# Help me explain to my wife why this diet is crap **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939 "2007-10-16T20:00:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/41 "2007-10-17T00:55:47Z")
This strikes me as an extremely bizarre way of doing the South Beach Diet. If you eat nothing but vegetables, lean meat, and low glycemic fruits (canteloupe is one of the lowest glycemic fruits there is), and a limited amount of dairy, well, basically that is South Beach. If she thinks that the food selection of the above listed diet is appealing and sustainable, she should try SBD. Why she thinks there is some benefit – and no harm – of eating those foods in some crazy order is beyond me. If you are _extremely_ overweight (ie 200+ lbs overweight) you might lose 10 lbs in the first week on South Beach. For normally overweight people its pretty unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/42 "2007-10-17T00:59:50Z")
If removing toxins on day one is the important part, has she considered a [coffee enema?](http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/dietarytherapy/a/EnemasColonics.htm) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/43 "2007-10-17T01:40:28Z")
I’m curious though if anyone has every done a trail of this diet with a few people and seen what the actual results were by the end of the week. People have autopsied a furby, so it doesn’t seem too far fetched. I bought a magazine this week that promises that you can lose 85 pounds between now and Christmas. I haven’t checked that article yet, but I’m unsure as to how you could acomplish that in 10 weeks without cutting off your legs. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/44 "2007-10-17T01:53:44Z")
The best weight loss plan I ever used was an eight-week plan in which I went from 260 to 180 pounds and actually gained muscle and strength in the bargain. It focused primarily on exercise – as much as two hours of high-impact aerobics and running a day – in a highly regimented lifestyle. The Army called it Basic Training. Weight Watchers works for me now. When I started, I lost two to three pounds a week, then tapered off to about a pound every couple of weeks. It wasn’t really a diet – it was a complete change in the way I live my life. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/45 "2007-10-17T01:55:56Z")
I know we’ve done this one before. Oh yeah, here’s a recent thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=434500&highlight=soup+diet](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=434500&highlight=soup+diet) It was the mention of the “special soup” that made me remember this. Same diet makes the rounds under various names, always attributed to some name-brand organization that has never heard of the thing. They just seem to have forgotten the Special Magic Soup Recipe in the version you were given. Some warning signs to me that this is crap include: -Absolutely no risk! -Lose 10-17lbs/week (as others have mentioned, 1-2lbs/week is the general rate recommended). -Lots of poor grammar and lousy spelling. -“Flush you of impurities”. Per links in this thread, a few billion years of evolution have equipped us with a fairly functional system for taking care of this. I don’t think eating nothing but tomatoes and steak will improve upon that. -Bizarrely restricted diet. That was one of the red flags various doctors have said to look out for, any diet that has you eliminating entire groups of foods, eating only one thing per day, etc. Nothing but bananas and milk on day 4? Stock up on barf bags. I am not a doctor or a dietician but it is my halfway informed opinion that there is absolutely no secret to losing weight, and there aren’t any real shortcuts: 1. Eat healthy foods. 2. Watch quantities. 3. Keep junk food to a minimum. 4. Increase your activity level. 5. Stick to it. Yes you can drop 20 lbs in a week or whatever, but I bet you it isn’t from eating healthily, getting an appropriate amount of exercise or making any kind of rational long-term changes. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/46 "2007-10-17T01:56:53Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] [QUOTE=panache45] …10 glasses of water, which is an insane amount… [/QUOTE] Is it? How much is in a glass? To me a glass is about 200 ml. In which case, 2 liters of water seems quite a normal amount - personally I drink about 4 liters of water a day, if not more. [/QUOTE] Yes, it is, and 4l a day is even more excessive. Why do you drink that much? You must pee like a firetruck. The standard recommendation is around 8 glasses worth a day _including what you drink in beverages and eat in food_. _Not_ 8 glasses of water on top of your normal food and drink intake. ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/47 "2007-10-17T01:59:44Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] 10 glasses of water, which is an insane amount [/QUOTE] Wow. You must think I need to be committed – I drink a minimum of 8 bottles (16.9oz each) of water per day. Somedays, if I am working out or running around a lot, I might actually double that amount. I don’t drink soda, tea or anything with calories other than my morning coffee (11oz coffee with 1 oz mocha syrup), so I don’t feel like I am drinking an inordinate amount. 10 glasses of water is really not that much to those of us who only drink water. If you were to actually keep track of all the fluids you take in (sodas, tea, coffee, etc) you might find that you are easily drinking 80oz. Wouldn’t you rather (if you actually cared about your health and were watching your weight) drink that in water? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/48 "2007-10-17T02:02:52Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] I’d rather be fat. [/QUOTE] Yeah, it lost me on step one too. I can handle bananas and diarrhea, but you can have my alcohol when you pry it from my yellowed, tremulous hands. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/49 "2007-10-17T02:25:13Z")
> [@](#): > > This program is designed for a target weight loss of 10-17 lbs per week. Haha. First sentence tells you it’s crap. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/50 "2007-10-17T02:38:23Z")
I’m as likely to go on a diet from GM as I am to buy a car built by Jenny Craig. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/51 "2007-10-17T02:41:44Z")
I ask people to name some of the ‘toxins’ that I’d be ridding myself of. Never had an answer involving an actual substance yet. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/52 "2007-10-17T02:46:46Z")
Here’s a link to one of the copies floating around: [General Motors: Weight Loss Program](http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/~jajoo/gmdiet.html) > [@](#): > > G.M.'S Wonder Soup > > The following soup is intended as a supplement to your diet. It can be eaten any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities. You are encouraged to consume large quantities of this soup. > > 28 oz, Water, 6 Large Onions, 2 Green Peppers, Whole Tomatoes (fresh or canned), 1 Head Cabbage, 1 Bunch Celery, 4 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Herbs and Flavouring as desired. ---
