Cookie Diet?

[KimberlyH]

Date: 1/25/2009 11:40:56 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 1/25/2009 8:43:36 AM
Author: steph72276

Date: 1/24/2009 9:07:58 PM

Author: Sally B Good

I''ve tried Slim Fast and Special K and found niether of them to be filling and satisfying. I''m sure they work for some people. I agree it is simply a matter of calories in but some of us need more help then simply... ''eat less''... duh

My point is, what happens when you get sick of these cookies or decide you don''t want to spend a fortune on them anymore and go off this diet? Then you have learned nothing about how to successfully take the pounds off and keep them off which is the hardest part. You say you have tried Slim Fast, Special K, now this cookie diet and who knows how many others...well guess what, I tried them all too and the only thing that really works is portion control and exercise....just good old fashioned hard work! Something like Weight Watchers or sparkpeople.com will give you the tools you need to keep it up over a lifetime so you don''t gain it right back. Sorry if I sound harsh, it''s just that I''ve been there, done that, bought the tshirt and know what happens as soon as you get tired of these fad diets. Maybe you could join us in the healthy lifestyle thread?

I agree with Steph. These types of quick fix plans are exactly what someone who needs more help DOESN''T need because it doesn''t teach you anything about maintaining it in the real world. If you know nothing going in and nothing coming out, the weight will just pile right back on. Might take longer but in the long run it''s much better to actually learn healthy habits so it''s a lifestyle change instead of a diet.

Another big YUP from someone who lost 70+ pounds the slow way and has kept it off for going on 7 years. Meal replacement may work short term, but unless one learns how to eat the right foods in the right portions, enjoy a splurge here and there, and exercise regularly the cycle of fad diet, lose, quit diet, gain, get angry and blame a) your body and/or b) the diet, go back to old habits, repeat, repeat, repeat, will continue endlessly. Help in the form of support of friends (start a weight loss challenge with girlfriends, or simply start exercising with them), education programs about nutrition at local hospitals/community centers, programs focused on healthy eating, like WW, are great kick starts to a new and healthy way of living and will lead to success, if followed correctly. It really can''t be about a diet, it has to be a commitment to living a different sort of life.

 

[Amanda.Rx]

I''m gonna say... not a good idea. There''s no way you can be getting the recommended amount of fiber in your diet- not to mention fruits and vegetables. Diets high in fat and cholesterol (and low in fiber) are not heart healthy, for one.

Losing weight isn''t as important as taking care of your cardiovascular health, in my opinion. Don''t get me wrong- losing weight is important, if you need to do so. However, I don''t think it''s safe to do so by shoving a bunch of crap into your body (even if it is "lower" calorie). Not to mention, consuming that much sugar throughout the day is bad for you. It''ll create peaks in your blood sugar, and then make you much more hungry when you crash. The huge swings in sugar can also affect your mood- which could make you quite irritable and "bleh" feeling when your sugars do crash.

I mean- if you''re trying it in the short term (VERY short term)... it might work, if you just want a few vanity pounds off (which we all do). I just wouldn''t incorporate it into your lifestyle.

 

[prettylnpink419]

My aunt was on the cookie diet for about 6 months and slowly transitioned off about 4 months ago and she hasn''t gained anything back. She lost about 50 lbs. The average weight loss was about 12-15lbs a month. She was so successful at it, I gave in and bought some cookies thinking maybe I could do it. I''m not a big eater but have always been overweight. I don''t eat much throughout the day and would just have a big dinner when I got home so I figured the cookies might be a good alternative for me.

I just could not do it! The "cookies" tastes disgusting! I tried warming them up, I tried low fat jelly, I tried toasting them....I tried it all...none of it disguised the nastiness of the cookie! I have a huge box of them sitting in my basement right now if anyone wants them! I barely lasted 3 days...the cookies literally made me want to puke! It was hard just to keep it down!

It definitely takes determination, I''m sure if you were really focused and needed something short term, like to get in to your wedding dress in two weeks than it might work for you. For my aunt it was all about getting that jump start to see some immediate results to get her motivated. The one thing with the cookie diet though is that you can absolutely not work out or exercise in any way why you are on the diet b/c you aren''t taking in enough calories and if you burn more than you take in during the day then you actually won''t lose anything and it will be really unhealthy for you (not that it isn''t already unhealthy!)

 

[vespergirl]

Thanks everyone for the extra replies. I am still on the fence, I guess, because for me, I am already a healthy weight, not at all overweight, I eat a healthy, balanced diet, and work out 1 hour a day 5-6 days a week. So, it''s not about getting a healthy lifestyle & exercise program - I already have that. It''s about getting back my size 6/8 body, that''s now creeping up to an 8/10, since I''m older maybe and my metabolism is changing. I would like to lose a couple of inches at my waist and hips that accumulated after giving birth, but I really only want to lose about 10 pounds. I wonder if a few weeks on the Cookie Diet would help me break the plateau, to get back to my old weight ... It''s a tough decision, but maybe I''ll try it for a month or so & see how it goes ... I will let you guys know what I decide ...

 

[Amanda.Rx]

OK, so I didn''t actually look at the website before my post- I was under the impression that the cookie diet meant that you were shoving oreos and chips-a-hoy throughout the day.

So... you eat 6 cookies a day, plus a senseable dinner? That''s roughly about 1000 calories/day (if you make the dinner about 500 calories). Basically- just a low calorie diet. The cookies are fairly nutritious, but I still think that fruits & veggies are important to eat. It also says that you should supplement your cookie diet with a multivitamin b/c the cookies contain no vitamins or minerals, and drink plenty of water.

