exercise, isn't as effective, which is why Rodgers doesn't like that exercise isn't stressed enough with the program.
Who should consider the diet?
Anyone who needs the freedom to eat whatever they want in order to stick with a diet, but also has the willpower to eat smaller portions at each and every meal.
Bottom Line
At its core, the 400 Calorie Fix is essentially a diet based on portion control and calorie counting, which is encouraged by most top nutritionists. If you can fill the 1,600 calories you're allowed to eat daily with plenty of healthy, nutrient-rich foods, then it's a simple, no-nonsense approach to watching your weight.
Fitness expert Myatt Murphy is the author of the best-selling books, The Body You Want in the Time You Have,Ultimate Dumbbell Guide and The Men's Health Gym Bible.
