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The Pizza Diet: Florida Man Eats Pizza for 30 Days, Loses 24 Pounds
Posted on Jul 1st 2010 11:00AM by Vanessa VoltolinaFiled Under: Diet & Weight Loss
St. Petersburg Times / ZUMApress.com
According to NBC Washington, McClellan, the owner of Tour de Pizza in St. Petersburg, Fla., ate pizza for every meal over 30 days last year and lost 25 pounds. He said he also lowered his cholesterol, shed 10 percent of his body fat and dropped five inches around his waist.
The diet is simple: One slice every three hours combined with an hour of exercise each day. McClellan said the key to the diet is moderation. During his month on the "pizza diet," he ate one slice every three hours and changed the toppings each time to meet his nutritional needs. He also used a basic workout routine, but explained that anyone hoping to try the diet should consult a doctor before trying it.
Now, McClellan is traveling up the East Coast by bike, promoting this new diet. He will hit 22 cities hoping to change the public's perception of pizza. McClellan said he wants America to realize that pizza is the "healthiest fast food option on the market." His tour will end next month in New York City, home to some quality slices.
While we agree that there are certainly worse fast food options on the market (KFC's Double Down or Friendly's BurgerMelt, anyone?), is the pizza diet too good to be true?
"Anybody can lose weight on anything if they are eating less than they were previously," registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson Keri Gans told That's Fit. "I'm not surprised he lost weight. Who knows, maybe now he's consuming 2,500 calories a day when before he was consuming 3,500 -- pizza plus burgers, fries and soda."
And, Gans cautions, just because it worked for McClellan doesn't necessarily mean it will work for others. "It's possible to actually gain weight on this diet," added Gans. "It all comes down to how many calories are consumed. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with eating pizza. I tell my patients that they can eat pizza -- it's a great opportunity for vegetables!"
However, she said introducing a slice of pizza to your diet is healthier than eating all pizza all of the time, since with only pizza your body is lacking the vitamins, nutrients and health benefits from fruits and whole grains. Although he can get protein from the cheese, Gans said, he could also be consuming too much saturated fat.
"Any time that you have a so-called diet that is restrictive, you'll eventually get bored with the food and not be able to sustain it. Really, you should never be on a diet that is restrictive," said Gans, "healthy eating incorporates all foods."
The conclusion? While pizza (topped with lots of veggies!) isn't a terrible food choice, eating it as your only food option makes you miss out on lots of other healthy foods.
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