It would probably work, but like I said- it''s not for a long term plan. Nutritious, maybe... but not nutritious enough, IMHO. Keep in mind that these cookies have NO calcium and NO iron. It is hard to get the recommended daily value of both calcium and iron from a supplement because they compete for absorption in your body when taken together (so just because a multivitamin CONTAINS 100% the daily value of both, that doesn''t mean you absorb 100%). This is why I disagree with it in the long term, especially for women- you''re putting yourself at risk for both osteoporosis and anemia. Also, with ANY calorie restricted diet, you don''t want to deplete too many calories or your body will start going into a starvation mode. You certainly don''t want to be wasting away any muscle tissue. Also, if you starve yourself in the long term, your body will not respond correctly when you eat normally again and it will be easy to put weight back on and much harder to lose it (b/c your body will fight you and store everything you put into it- just incase you decide to starve yourself again). Remember- after the first week, it isn''t recommended to lose more that 1-2 pounds per week (Biggest Loser is an exception- those individuals are morbidly obese).

However, a month or two would probably get 5-10 pounds off without running into long term consequences.

 

[vespergirl]

Well, I just signed up for weight watchers online today, and started tracking my food. This does seem like a pretty easy plan to follow, and I guess since I can have anything I won''t get bored with the food. Since I also get a lot of exercise, that gives me a bunch of extra points every day. I''ll let you guys know how it goes...

 

[steph72276]

Yea! Good choice! You should post on the HLT and give us your updates.

 

[KimberlyH]

Vesper, I am so glad you''ve decided to WW instead. Already healthy or not, I just can''t see how such a diet could be good for you. Wishing you much success.

 

[Sally B Good]

Date: 1/16/2009 4:21:46 PM
Author:vespergirl
I keep reading about the cookie diet, where you eat cookies for breakfast & lunch & then a small dinner. Have any of you tried it? Seen results?

Vespergirl, I agree the cookie diet is not for you sense you are at a healthy weight. But I still think the cookie diet is good for some of us. I did weight watchers and it is good but after losing 15 # in two months something bad happened and I blew it in one weekend! To me, things like Weight Watchers is great for maintenance or slow weight loss. BUT... sometime you need to do a quick weight loss just to feel like you are actually doing something! Anyway, that''s the way it is for me. I''m still on the R&D Diet Cookie program. It''s not that expensive (not like the others). I like the taste of the cookies and it''s not forever. It''s not even every day! I still say I know lots of ways to "maintain" a healthy weight. The R&D Diet Cookie is just what I am doing now. I wish everyone wouldn''t act like there is only one way to lose weight... if that were true, we would all be thin. We each have to find out what works for us. And... what works today may not work tomorrow. There is no "magic bullet", or "one diet fits all".

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 1/29/2009 6:27:29 PM
Author: steph72276
Yea! Good choice! You should post on the HLT and give us your updates.

Ditto! I love etools and I use it a lot. I especially love the recipe builder; I use it for a lot of family recipes, type it in and it spits out the points and I can modify recipes. I love that you can track your food and on the side you fill in the all the fruits and veggies you eat.

 

[Itgirl76]

What I have learned over time about anything if it sounds to good to be true it probably is

I would love to eat cookies all day and lose weight but the only thing is that is probably comes back as soon as it went off

Cookie diet I wish! I would be sooper skinny

 

[Haven]

Date: 2/2/2009 9:51:12 PM
Author: Sally B Good

Date: 1/16/2009 4:21:46 PM

Author:vespergirl

I keep reading about the cookie diet, where you eat cookies for breakfast & lunch & then a small dinner. Have any of you tried it? Seen results?

Vespergirl, I agree the cookie diet is not for you sense you are at a healthy weight. But I still think the cookie diet is good for some of us. I did weight watchers and it is good but after losing 15 # in two months something bad happened and I blew it in one weekend! To me, things like Weight Watchers is great for maintenance or slow weight loss. BUT... sometime you need to do a quick weight loss just to feel like you are actually doing something! Anyway, that''s the way it is for me. I''m still on the R&D Diet Cookie program. It''s not that expensive (not like the others). I like the taste of the cookies and it''s not forever. It''s not even every day! I still say I know lots of ways to ''maintain'' a healthy weight. The R&D Diet Cookie is just what I am doing now. I wish everyone wouldn''t act like there is only one way to lose weight... if that were true, we would all be thin. We each have to find out what works for us. And... what works today may not work tomorrow. There is no ''magic bullet'', or ''one diet fits all''.

You sound like a rep for the cookie diet, SBG! I''m glad to hear you found something that works for you.

Vesper--Good luck with WW.
Have you considered following a bodybuilder-type diet? You know--lean chicken, tuna fish, rice, sweet potatoes, steamed veggies, egg whites, water, six small meals per day, limit your calories. When I was in *ahem* better shape and I just wanted to get cut I''d pretend I was a bodybuilder, but just on a lower-calorie plan.

 

[lindaw78]

I too went on the R and D Diet Cookie program when I first heard about it in December. I''ve lost 18 lbs and I have to say it has been pretty effortless. It was quicker at first of course. At first I just kept the calories low but now I find I am feeling really good and want to do healthier things... I''m even thinking about exercising a little! Maybe walking. Recently I have found myself buying healthier foods without even thinking about it.... more fruits and veges and whole grains. The cookies were just the crutch I needed to get started. I have 50 lbs total to lose so wish me luck and I will keep you updated.