**Author:** ![Layla01](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/layla01/32/15552_2.png) [@Layla01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Layla01)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/53 "2007-10-17T02:51:28Z")
That diet would only be sustainable for a week - you certainly wouldn’t want to do it any longer, the body can only take so much (day four and five are awful). There are ways to lose a large amount of weight without being ill - I lost around 10lbs in one week on a liquid VLCD (very low calorie diet) but that was in preparation for an operation and supervised by a doctor. I sure wouldn’t have done it for any other reason. As **tdn** says, she’ll gain it right back. I’d try and talk her out of it if I were you. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/54 "2007-10-17T09:06:10Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] Yes, it is, and 4l a day is even more excessive. Why do you drink that much? You must pee like a firetruck. [/quote] I don’t see how it’s “excessive” - that implies there’s some negative effect. It’s just “a lot”. And yes, I do pee rather a lot… > [@](#): > > The standard recommendation is around 8 glasses worth a day including what you drink in beverages and eat **in food**. Not 8 glasses of water on top of your normal **food** and drink intake. (My bolds above and below.) Not according to [the British Dietetic Association](http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/healthy_living/nutrition/drinks_water.shtml): > [@](#): > > The British Dietetic Association advises that the average adult should consume 2.5 litres of water per day. Of this, **1.8 litres - the equivalent of six to seven glasses of water per day - must be obtained directly from beverages**. This should be increased during periods of hot weather or during and after periods of physical activity. So, you are underestimating and I am overestimating - I drink just over twice what is recommended. I also cycle 9 miles a day so probably need to top up a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/55 "2007-10-17T10:31:31Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] Yes, it is, and 4l a day is even more excessive. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Litoris] I drink a minimum of 8 bottles (16.9oz each) of water per day. Somedays, if I am working out or running around a lot, I might actually double that amount. [/QUOTE] I think it depends a lot on how active you are and how much you exercise. I’ll drink a minimum of 2l of plain water on top of anything else I drink during the day. Probably double that in warm weather. But I also have a 45 mile per week running habit to support. And if I skip coffee, I could go the whole day without visiting the bathroom, telling me I could probably drink more if I wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/56 "2007-10-17T11:07:14Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] Yes, it is, and 4l a day is even more excessive. Why do you drink that much? You must pee like a firetruck. The standard recommendation is around 8 glasses worth a day _including what you drink in beverages and eat in food_. _Not_ 8 glasses of water on top of your normal food and drink intake. [/QUOTE] FTR – I pee exactly 5 times per day most days (except when I am on my period). [ol] [li]First thing when I wake up[/li][li]Around 10 am after my coffee and 3 or 4 bottles of water have made it into my body[/li][li]Around 2 pm, after lunch and another 2 bottles of water[/li][li]Around 5 pm, after work and another 2 bottles of water[/li][li]Sometime before bed – it will vary depending on how much water I drink after I get home[/li][/ol] As you can see, not only do I\* not piss like a firetruck, I am pretty regular with it. I honestly don’t see why you would think this is excessive. \*I know your comment wasn’t directed at me, but being one of those who do drink “excessive” water, I just wanted to clarify. As to the OP – the soup is actually pretty yummy as long as you leave out the onion soup mix. While you won’t see 10lbs lost (unless as stated previously, you’re exceedingly overweight), you will see some weight loss, due to the amounts of fiber/liquid going into the body – you really do shit yourself silly on that diet. She might as well just take laxatives for a week, honestly. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/57 "2007-10-17T13:52:36Z")
**D\_Odds** , has your wife read this thread yet? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/58 "2007-10-17T14:00:22Z")
[QUOTE=Dangerosa] Very cold water. Your body burns calories bringing it up to body temperature and it has no calories. Course, it isn’t exactly burning calories at the same rate as jogging, nor is exactly calorieless brownies, but I recall that simply drinking your eight glasses of water a day iced on a diet is worth a few pounds over the course of a year. [/QUOTE] Doing the math, it takes one kilocalorie to warm one litre of water by one degree Celsius. So _back of the envelope scribbling_ for every pint of refrigerated water you drink per day, you’ll burn an ounce of fat per week. I guess in a strictly controlled experiment it all adds up over the years, but the signal to noise ratio isn’t exactly high. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/59 "2007-10-17T14:25:35Z")
[QUOTE=Litoris] Wouldn’t you rather (if you actually cared about your health and were watching your weight) drink that in water? [/QUOTE] No way. Plain water makes me nauseous. Crystal Light and diet soda will have to do. And that banana vomit I’ve been hearing so much about. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939/60 "2007-10-17T14:27:25Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Here’s a link to one of the copies floating around: [General Motors: Weight Loss Program](http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/~jajoo/gmdiet.html) [/QUOTE] I _thought_ so! It’s the Onion Soup diet. It’s been making the rounds here for a couple of months. **Litoris** called it in one. Some of my officemates tried this, and they lost quite a bit of weight in the first week… by shitting non-stop. They also felt like complete crap (no pun intended). The weight came back within two weeks. [Quote=Jahdra] I once lost 22 pounds in 2 weeks. Here’s what you do: become violently ill with something that also gives you a persistent fever and a horrendous cough, so you are hot (burning calories), throwing up (fewer calories), have diarrhea (even fewer calories), and coughing (coughing for hours on end as if you’re going to cough up a lung burns lots of calories). You’ll be so miserable you won’t even want to eat, you’ll look and feel like living death, and it will take months to recover, but hey, you lost weight, and that’s what’s important, right? [/Quote] My wife had similar results last spring, but with different side effects, such as increased lactation and sleep loss. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-explain-to-my-wife-why-this-diet-is-crap/422939.md?page=4)